Radio Star Opens Up About Awkwardly Kissing Meghan Markle — and Being Ghosted by Prince Harry
Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli let his feelings get the best of him, so much so, that he tossed the royal protocol rulebook out of the window.
Australian radio star Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli tossed royal protocol out the window when he met Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their recent Australia visit. Speaking on his popular radio program, he revealed that he and his wife had scored an invite to an exclusive event where the Sussexes were in attendance. Charmed by their public speaking skills, he then admitted to asking Harry for his number and cheekily sneaking in a greeting kiss from Markle, only to be left red-faced by the Duke later.
Speaking on his NOVA drive show, Wipfli told co-hosts Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald and Kate Ritchie that he and his wife, Lisa, were one of the 50 guests at the Nexus Australia event. There, he spoke about his initiative, 36 Months, a social media campaign that supports raising the minimum social media age. Revealing that Harry and Markle wished to speak to him, he said, "Before they [Harry and Markle] arrived, two of their people arrived, and one of them said Harry wants to talk about 36 Months. What I was really flattered about was... they had been briefed on 36 months, and they really liked it and wanted to talk further about it."
While Wipfli positively recalled Harry's warm nature, he mistook it for something more friendly. Explaining how his interaction with Harry was misconstrued, he continued, "I don't want to say that I said: 'We should exchange numbers,' it was more like: 'We should keep chatting,' and I think I had my phone in my hand because I had been referencing something, and so it looked like I was saying: 'Hey. What's your number?" He added, "When he [Harry] saw me... he then signalled to the lady who was his EA or whatever, and he said: 'Can we exchange details over here?' so we can keep chatting." Alas, despite swapping contact details with the royal, Wipfli joked about being ghosted by the Duke ever since!
The awkwardness did not stop there, as the radio star then admitted that he and Lisa were so impressed by Markle's stage presence and vivacious personality that they ended up sharing a goodbye kiss with her, breaking the no-touching royal rule. Wipfli swooned, "She [Markle] was so warm and embracing. It was a hug and a kiss goodbye." His co-hosts, clearly taken aback by his informal interaction, asked, "Did you kiss her?" with Fitzy quipping, "That's not protocol, mate."
As for their attendance at the event, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit alongside Wipfli and Lisa, advocating for a social media ban for under-16s. For the evening, Markle made her third outfit change, switching from casual khaki to elegant black trousers and an off-shoulder top with a gold-buckled belt. Meanwhile, Harry coordinated with her look, opting for a monochrome shirt and jeans. The appearance echoed their efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of online harm to youth.
