An Australian café in San Remo, Victoria, recently amused customers with a fabricated AI image depicting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoying coffee on their terrace. Beachside Bakehouse cleverly capitalized on the Sussexes ‘unofficial’ royal visit to Oz, showcasing a digitally altered photo that appeared remarkably authentic.
The café playfully captioned the image on Facebook, humorously suggesting their suitability for royalty and jokingly inviting “Haz” to cover the next round. While some patrons recognized the prank, others were genuinely impressed by the lifelike portrayal, with a few even commending the staff for hosting the royal couple.
Despite the initial excitement, a keen observer pointed out a clear discrepancy in the AI rendition, noting that the real Prince Harry has less hair than the digital version. Criticism surfaced as some individuals questioned the authenticity of the photo, highlighting Meghan’s recycled dress from a previous visit to Australia.
Following the brief flirtation with renaming to The Royal Bakehouse, Beachside Bakehouse eventually came clean about the prank, clarifying that their intention was to inject some fun into the Harry and Meghan visit to Australia. The café expressed gratitude for the overwhelming response from the community, citing over 200,000 views and 150 shares within a day.
Separately, Prince Harry praised the Australian government for its pioneering move to ban under-16s from social media, lauding the decision as “epic.” During a visit to a university technical college, he emphasized the significance of responsible leadership in addressing online safety concerns.
In another context, the Duchess of Sussex revealed her decade-long ordeal of being “bullied and attacked” on social media, claiming to have endured extensive online trolling. During a meeting at Number 10, Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed the imperative of safeguarding children on social platforms, advocating for protective measures even if they entail some restrictions.
Meanwhile, parliamentary discussions reflected a divergence of views on implementing an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s, with MPs rejecting a second proposal from the Lords.
