Meghan Markle’s father denies being involved in bus tour of Montecito

Meghan Markle’s estranged father has been linked to a bus tour that goes past her Californian home - but he denies being involved. See what he said.

Meghan Markle’s estranged father says he’s “not involved in any way” in a new sightseeing tour that plans to take tourists past the royal couple’s California home.

Photographer Karl Larsen, who is a friend of Thomas Markle, charges $A1865 for a nine-hour tour.

The Royal Celebrity Tour of Los Angeles and Montecito promises to show tourists Harry and Meghan’s “favourite restaurants” along with “Prince Harry’s favourite location to walk his dog”.

It also includes stops to the “private high school where Mr Markle paid for Meghan to go ” and “Meghan Markle’s very first childhood home”.

However Mr Markle, 79, said he has been left “fuming and deeply distressed” by claims made at the weekend.

“I never gave my approval to Karl Larsen for any tour anywhere. I am not involved in any way,” Mr Markle told the Mail Online.

Photographer Karl Larsen and Thomas Markle slam the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their YouTube channel. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Markle’s son Tom Jr also denied his father would ever be involved with an “embarrassing idea”.

“Under no circumstances whatsoever did my father ever agree, or was even aware of, such a ridiculously cheesy and embarrassing idea of being involved in a tour bus business with Karl Larsen,” he told the Mail Online.

“He has no authorisation to use my father’s name in any ad campaign for a cheesy Hollywood tour van business. What kind of person does that?.”

Hey @cbouzy

Thanks for the heads up!
We removed that tour from sale

— Tripening (@tripening) August 21, 2023

It comes as travel website Tripening.com said they had removed the listing following outrage from Sussex ally Christopher Bouzy, the founder of tech firm Bot Sentinel who was featured on Netflix’s Harry & Meghan talking about online hate campaigns.

The listing remains active on Viator.com, promoted by an image of Harry and Meghan kissing after a polo match.

Larson, who bills himself in the listing as “the ONLY person in the world that knows the truth about what happened between Meghan Markle and her father”, said removal from booking sites was “not going to be the end of the tour”.

“I have no intentions of going past Harry and Meghan’s house,” Larson added to Newsweek amid criticisms he was bringing online harassment into the real world.

“Just where she grew up.”

The listing was pulled after criticism from a guest quoted during the Netflix series, Harry and Meghan. Picture: Supplied

“We’re going to go to Montecito but just places they go to, restaurants they go to,” he said.

“This tour is designed for people who like Harry and Meghan, it’s like going to see Elvis, going to Graceland because they like Elvis.”

“It’s a custom tour so if people want to go see other sights that’s what we’re going to do but we will not go past [Meghan’s mother] Doria [Ragland’s] house and we will not go past Harry and Meghan’s.”

According to the tour’s remaining listing on Viator.com, the bus of between six to nine tourists does picks ups from hotels or the airport and makes 13 stops, starting with the “Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse” featured in the Netflix documentary.

The tour will stop at the campus of Immaculate Heart High School. Picture: Angus Mordant for NewsCorp Australia

Ms Markle was in the class of 1999. Picture: Angus Mordant for NewsCorp Australia

Other stops include Meghan’s middle school and high school, the childhood homes she grew up in, and the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club.

“We will stop here at this location to touch the grass that both Prince Harry and Prince William have played polo on,” the listing says.

“As well as showing you the exact location of where I took the famous photo of Prince Harry & Meghan kissing.”

The tour finishes in Montecito for a tantalising chance of spotting the Sussexes in their natural habitat, including favourite restaurants and the Pierre Lafond Market & Deli

“This is Meghan Markle’s favourite Coffee shop with her favourite gift shop above it,” the listing says.

“[Lookout Park] is Prince Harry’s favourite location to walk his dog. We will stop here to enjoy the view of Summerland beach below the cliff.”

Originally published as Meghan Markle’s father denies being involved in bus tour of Montecito