Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli made a “small donation” to attend one of the events attended by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex last week, and while pictures from the meeting show everything went smoothly, the radio host has admitted there were a few little mishaps that occurred that fateful evening.
Speaking on his Nova radio program, Fitzy, Wippa & Kate, Wippa shared details about the Nexus Australia event he attended with wife Lisa, where he chatted all things 36 Months – the social media initiative spearheaded by him to extend the age of children on social media to 16 years.
“The entire evening was all about digital safety and the wellbeing of teens, which was awesome. It’s such a prominent thing for them. They’re so focused on that,” Wippa shared.
Wippa met Prince Harry at the Nexus Australia event during the Aussie tour.
Before Harry and Meghan arrived at the private house setting, two of their staff members approached the devoted dad-of-three to encourage a private conversation about his successful 36 Months campaign.
“They’d been briefed on 36 Months, and they really liked it and wanted to talk further about it, so I was flattered by that,” he explained.
The greeting was a “friendly” one. So friendly, in fact, an invitation to chat further looked like Wippa might’ve been crossing the professional line.
“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?” Wippa recalled.
“When he saw me, he then signalled to the lady – his EA or whatever – and he said ‘can we exchange details over here?’ so we can keep chatting.”
Harry and Meghan greeting one of their many fans during their tour Down Under. Picture
Both radio co-hosts Kate Ritchie and Ryan “Fitzy” Fitzgerald agreed the move might’ve been a little too friendly for the former royals on their Aussie tour.
To make things even more awkward, when it came to goodbyes, Wippa admitted that he leaned in for a kiss with the Duchess.
“She was so warm and embracing. It was a hug and a kiss goodbye,” he shared.
Stopping the flow of conversation, Kate quickly interrupted: “Did you kiss her?” – clearly appalled by the faux pas of kissing a royal (even if they are a “former”).
“That’s not protocol, mate,” Fitzy agreed. “That’s going outside the square. That’s like touching Vladimir Putin on the shoulder.”
Wippa’s story had Kate Ritchie in a fit of laughter. Picture: Instagram/@fitzywippakate
Wippa tried to defend his actions during the visit. Picture: Instagram/@fitzywippakate
The reaction prompted Wippa to justify his movements a little further.
“She was walking out the door. Lisa gave her a hug and they said goodbye. Then she came to me and went to give me a hug, so I just gave her a kiss on the cheek, like anyone.”
All up, Wippa recalls the evening as a huge success, despite the hiccups.
“I think they loved meeting me, I think we got on really well. I’ve emailed the contact that he gave me and look she hasn’t replied yet,” he laughed.
“It’s been 3 days and 3 emails, but I’m sure any day now. I’m just watching the clock.”
