A small independent café in Victoria, Australia, capitalised on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to the country by publishing a fabricated image purporting to show the couple enjoying refreshments at their establishment.
Beachside Bakehouse in San Remo posted the AI-generated photograph on Facebook, depicting Harry and Meghan smiling on the terrace.
The picture was captioned: "We always said we were fit for royalty, just didn't think they'd actually take us up on it. Next round's on you Haz."
The convincing computer-generated image deceived numerous social media users, with some congratulating staff on hosting the Sussexes before the café acknowledged the deception.
Café forced to issue clarification after sharing AI image of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
|INSTAGRAM: BEACHSIDE BAKEHOUSE SAN REMO
Responses to the post varied considerably, with some locals expressing genuine excitement about the apparent visit.
One commenter described it as "a definite WOW moment," whilst another wrote: "Beautiful photo - lucky you, they chose you for a coffee."
However, eagle-eyed observers quickly spotted inconsistencies in the fabricated image.
One user pointed out that the real Harry "has less hair" than his digitally created counterpart.
Prince Harry and Meghan pictured visiting Batyr in Australia
|REUTERS
Critics were less forgiving of the stunt, with one dismissive commenter noting: "AI for sure. Don't even look like that now. Meghan's dress is from a previous visit to Australia."
The café subsequently revealed the true nature of the post, telling Australian media: "We just thought we'd jump on board the Harry and Meghan visit to Australia, and just make it as a bit of fun."
Staff explained that the image was "intended as a bit of lighthearted fun for our community," expressing surprise at the overwhelming response, describing it as "great exposure for a small local business like ours."
The viral success proved remarkable, with the post accumulating more than 200,000 views in under 24 hours and being shared over 150 times.
Prince Harry and Meghan take part in the Scar Tree Walk in Melbourne, Victoria
|REUTERS
LATEST ROYAL NEWS:
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum (Anvam) in Southbank, Melbourne
|PA
The establishment even briefly entertained rebranding itself as The Royal Bakehouse to mark the fictitious visit.
The Sussexes' Australian trip has seen the couple engage with young people on digital safety issues.
Speaking at a university technical college on Thursday, the duke praised Australia's pioneering legislation banning under-16s from social media platforms, declaring: "From a responsibility and leadership standpoint - epic."
Harry noted that numerous countries have since followed Australia's example, though he suggested intervention should have occurred before a ban became necessary.
The duchess, meanwhile, shared her own experiences with online harassment, telling students she had been "bullied and attacked" daily for a decade and claiming she was "the most trolled person in the entire world."