Meghan Markle has sparked a fierce online backlash after launching a new product line on what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday.
The 44-year-old Duchess of Sussex took to her lifestyle brand As Ever’s official Instagram account on Monday evening to tease the release of two candles named after her children.
“Introducing two new candles beautifully crafted by our founder and named in honour of her children’s birthdates,” the caption reads.
“No. 604 named for Princess Lilibet’s birthdate, is floral and radiant with notes of amber, water lily, and santal.
“No.506, named for Prince Archie’s birthdate, is warm and grounding with notes of ginger, neroli, and cashmere.”
Alongside the candles, the former Suits actress also announced the release of her Signature Chocolate Box, featuring “soft caramel centres finished with safflower sprinkles”, as well as curated gift sets designed for sharing.
She urged followers to sign up to the As Ever newsletter ahead of the drop.
However, the timing of the post raised eyebrows, landing just hours before a significant milestone for the Royal Family- the centenary of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s birth.
The beloved monarch, who died on September 8, 2022, reigned for 70 years and 214 days.
On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace released a heartfelt video of King Charles III paying tribute to his mother, highlighting her legacy and lifelong service.
Members of the Royal Family are also set to carry out a series of engagements throughout the week to mark the occasion.
Against that backdrop, Meghan’s commercial announcement drew swift criticism online, with some accusing her of poor timing.
“As ever, merching the kiddos on the late Queen’s 100th birthday. Utterly disgusting,” one fan wrote on Reddit, while another said: “This is the absolute breaking point. Enough is enough. Seeing Lilibet on her As Ever BS on the Queen’s birthday?!?!?!”
A third added: “On what would have been HMTLQ 100th birthday, we have a new statue, a very poignant video message from the King, a documentary, specifically minted commemorative coins, montages on all news channels……No one is interested in overpriced candles inspired by an Invisible ‘Prince and Princess’. As ever, tacky, pathetic ill-timing, that fails to hit the target.”
Over on X, one user penned: “#MeghanMarkle’s incessant need to release launches on important dates for the Royal Family-Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday, Princess Diana’s 64th birthday etc can no longer be viewed as accidental or coincidental. It’s psychopathic, disrespectful and ghoulish.”
Another wrote: “Royal titles aren’t meant to double as marketing tools. Using ‘Prince’ and ‘Princess’ in a product pitch, especially to sell $64 candles tied to Archie and Lilii is exactly the kind of commercial crossover the rules were designed to avoid. The agreement when Haz and Meg stepped back was clear: keep royal status separate from profit-making ventures. Blurring that line isn’t ‘modernising’ it’s monetising titles that aren’t supposed to be used that way.”
However, not everyone agreed, with some fans jumping to Meghan’s defence.
“Any other dates people can’t use? Kate’s dog’s birthday?” one X user wrote.
Others expressed excitement about the launch, with one fan posting: “I’m so excited for this!! Can’t wait to get my candles, matchbox, & chocolate.”
The Archie and Lilibet candles are priced at USD$64 (about AUD$89) each on the As Ever website, or as part of a USD$156 (AUD$221) set.
The launch marks Meghan’s latest business move following the Sussexes’ four-day visit to Australia, where they are believed to have earned around USD$10 million (AUD$13 million) through paid appearances and brand deals.