Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand has been brutally savaged by a royal commentator who nicknamed it a “netherworld of nothingness” and warned the Duchess about its future. The Duchess of Sussex launched her first collection of As Ever products last April, following a series of hiccups regarding her brand’s trademark.
Since then, As Ever has released a number of products, some of which were sold out in minutes, without, however, the original stock availability being known. The latest festive collection featured prominently in Meghan’s Christmas special on Netflix.
Now, a royal commentator has weighed in on As Ever’s path over the last nine months and made a bleak prediction about the future.
The Daily Mail’s columnist, Jan Moir, who regularly comments on the Duchess, said that although Meghan is “not the first to leverage her royal position” for commercial purposes, she needs to do one thing if she wants her brand to stand the test of time.
She wrote: “In a world where A-list entrepreneurs and celebrity-owned brands are raking in billions, the temptation to use the cachet of a gilt-edged royal connection must be irresistible.
“…What is As Ever all about? Even nine months down the line, it remains difficult to grasp the brand’s identity or purpose – or even its future.”
She added: “Jams, marmalade, teabags, candles, honey, chocolate, flower sprinkles, pancake and shortbread mixes, wines and chocolate? ‘More coming soon,’ it says on the website, and it sounds more like a threat than a promise.”
Ms Moir questioned whether the initial novelty of As Ever has worn off, and gave a brutal run-down of its products, describing the jams as runny, the candles weird, the teas “nothing special” and the popular flower sprinkles “annoying”.
However, she said that Meghan will no longer has her Netflix show to promote and boost sales for As Ever as, apart from the Christmas special, there has been no confirmation for With Love, Meghan being renewed.
The columnist argued that As Ever lacks authenticity, which could prove a fatal blow to the brand in the future, before dubbing it a “netherworld of nothingness”.
She explained: “Audiences now want authentic, unfiltered, realistic content, not hypocrisy from an anti-royal rebel who fled the tyranny of inherited wealth and privilege only to use this legacy to further her brand at every opportunity. On and on it goes in this netherworld of nothingness, this supposed elevation of the ordinary into the extraordinary.
“Of course, it is early days for As Ever and teething problems come with any brand. Yet there can be no denying the lack of clear identity and audience connection, no matter how many flowers Meghan sprinkles on top.”
She concluded: “Who knows what 2026 holds for As Ever, but it seems unlikely that she can rely on another Netflix series to help the brand. There is only so much the public can take. It may have been thoughtfully curated by the Duchess of Sussex, but can As Ever last for ever? Or even until next Christmas?”