Meghan Markle is facing renewed criticism over allegations that she is leveraging her past royal status to market her lifestyle brand’s new holiday line.
Before the collection’s release on Tuesday, the Duchess of Sussex, 44, posted a video of herself working at a laptop. Viewers quickly noticed two items placed prominently on her desk: a $64 candle from her brand’s latest range and a blue notebook embossed with her personal royal cypher—a stylized “M” topped with a crown, originally introduced ahead of her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.
Although Meghan and Harry stepped back from official royal duties in 2020 and now live in Montecito with their two children, some online commenters accused her of “cashing in” on symbols tied to the monarchy to enhance the appeal of her Christmas products. One user on X argued that Meghan “puts her royal cypher on almost everything,” while another suggested the branding strategy was deliberate, implying that the candle’s premium price relies on royal associations.
Her holiday collection appears to lean heavily into references from her time within the Royal Family. The brand’s “Signature Candle No. 519” is explicitly linked to her wedding date, with marketing copy promising a scent reminiscent of the “freshness of an English countryside day” and celebrating what the site calls Meghan’s “cherished memories” of her 2018 ceremony in Windsor.
The couple’s joint monogram, created after their marriage, previously appeared on their Sussex Royal website and social media accounts. Despite no longer being working royals, Meghan has continued using her personal cypher on stationery. In 2022, author Allison Yarrow publicly shared a thank-you note from Meghan—written on paper still bearing the symbol—after participating in the Duchess’s Archetypes podcast.
On Tuesday, Meghan launched her first As Ever Christmas line, unveiling two candles inspired by significant personal dates—her wedding day and her August 4 birthday—along with an $89 bottle of 2021 Vintage Napa Valley Brut.
