For years, there have been conspiracy theories accusing Meghan Markle and Prince Harry of trying to “ruin” royal events by issuing press releases, publishing photos of themselves, or leaking stories about themselves, on the same day or around the time Prince William, Kate Middleton, or other family members are attending royal events.
On Saturday, Meghan Markle gave some impetus to those proponents. In the early hours of the morning UK time, about six hours before her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, who is battling cancer, made her long-awaited return to royal duties at Trooping the Colour, she appeared to have one of her celebrity friends launch two new products for her newly launched American lifestyle brand, Riviera Orchard.
Nacho Figueras, a professional polo player and Harry's best friend, took to his Instagram Stories to share several photos of the former TV actor's American Riviera Orchard brand jars of raspberry jam and dog biscuits.
On Friday, Prince Charles made headlines around the world when he released a personal statement providing an update on his health, three months after announcing that he had cancer. The Duchess said on Instagram that her chemotherapy treatments are “going well.” But she also said she's “not out of the woods yet,” that her “treatment is ongoing,” and that she has “good days and bad days,” on which she feels “weak and tired.”
Another big news for Kate was that she will be taking part in Trooping the Colour Saturday, the annual military parade in London marking the birthday of King Charles III.
And Kate did take part in Saturday's parade and flyover, creating an “emotional” moment for crowds in London — and “millions watching at home” — as she rode in a glass carriage, smiling with her three children, The Telegraph reported. The future queen also brought her “star power” to the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where she was joined by Prince William and Prince Charles and other current royals, The Telegraph added.
Meghan once lounged on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, but she stepped back from royal duties with Prince Harry in 2020, moved to California, and decided to work to become financially independent.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have tried to become media moguls with mixed results, while Meghan is soft-launching American Riviera Orchard, a luxury brand that aims to sell expensive home goods for those aspiring to the Montecito lifestyle.
This spring, several of Meghan's other celebrity friends, including Kris Jenner and Chrissy Teigen, bragged on social media that they were among the lucky recipients of some of the 50 jars of American Riviera Orchard's limited-edition strawberry jam.
A source previously told People magazine that Meghan's new venture will “reflect everything she loves: family, cooking, entertaining and home décor.”
“Meghan thinks the name American Riviera Orchard is perfect,” the source said. The brand name is a reference to the name given to Montecito and the surrounding central California coast, where she and Prince Harry currently live. “It feels authentic to her,” the source said.
But critics of the Duchess of Sussex, speaking through a polo-playing friend, made a fuss on Saturday about the timing of the raspberry jam announcement. They pointed out that Meghan and Prince Harry have kept a low profile in recent weeks after their glitzy visit to Nigeria in May. So critics say it's odd that Meghan decided to promote herself and the jam on June 15, the day when royal watchers' attention will be focused, especially on Kate's return home to Trooping the Colour.
Of course, Meghan's fans are excited about any news about her, saying they can't wait for American Riviera Orchard to open so they can order their own jams and dog biscuits. Marketing experts might say it was a bit of a bold move for Meghan to advertise on the same day as Trooping the Colour to raise awareness of her brand.
But critics called the move “petty,” “vulgar” and “desperate” and said it was a blatant attempt to steal attention from Kate and the rest of the royal family.
“Having to constantly try to outdo the royal spotlight is exhausting and really pathetic,” one person said in response to People magazine's X post about the Raspberry Jam launch.
“Everyone was guessing Meghan would try to grab the media attention at the same time as Kate's first public appearance – and they were right,” another person said.
Reddit also cited other instances where Meghan and Harry tried to divert attention from pre-planned events involving Prince William, Princess Kate, and even the late Queen Elizabeth.
The most famous example, critics say, was when Meghan and Harry reportedly announced her first pregnancy at the wedding of Harry's cousin, Princess Eugenie, in October 2018, shortly before they were due to begin a royal tour of Australia and the South Pacific.
Then in April 2021, shortly before Prince Philip's funeral, Meghan issued a statement to media around the world announcing that she had sent a wreath and a handwritten note to be displayed at the funeral. Her letter detailed the flowers she had carefully selected, and “incurred the wrath of the Royal Family” by promoting a local florist as if she were an influencer, without any social media tagging.
Regarding Meghan's new business venture, critics have also criticized the fact that she only launched the American Riviera Orchard website and Instagram account on March 14, the same day that Prince William spoke in London to mark the 25th anniversary of the Diana Awards, which recognize young leaders.
But on Saturday, some of Meghan's fans thought it was no coincidence that the raspberry jam announcement came just hours before the Trooping the Colour ceremony, and they praised her for her courage.
“I can't lie the Duchess of Sussex raised the bar on raspberry jam. Love that woman!,” one self-proclaimed Meghan Markle fan wrote to X. “They played with her too and now she's playing with theirs! #meghanmarkle.”
