The Duchess of Sussex has faced a festive fallout after launching her first luxury advent calendar through her lifestyle brand As Ever. The limited-edition product, created with Los Angeles chocolatier Compartés, retails for $148 (£112) and contains 24 handcrafted chocolates. The packaging features an illustration inspired by Meghan and Prince Harry's $30 million Montecito mansion.
The price has prompted a clash, with religious figures questioning whether such an extravagant product reflects the true spirit of Christmas. Anglican vicar Reverend Daniel French criticised the cost, instead highlighting a more affordable Christian advent calendar priced around £6, featuring Fairtrade chocolate and supporting the Leprosy Mission. His comments reportedly triggered hostile responses from some Sussex supporters, with Father Chris Phillips also facing criticism after backing the vicar's position. The backlash became so intense that Reverend French restricted access to his social media account.
Price comparison and backlash
Compartés already sells its own chocolate advent calendars for $120 (£90), each containing 24 chocolates. Meghan's collaboration costs $148 (£112) for the same number of treats, a $28 (£21) premium for the As Ever version. The countdown numbers are finished in edible gold, with flavours drawing inspiration from California fruit and products from Meghan's As Ever range.
Compartés has featured its products in Oprah's Favorite Things selections. Oprah hosted Meghan and Harry on her talk show for their 2021 interview, where they made allegations against the Royal Family.
Christmas card speculation
Meghan and Harry's festive family photos have also attracted attention, particularly their official holiday card shared in December 2024. The digital card featured images from the couple's public engagements, alongside a rare photograph of their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. In the family picture, Archie, then five, and Lilibet, then three, ran towards their parents, who stood with arms outstretched. The children's faces were not visible.
The card became the subject of online speculation after a separate image purporting to show the children facing the camera circulated on social media later that month. The alleged AI-generated picture showed versions of Archie and Lilibet standing beside one another, with the children and family dogs appearing in the image. Some social media users questioned its authenticity, and the image was reported as a fake Christmas card.
"The only one in focus is Meghan. Fake photo," one person wrote on X, while a second said: "Archie doesn't look like he's grown in well over a year, and the daughter looks like she's his height now." A third person wrote: "How is Lily [Lilibet] as tall as Archie? Where is the hair Lily can almost sit on?" Another X user made claims about a "digitally altered outline" around Meghan and suggested the dogs were "superimposed" at a later date. The rumours were seemingly put to bed after Photoshop experts claimed it was a real picture.
Panned Netflix special
Meghan's festive offering also came under fire when With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration arrived on Netflix in December 2025. The special saw the duchess prepare for Christmas with festive recipes, decorations and crafts, inviting friends and guests into her home. Among the moments featured were Meghan making personalised Christmas crackers, preparing festive food and sharing traditions with guests, including tennis star Naomi Osaka. Harry also made a brief appearance, joining his wife in the kitchen.
The programme was largely panned, with reviewers questioning whether its polished presentation translated into a warm, relatable Christmas atmosphere. The Independent's Hannah Ewens gave the special one star out of five, arguing that it was not informative, fun, enjoyable or aspirational. The Telegraph's Anita Singh described the programme as "quite mad and a little bit sad", while the Irish Times criticised what it saw as an overly manufactured festive atmosphere.
Awkward editing error
One of the most widely discussed moments involved Meghan's beloved rescue dog Guy, who died in January 2025. During the special, Meghan placed a sentimental ornament on her Christmas tree that appeared to pay tribute to the beagle. Later in the episode, however, a dog identified as Guy appeared alongside her as she prepared brunch. The sequence suggested that the special may have been filmed before Guy's death, despite being released towards the end of 2025.
Meghan had previously spoken publicly about her grief following the dog's death, explaining that she adopted him from a rescue centre in Canada in 2015 after he had been at risk of being put down.
