The Duchess of Sussex has faced strong criticism for promoting her £525 designer coat after wearing it to a children's online safety event in Brussels, where she pulled out of delivering a planned keynote speech.
Meghan Markle, 45, attended the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial at the European Parliament on Tuesday, November 10, alongside Prince Harry, 42. She walked the red carpet holding Harry's hand while wearing a long black wrap coat with an oversized collar and a cinched waist belt.
Shortly after the appearance, the outfit was posted on her official OneOff profile, identifying the garment as a Soia & Kyo Britta-U Wool Wrap Coat retailing for £525, according to RadarOnline. Meghan joined the AI-powered fashion discovery platform as both an investor and a featured participant earlier this year, ahead of the couple's April trip to Australia, where she catalogued every outfit she wore.
Affiliate earnings and criticism
Through her shopping profile, the Duchess stands to earn an affiliate commission, reportedly between 10 and 25%, whenever fans purchase items via her links. Royal watchers and social media users were quick to criticise the move as tone-deaf, given the sombre nature of the Brussels event, which honoured children who took their own lives following online bullying.
Writing on Reddit, one critic said: "Hours after a sobering appearance in the name of children lost to social media, Meghan Markle forgets the kids and merches her clothing online." Another wrote: "It's so egregious how they don't donate money to the causes they support, but instead use those causes to make money for themselves as affiliate marketers." A third added: "Strong enough to post the outfit to her shopping app..."
Previous backlash in Australia
Others accused the Duchess of failing to learn from past backlash, pointing to a similar controversy earlier this year during her and Harry's trip to Australia. In April, Meghan sparked outrage after listing the complete six-piece breakdown of her £1,500 outfit on OneOff following a sombre visit to meet first responders and members of the Jewish community affected by the December 2025 Bondi Beach terrorist attack in Sydney.
At the time, critics accused her of "cashing in on terror" after she linked her £348 Matteau Classic Stripe Shirt, £105 Rolla's Sailor Jeans, £506 La Femme Ange sweater, £225 Freda Salvador Eda sneakers, £150 Brochu Walker Cassis sunglasses, and £170 Essén Drop Earrings.
The Express has approached representatives for the Duchess of Sussex for comment.
Legal trouble for Thomas Markle
The latest PR row coincided with escalating legal trouble for her estranged father, Thomas Markle Snr, who was reportedly taken back into custody in Florida on the same day as the Brussels event after allegedly cutting off his court-ordered ankle monitor. He had been placed under strict house arrest as a condition of his bond following his November 6 arrest on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material.
As the Sussexes arrived at the European Parliament on Tuesday, journalists shouted questions asking how she was feeling and coping. According to InStyle, Meghan did not look toward the press or react, instead walking past while speaking with one of her hosts.
