Meghan Markle has been accused of exploiting her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, after sharing a rare photo of them to promote her new As Ever brand. The image, posted on Instagram, shows the Duchess of Sussex with her two children and was accompanied by a dove emoji and the caption: 'Every day is a love story.'
Royal experts have criticised the move, with Dickie Arbiter, former press secretary to the late Queen, calling it 'tacky' and 'desperate'. He said: 'It’s a mixture of a lack of imagination and desperation... They left the UK because they wanted privacy.' Arbiter also noted that if Meghan had been promoting the collection in the UK, it would have breached the terms of the Megxit deal.
The As Ever brand is a digital shop where fans can purchase Meghan's favourite clothing, accessories and jewellery recommendations. Items include a sleeveless 'Windsor' gown priced at over £1,000, Saint Laurent sandals at £600, and earrings for £200. Meghan is expected to earn a commission on sales made through the ShopMy platform, which offers up to 30% commission to 'elite creators'.
Royal author Phil Dampier told The Sun: 'Nothing happens by accident and she would have thought this through and knows putting a photo of her children out at the same time as her clothing line would get maximum publicity. It begs the question whether Meghan is exploiting her two children who remain in the line of succession. I’d expect the Palace to take a dim view of this.'
Meghan's latest venture follows her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, which was panned by critics but has been renewed for a second series. The Duchess has described her style as 'high-low', mixing designer and accessible fashion.
