The Duchess of Sussex finds herself at the centre of a festive controversy after social media users branded her latest Christmas brand promotion as 'depressing' and overly 'beige'.
Festive Backlash
Meghan Markle, 44, shared a promotional clip on Instagram this Saturday for her As Ever Christmas range, featuring products including a $64 (£48) candle, champagne and mulled spice kits. The video showed the Duchess wearing a sleek brown silk dress while placing presents into grey stockings against a backdrop of neutral earthy tones and understated fir decorations.
While the caption cheerfully declared 'Oh, we see you! Not even Thanksgiving yet and you've already got this in the bag', many followers expressed disappointment at what they perceived as a lack of traditional Christmas spirit. One X user questioned: 'Where are the Christmas colors? Where is the festiveness?'
Royal Style Echoes
The criticism takes on added significance given Meghan's previous comments about modifying her personal style during her time as a working royal. In her 2022 Netflix series Meghan & Harry, she revealed she had to 'tone down' her bright clothing choices to fit in with palace protocols.
'Most of the time I was in the UK, I rarely wore colour,' Meghan explained in the £88 million Netflix production. 'To my understanding, you can't ever wear the same colour as Her Majesty if there's a group event, but then you also shouldn't be wearing the same colour as one of the other more senior members of the family.'
This led to her adopting a wardrobe dominated by camel, beige and white shades - a palette that social media users now accuse her of replicating in her commercial ventures.
Hollywood Horizons
Amid the festive promotion debate, Meghan continues to expand her entertainment industry footprint. She's currently filming Close Personal Friends for Amazon MGM Studios, marking her return to acting since 2017. The project stars notable names including Lily Collins, Brie Larson and Jack Quaid.
The professional move has reportedly caused 'much chatter' in Hollywood circles, particularly given the timing as her and Harry's Netflix deal concluded in September. Industry insiders suggest Netflix bosses have 'noted' her efforts to professionally engage with Amazon's Jeff Bezos.
The couple recently attended Kris Jenner's 70th birthday party at Bezos's $165 million Beverly Hills mansion, further fuelling speculation about their evolving Hollywood connections and business strategies.
