An advertisement selling Meghan Markle's outfit from her visit to the Bondi terror attack site has been quietly removed after a wave of criticism over the decision to monetise her appearance at the scene of a massacre.
The Duchess of Sussex had been wearing a $2,000 ensemble when she met survivors and first responders at Sydney's Bondi Beach, where 15 people died in an antisemitic attack in December. Shortly after her visit, the clothes were posted on OneOff — an AI-powered fashion platform in which Meghan has invested and from which she earns a percentage of sales.
The original page, which featured Prince Harry alongside links to buy his wife's clothing, has now been taken down. A replacement page shows Meghan waving as she stepped from her Range Rover earlier the same day, wearing the same outfit but without Harry.
Selling the duchess's clothes from a visit to a terror attack memorial was widely condemned as a crass attempt to profit from tragedy. Royal expert Richard Palmer said the move reflected badly on the Sussexes, calling it 'the starkest example yet of Harry and Meghan's efforts to commercialise their royal brand.'
OneOff is a fashion app powered by artificial intelligence, allowing users to browse and purchase looks worn by celebrities. Meghan is both an investor and a verified creator on the platform, generating income each time a fan buys an item she has worn. Retailers pay OneOff a commission of between 10 and 25 per cent on each sale, a portion of which goes to the creator.
