The Royal family in Britain posted an advert for its strawberry preserve just days after Meghan Markle released details about her own new strawberry jam product. Social media users accused Buckingham Palace of trying to undermine Markle as she publicized the first product from her new American Riveria Orchard range of foods and lifestyle products.
Markle, married to King Charles’ son Prince Harry, posted her advert on social media, and the official Buckingham Palace account followed suit, prompting users to comment on the suspicious timing. One person described the competing ads as a “jam war across the ocean.”
The Buckingham Palace Shop sells various items, including traditional British preserves, jams, and marmalades. It frequently posts video clips online promoting its produce and offering recipe advice.
Experts say the rivalry between Meghan and the Royal family will likely be exacerbated by the competing adverts, with some suggesting that Markle’s new business ventures are insensitively timed, given the personal adversity unfolding in the Royal household.
Royal commentator Lizzy Cundy said Markle’s upcoming Netflix cooking show, as well as Harry’s plans to promote polo playing, are not “relatable” to American audiences and come when both the King and Princess of Wales Kate Middleton are suffering from cancer.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan, formally known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, could be on the verge of separating, according to online rumors suggesting Harry is unhappy about how much of their private lives Meghan reveals in public.
The couple left the UK in 2020 as American Meghan struggled to adapt to the highly regulated life of a British Royal. They moved to California, where Harry wrote a book revealing life behind closed doors in the world’s most famous Royal household.
Since the book’s publication, Prince Harry has been estranged from his family, including his brother and future King, Prince William. Royal analysts say the family, which lives under intense media scrutiny, can no longer trust Harry and is unlikely to welcome him back.
