Meghan Markle was heavily criticised by a royal expert over her branding strategy with As Ever, following her latest move. The Duchess of Sussex made a major announcement regarding her As Ever products last week, just days after speaking about taking a “step back” to think about the brand’s future.
Meghan announced that some of her sold-out products will be restocked and that new products will be released in June. Days earlier, she spoke to US business outlet Fast Company and hinted that her As Ever products might not be restocked straight away.
She said she wanted to “take a step back, gather data and figure out what As Ever could be” and that she planned on announcing new products in early 2026.
While fans were delighted with Meghan’s As Ever announcement, a royal expert took aim at the Duchess for her confusing strategy.
Veteran royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the Express that Meghan’s handling of her lifestyle brand has been “memorably chaotic”.
As Ever, launched back in March, was teased under the name of American Riviera Orchard last year by the Duchess, who failed to secure a trademark for the first name and ended up renaming it this year.
Upon the brand’s launch, As Ever products, the quantity of which is unknown, sold out in less than 30 minutes since going live.
Mr Fitzwilliams added: “We were told its [As Ever’s] first set of products had been sold out, though sceptics wondered if this had been pre-arranged. She then announced a ‘pause’, to enable her to ‘step back’ but now she is apparently ‘restocking’ and launching some new products.
“This gives an impression of a total absence of a serious business plan.
“She also may find that her credibility is affected by the weird ‘twerking video’, released to celebrate Lilibet’s fourth birthday.
“If she wants be an influencer, she must be taken seriously!”