Meghan Markle reportedly "went nuts" after royal merchandise, featuring official royal family products, outsold her entire lifestyle brand, As Ever, overnight. Insiders say Meghan was stunned and frustrated as the palace’s steady, quietly-released merchandise saw a huge surge in sales during the holiday season, completely overshadowing her brand’s recently launched festive collection.
Meghan’s brand struggled with quality control issues, like wickless candles and limited product availability, which clashed with customers' expectations for luxury and reliability. Meanwhile, royal family merchandise benefited from decades of trust, consistency, and a built-in global audience, allowing their products to fly off shelves without the need for hype or influencer endorsements.
The timing was particularly bad for Meghan, as her holiday collection launch coincided with Catherine, Princess of Wales's highly anticipated and well-executed Christmas special, further amplifying the commercial contrast. Meghan’s team reportedly scrambled to recover from the blow, but the market favored royal merchandise rooted in longstanding prestige over Meghan’s newer venture.