Latest news with #Markle
Sky News AU
10 hours ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
‘Not a long-term strategy': Meghan Markle's As Ever company slammed by industry experts in scathing review
The jaw-dropping extent of Meghan Markle's business woes have been laid bare after an industry expert gave a withering verdict of the ex-working royal's fledging lifestyle brand. The Duchess of Sussex has spent the last two years working on a lifestyle brand and has earmarked plans to sell a range of products include homewares, cooking utensils, make-up and even pet food. Markle originally called the venture American Riviera Orchard and soft launched a line of strawberry jams before scrapping the ARO moniker and re-launching as 'As Ever' in February. The former working royal has since sold limited runs of a variety of conserves as well as a line of wines through the As Ever website. Industry insider Phillip Millar and Californian marketing executive Camille Moore, who have advised top brands such as Dior and Mercedes-Benz, recently examined Markle's business acumen to date. 'I feel like she's doing such a brutal or good job, depending on how you're looking at it, of getting this like free PR and then absolutely s****** the bed,' Ms Moore said while speaking on The Art of the Brand podcast. Mr Millar agreed, suggesting As Ever was merely a way of 'maximising the value from her fame that came from Suits and being a part of the Royal Family'. "They're just milking that for everything they can,' he said. 'You can make short-term money from it, but it's not a long-term strategy.' The experts also took aim at Markle's boasts about 'selling out' her jams and wines on her website without disclosing how many units she produced. 'Confectionery scarcity doesn't matter,' Mr Millar said. The harsh feedback comes after Markle reportedly drew the ire of Buckingham Palace after posting a note reading "With the Compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex" to promote her brand on social media. The move appeared to directly contravene the Sussexes' commitment not to use the HRH in commercial or public settings after stepping back as working royals in 2020.
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Meghan Markle's Netflix show 'With Love, Meghan' fails to crack streamer's top 300
Meghan Markle's Netflix show has failed to rank among the platform's top 300 most-watched titles between January and June 2025, The Post can confirm. The Duchess of Sussex's eight-part series, titled 'With Love, Meghan,' ranked 383rd with just 5.3 million views since its debut earlier this year — unprecedented numbers for a Netflix original that has been renewed. Newly released figures from the streaming giant show that Markle's series came in at a similar ranking to BBC's 'Peaky Blinders' — which was released in 2014. 6 Meghan Markle's Netflix show has failed to rank among the platform's top 300 most-watched titles between January and June 2025. JAKE ROSENBERG/NETFLIX The 'Suits' alum, 43, released her series, which boasts eight episodes roughly 30 minutes long, on March 4. The program showed the former actress offer up a how-to guide for entertaining as she shared her tips and tricks for hosting at home with appearances from several of her celebrity pals, including Abigail Spencer and Mindy Kaling. While its initial release seemed promising in terms of stats after it shot into Netflix's global top 10 within 24 hours, latest figures show that interest in the series quickly waned after its hype died down. Not to mention, the series was filmed at an $8 million farmhouse not belonging to Markle, has since been bashed by critics and earned lower viewership numbers than her and her husband's 2022 series 'Harry & Meghan' — with IMDB giving it just 3.2 out of 10. 6 The Duchess of Sussex's eight-part series, titled 'With Love, Meghan,' ranked 383rd with just 5.3 million views since its March 4 debut. JAKE ROSENBERG/NETFLIX 6 The 'Suits' alum's series boasts eight episodes roughly 30 minutes long. Netflix Still, Netflix greenlit the series for Season 2 and already filmed the episodes. The negative feedback was echoed by a slew of critics from both US and UK publications, with the Guardian's TV writer Stuart Heritage calling the series 'pointless,' adding that it should be the couple's 'last TV show.' The Sussexes signed a lucrative $100 million deal with the streamer in 2020. 6 The program showed the former actress offer up a how-to guide for entertaining as she shared her tips and tricks for hosting at home. JAKE ROSENBERG/NETFLIX 6 The series featured appearances from several of her celebrity pals, including Abigail Spencer and Mindy Kaling. AP They came out with their five-part 'Harry & Meghan' docuseries in 2022, while Prince Harry's 'Polo' doc — which also got a scathing reception from critics — dropped in December 2024. Elsewhere, Radio Times columnist Caroline Frost wrote that Markle failed to 'reimagine the genre of lifestyle programming' with her series, while the Telegraph editor Anita Singh said the show is 'an exercise in narcissism, filled with extravagant brunches, celebrity pals and business plugs.' The negative reviews were echoed by the Independent's writer Katie Rosseinsky, who gave 'With Love, Meghan' a one-star review and called the series 'queasy and exhausting.' Additionally, the series was slammed by Markle's estranged half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., who took aim at the alleged 'malarkey stories' the duchess shared about her childhood. Follow along with The Post's live blog on everything you need to know about the British royal family. Many critics also slammed the duchess for not being relatable — feedback she has since responded to. 'Don't they know my life hasn't always been like this?' she said at the TIME100 Summit in NYC in April, reminding New York Times food writer Julia Moskin in an interview that she was not always married to a prince. 6 Netflix greenlit the series for Season 2 and already filmed the episodes. JAKE ROSENBERG/NETFLIX The As Ever founder and her husband have also executive-produced Netflix's docuseries 'Live to Lead,' which focused on trailblazers around the world. The project was closely followed by 'Heart of Invictus,' a documentary following athletes preparing for the Harry-founded Invictus Games, which aired in August 2023.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Kate Middleton's ex-personal assistant unfollows Meghan Markle on Instagram after quitting role
Kate Middleton's longtime personal assistant has hit the unfollow button on Meghan Markle. Natasha Archer, who last week quit her post as the Princess of Wales' right-hand woman after 15 years, recently made her Instagram page public, prompting eagle-eyed fans to notice whom she's keeping up with. Royal sleuths quickly discovered that Archer had unfollowed the Duchess of Sussex's Instagram account, as well as her As Ever brand — both of which she had previously been following. 6 Kate Middleton's longtime personal assistant has hit the unfollow button on Meghan Markle. Max Cisotti/for Royal Ascot Archer had also been following the 'Suits' alum's close friends Daniel Martin, Delfina Blaquier and Heather Dorak — though appeared to have hit the unfollow button on those accounts, too. What's more, Archer had appeared to sever digital ties with accounts affiliated with Markle, as she even unfollowed the Highbrow Hippie page that belongs to Markle's close friend and hair colorist, Kadi Lee. Still, Archer has not yet unfollowed two of Markle's 'Suits' co-stars Abigail Spencer and Sarah Rafferty. Despite her apparent social media clean-up, Archer is still very much following the Prince and Princess of Wales' official Instagram account, as well as the royal family's page. It's said she remains on good terms with the royals, as she still follows Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice on Instagram, as well as Beatrice's husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. 6 Natasha Archer last week quit her post as the Princess of Wales' right-hand woman after 15 years. Getty Images 6 Kensington Palace noted that the Waleses support Archer's decision to step away as Middleton's personal assistant and unofficial stylist. WireImage 6 Archer still follows the royal family's official Instagram accounts. @natashaaarcher/Instagram Despite having no posts on her Instagram account, Archer now boasts more than 7,600 followers on the platform. Archer's departure from the royal fold was announced last week. The 37-year-old is leaving her role at the palace to establish a private consultancy, The Post confirmed. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Indeed, her Instagram bio now reads 'Luxury Consultancy' as her profile features a link to a website that reads, 'Coming soon.' Kensington Palace noted that the Waleses support Archer's decision to step away as Middleton's personal assistant and unofficial stylist. 6 Archer had appeared to sever digital ties with accounts affiliated with Markle, as she also unfollowed the 'Suits' alum's friends. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP 6 The former assistant joined the royal family's inner circle in 2010. Getty Images 'After 15 years, Natasha is leaving Kensington Palace where she's been an invaluable member of the private household,' the palace told The Post in a statement. 'We wish Natasha the very best for the exciting opportunities ahead.' The former assistant joined the royal family's inner circle in 2010. She acted as an aide to both Prince William and Princess Catherine.
Sky News AU
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Meghan's best friend Serena Williams dragged into ‘shocking' royal racism saga after Princess Michael of Kent revelations
Meghan Markle's close ally Serena Williams has been dragged into a racism saga engulfing the royal family after reports a senior royal named an animal after the tennis icon. Princess Michael of Kent, the wife of the late Queen's cousin, has been embroiled in a series of controversies since marrying Prince Michael of Kent in 1978. Although the Kents are not technically working royals, the couple enjoy the full trappings of royal life and live in a lavish apartment inside Kensington Palace. The couple's children Lord Frederick Windsor and Lady Gabriella Kingston remain 54th and 57th in line to the throne, respectively. Writer Aatish Taseer, who dated Lady Gabriella for three years in the early 2000s, sparked a media storm in 2018 after revealing Princess Michael kept a pair of pet black sheep she named after tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. Mr Taseer originally made the claims in a piece for Vanity Fair in 2018, around the time Markle married into the royal family. On Monday, Mr Taseer elaborated on the infamous sheep story and theorised why Princess Michael would find the gesture acceptable. 'I think the (story about) Venus and Serena was part of that weird air of abstraction that exists around these people and how they're not even aware of how shocking or offensive that might be,' he said on the 'Tell Me About Your Father' podcast. Serena, widely regarded as the greatest female tennis player of all time, first struck up a friendship with Markle while the future Duchess of Sussex was an actress on Suits. The pair have remained close pals since the Sussexes left royal duties and Williams publicly supported Harry and Meghan at the ESPY Awards last year. The revelation about the royal's black sheep was not the first time Princess Michael of Kent has been accused of racially insensitive behaviour. In 2004, she was accused of racially insulting black diners at a restaurant in New York City. A spokesperson later accepted that the Princess had been angry at the group, who were seated at a table near her, but denied that she had told them to "go back to the colonies". In 2017, the royal sparked outrage again after wearing a 'blackamoor' brooch with a stylised figure of an African man to a Christmas banquet attended by Markle. A spokesperson for Princess Michael said the royal was 'very sorry' that the brooch caused offence.
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Oprah Winfrey can't resist poking fun at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's last name
Oprah Winfrey recently shared a light-hearted moment regarding Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's last name, 'Sussex,' during an appearance on Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa. The conversation took place on Wednesday, when Winfrey was asked about the possibility of receiving baby chicks as a gift. She joked that she would promptly take them over to the 'Sussexes,' playfully adding extra 'xes' to the couple's already distinctive surname. Winfrey, a longtime friend of the royal couple, was invited to their 2018 wedding and also conducted their famous interview that aired in 2021. The couple, who stepped down from their senior royal duties, later settled in California, where they shared their chicken coop with Winfrey in a candid moment during the interview. The 'Sussex' surname has become a topic of conversation before. Earlier this year, actress Mindy Kaling appeared on Markle's Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, where she accidentally referred to Markle as 'Meghan Markle' multiple times. Markle quickly corrected her, remarking, 'You know I'm Sussex now,' emphasizing the importance of her new family name. In an interview with People, Markle elaborated on the emotional significance of the name for her family. "It just means so much to go, 'This is our family name, our little family name,'" she said, adding that sharing the surname with her children, Archie and Lili, was deeply meaningful. The Duchess further shared her appreciation for the name, describing it as a special bond for her family.
