Meghan Markle’s first holiday collection for As Ever has arrived with chocolates, gift baskets and seasonal touches designed around her lifestyle brand. But one small detail has become central to a much bigger conversation: the numbers on her 24-piece advent calendar are written in her own handwriting.
That personal flourish helps distinguish the As Ever product, yet the wider festive launch is attracting comparisons with merchandise sold through Buckingham Palace, prompting fresh claims that Meghan is moving into commercial territory already occupied by the Royal Family.
As Ever introduced its first holiday collection with the message, “The season of giving starts here,” describing the range as a mix of new favourites, gifts and seasonal surprises. The launch marks the brand’s first move into the Christmas shopping period.
The advent calendar is described as containing 24 chocolates, with its design drawing inspiration from As Ever’s spreads as well as the Sussex family’s garden and home in Montecito. Each date is presented in Meghan’s handwriting, giving the product a noticeably personal identity.
Buckingham Palace’s advent calendar follows a more explicitly royal theme, incorporating imagery linked to Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Its design also features a Christmas tree topped with a crown and two palace guards.
The overlap extends beyond advent calendars. The palace shop sells 11 hampers, including a signature selection featuring strawberry preserve, two varieties of shortbread and a keepsake mug. Meghan’s As Ever range, meanwhile, includes three gift baskets named The Pantry, The Parlour and The Hostess.
The Hostess is presented as the most elaborate of the As Ever baskets. It includes three spreads, scented candles, flower sprinkles and tea caddies in peppermint and lemon-and-ginger flavours. The basket also carries As Ever branding through a leather tag with gold lettering.
On their own, these are simply two festive retail ranges aimed at seasonal shoppers. The controversy comes from how an unnamed source has interpreted the timing and product categories.
The source argued that Meghan’s latest launch should be viewed as part of a longer pattern of projects that appear to overlap with royal initiatives. The person cited comparisons involving the King’s jam and the Princess of Wales’ Christmas programming, and characterised the latest development as another attempt to “steal their thunder.”
The same source also questioned the business logic of positioning As Ever alongside products carrying centuries of royal association. They claimed members of the Royal Family were puzzled by the approach and questioned whether Meghan was building an independent commercial identity or leaning too heavily on areas already associated with royal merchandising. The source went as far as warning that the strategy could leave her “only going to humiliate herself.”
What is clear from the products themselves is that As Ever and the palace are approaching the same festive shopping season from different brand identities.
The Buckingham Palace merchandise is rooted in royal residences, institutional imagery and traditional gift items. As Ever’s collection leans more heavily on Meghan’s personal aesthetic, Montecito references, handwritten details and products already connected with her brand.
The current discussion is not really about whether both sides sell advent calendars or preserves. Holiday retail is crowded with those products. The more interesting question is whether consumers see As Ever as a standalone lifestyle business or continue to interpret its launches through Meghan’s past connection with the Royal Family.
The market may ultimately provide a clearer answer than the commentary. Meghan’s first Christmas collection gives As Ever an opportunity to show whether its personal branding, including touches as specific as handwritten advent numbers and Montecito-inspired imagery, is strong enough to stand apart from the royal comparisons surrounding it.
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