Meghan Markle raised eyebrows when she announced the debut of her brand American Riviera Orchard on Thursday, March 14.
The mother-of-two's latest endeavor includes a trademark filing for home goods, edible items like jam and tableware, and while a source revealed the Duchess of Sussex's project is something "close to her heart," some found it in poor taste to promote a business while the royal family is in crisis mode.
"Metching [sic] off that royal title to sell tablecloths.. I thought she wanted to make [it] on her own .. a feminist in the kitchen arranging flowers walking around in a ball gown .. the shame," one person wrote on social media in reaction. "The timing is right on brand for Meghan Markle."
"Following King Charles’ recent cancer diagnosis and The Princess of Wales’ recent major operation, from which she is still recovering whilst contending with a huge media firestorm… Meghan Markle decides now is the perfect time to launch her new lifestyle brand American Riviera…" another monarchy support snubbed.
As OK! reported, the royal family is scrambling as rumors about Kate Middleton's absence grow.
Though Buckingham Palace previously revealed the Princess of Wales wouldn't resume public duties until after Easter due to recovery from abdominal surgery in January, people wondered if they were telling the truth.
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When a photo made the rounds allegedly depicting Kate in the passenger side of her mother's car, more drama ensued, as social media users pointed out that the woman looked like a body double.
"Different face, bad wig, missing mole, car has 5 wheels, driver doesn’t wear sunglasses. Suddenly driving Audi instead of Range Rover. No security," one individual said of the suspicious grainy snap.
Making matters worse, Kate posted an image of herself and their three kids on Instagram to mark Mother's Day in the U.K., but after photo agencies noticed the picture was manipulated, it was pulled from articles.
Kate then confessed on her Instagram, "like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing."
Shortly after, another poor quality photo surfaced that allegedly showed Prince William and Kate in the backseat of a car together, but the woman in the vehicle had her face turned, so it was impossible for anyone to confirm if it was actually the future king's wife.
The public once again made photoshop accusations, which the photographer, Jim Bennett, denied in a public statement.
"We don’t change our photos in Photoshop other than adjusting the light levels if necessary," he told People. "Car shots are unpredictable at the best of times and with some reflection on the glass it can be difficult."