Fans of the British monarchy are letting their feelings be known about Meghan Markle's new brand of strawberry jam. The Duchess of Sussex sent out the first 50 jars of her jam to friends who posted pics of it across social media, but King Charles III's personal farm shop at his Highgrove home reported increased sales of the King's preserves at the same time.
His Majesty has long sold a line of organic products from his Duchy Originals line, starting when he was Prince of Wales in the 1990s. In 2010, his company went into partnership with Waitrose, a line of British supermarkets that sell the products. The King's Highgrove Organic Strawberry Preserve retails for roughly $8.60 and was reportedly sold out within minutes of Meghan's first announcement of her strawberry jam.
The ex-actress' first product from her brand, American Rivera Orchard, was likely promoted with so few jars of the jelly to "create hype," according to PR expert Megan Boyle.
"The suggestion that the jam has only been sent to 50 people creates demand and interest," she told an outlet. "It may have been a low-key launch, but it perfectly aligns with the softer and homely approach of those celebrities on the receiving end. Meghan will have put a great deal of thought into who receives a jar, and individually numbering shows that it’s limited edition, but also doesn't leave people feeling left out."
Fashion designer Tracy Robbins and Argentine socialite Delfina Blaquier advertised the jam on their Instagram accounts, as reported by The Royal Observer.
Prince Harry apparently wants no part of the new brand's promotional campaign, which one royal insider says comes from "his many years of not selling or promoting himself to embarrass the Crown."
"Harry thinks the new brand is a great idea because it’s Meghan’s idea – he’s still so loved up that she can do no wrong in his eyes," royal author Tom Quinn dished. "But we have to remember that he grew up in a family that would’ve looked down on this kind of commercial enterprise, so there is a part of Harry that’s uncomfortable, which is why we are unlikely to see Harry personally baking cakes or demonstrating kitchen utensils."
All of the proceeds from the sales of Duchy Originals go to various charities of the King's choosing. it is not yet known what Meghan will charge for her preserves, but one Hollywood insider claimed: "She will certainly profit every cent of whatever does end up selling, but right now, the only jam that is all of a sudden raking in revenue is His Majesty's... how interesting."
Daily Express reported on Quinn's comments.
