Confessions of a Female Founder - Meghan Markle's Jam is really Fruit Spread

0:03 Calorogus Shark Media, Hello and welcome to Palace Intury Game, your host Mark Francis. Fruit Spread entrepreneur Meghan Sussex has finally unveiled the first products from her lifestyle brand as Ever, revealing prices and purchase details after weeks of anticipation. The line includes a raspberry spread and keepsake packaging for just fourteen dollars, wildflour honey with honeycomb for only twenty eight dollars, and floral sprinkles for fifteen dollars, which fans may recognize from her Netflix series With Love Megan. Comparisons are already being drawn to King Charles Highgrove Raspberry Preserve, which retails for a more modest nine dollars in change. Also included in the debut collection are herbal teas lemon, ginger, peppermint, and hibiscus at twelve dollars each, alongside a crepe mix and short bread cookie mix, both priced at fourteen dollars. The products all sold out quickly. Meghan kicked off the full scale publicity push with a home video showing her and her mother Dori at Ragland, preparing a dessert in the kitchen of her Montecito mansion. The dish, dubbed Chontilly Lily, is named after her daughter, Princess Lilybet, who was kinda sorter.

1:18 Named after Queen Elizabeth, who would clearly be thrilled to know her pet nickname was being used to sell desserts. Meghan described it as so so, so good and as special and sweet as she is, adding in her caption, goodness is moments away. In the meantime, enjoy the recipe for our Schontilly Lily, a delicious dessert named after our darling daughter. Writing in a newsletter to subscribe, as Meghan said, of course, you'll find the raspberry spread that started it all, presented in keepsake packaging that you can repurpose to tuck away love notes or special treasures, and to remember this pivotal moment with me. Think of it as our time capsule. To coincide with the launch, Meghan, who along with husband Harry left the UK to get away from the media, welcome to the New York Times into her home, telling the publication, I need to work and I love to work, noting she's held jobs since the age of thirteen, brushing off criticism that a Netflix series was out of touch.

2:14 She reportedly gestured to the sweeping views of her estate and her sleeping dogs, asking don't they know my life hasn't always been like this. She also admitted she's not a professional cook, often falling back on frozen chicken nuggets, veggie burgers, and tasted tots when it's just her and the children at home. Began told followers in a newsletter, of course, you'll find the raspberry spread that started it all, presented in keepsake packaging that you can repurpose to tuck away love notes or special treasures, and to remember this pivotal moment with me. Think of it as our time capsule. I hope when you see what I've worked so hard to create, and you're encouraged to know that whatever life brings you can do it too. Your value, your creativity, your joy. That is you as it's always been and always will be You. Are you as ever and forever.

3:02 Eagle Eye readers spotted a spelling mistake in the promotional email. The section inviting fans to follow the as ever story included social media links, but the Instagram handle was misspelled as at as ever Official Eye instead of the correct as ever official. Although the hyperlink itself worked, critics were quick as seize on the error, citing it as a glaring oversight from someone whose brand is built on curated aesthetics and polished presentation. One user on x wrote that attention to detail is on point as ever, some intern is going to be reduced to tears over this. The launch comes at a turbulent time for the Sussex's Prince Harry remains embroiled in a highly public dispute with Center Bali, the charity he co founded, which he abruptly quit last week amid explosive allegations of misconduct and internal dysfunction. Megan, however, has continued undeterred with her new venture. As Ever was originally called American Riviera Orchard, but the name was changed earlier this year following reported trademark setbacks. Meghan's mildly anticipated new podcast is expected to launch next week. Meghan celebrated the men behind her creative vision and Prince Harry is notably not on the list. In a post shared to Instagram, Meghan gave a glowing shout out to make up artist Daniel Martin, website designer Ryan Sachs, and photographer Jake Rosenberg, calling them the fellers who have been with me on every creative endeavor for over a decade. We know I

4:34 love my girl squad, but these boys have been part of my team for what feels like forever. She wrote, You have supported and believed in my creative vision since the tig. While the message was effusive, many were quick to point out that Prince Harry, who made only a brief cameo in her Netflix series With Love Megan, was entirely absent from the tribute. The New York Times piece on Meghan was not exactly hard hitting. The opening reads, Megan Duchess of six is already anticipating pushback on her banana pudding. I know some people will be upset that I took out the wafers, she said, crushing nilla wafers with a rolling pin rather than layering them in the vanilla pudding and sliced bananas. But I like them crumbled on top. We hate to inform Megan that wafers will only be about the twenty seventh biggest item she'll be criticized about this month. Via The Times, we learned that Megan technically isn't selling jam but rather fruit spreads because of FDA regulations. The New York Times eventually did come around, writing why would someone who has for years endure the worst kind of public attention put herself back under the microscope?

5:39 One reason, of course, is money. Of note, unless we missed it, the Times piece did not mention Meghan's mildly anticipated new podcast, due out next week More Palace in just a moment, As it has been a few seconds since the last time, Harry and Meghan are once again at the center of royal controversy, this time over not wafers but a wreath. At Prince Philip's funeral in April twenty twenty one, the couple were the only members of the royal family to include a press release with their floral tribute, a move critics quickly branded sickening and a pr stunt. There wreath, designed by Cotswold's florist Willow Crossley, who had previously arranged to flowers for their wedding and Archie's christening, featured a carefully curated selection of blooms, each chosen for a symbolic meaning. According to the Sussex's statement, it included bears breaches to honor Phillip's Greek heritage, c Holly for his Royal Marines service, rosemary for remembrance, roses for his birth month, and lavender for devotion. The arrangement stood out among eight more modest family tributes in Saint George's chapel and was accompanied by a handwritten card from Megan, who remained in California due to her pregnancy. But while the sentiment may have been well intentioned, many in royal circles and online were left unimpressed. Even Meghan's flower arranger had her own pr agency, noted Royal biographer Robert Lacey.

7:08 Do you think you've got enough recognition for your wreath now, Meghan, asked one sarcastic social media user. Another echoed the sentiment, she just can't help herself. Me me, me, It's all quite sickening. Lacey described the timing of the Sussex's announcement as particularly poor. The Dean of Windsor was just addressing the final commendation to the congregation in the chapel when journalists' phones started to ping just just before the end of the funeral service. It was another tweet from Ohmed Scobie passing on Harper's bizarre report on the sentimental tribute from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The fanfare sharply contrasted with Prince Philip's own wishes for a no fuss sendoff. The Duke had famously said, just stick me in the back of a land rover and drive me to Windsor.

7:51 His simple coffin was adorned only with his naval cap sword, a flag representing his Greek and Danish roots, and flowers selected by the Queen. Even the Queen's tribute, a bouquet of lilies, roses, frisia and sweet peas, was understated with a handwritten note, possibly signed a little bit Megan. And Harry's was described by one American commentator as the sort of party wreath you might put on your front door around Thanksgiving, not really a funeral wreath at all, Robert Lacey added. The Sussex's wreath could be seen leaning among the other eight simple white and green family tributes in Saint George's Chapel. It had already attracted some attention on account of its unconventional and rather autumnal pinkish brown flowers.

8:35 Harry has appointed a trusted former royal aid to the Invictors Games Foundation, just as tensions surrounding his departure from Center Balley continued as simmer. According to the Delhi Males, Richard Eden Nick Laughren, once deputy communications secretary to the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, has joined the Invictor's team as a trustee. Lafren, who now works as a communications specialist and co founder of the consultancy Integra, is described by the Invictus Games is a professional focused on communications, reputation management, and social impact for businesses and individuals. A source told Eden that Harry knows he can trust Lawren, whose loyalty reportedly stretches back years. The two worked together during Harry's time as they senior royal, and Lafren's familiarity with the inner workings of the Palace comms machine makes him a valuable addition to the embattled Duke's circle, Though the timing of Lafren's appointment has raised eyebrows given the ongoing chaos, it's Center Bali insiders and sist the movers purely coincidental, and they have it. The emails addresses the Palace in trig at gmail dot com. Please follow us on Spotify, Apple, or the Apple of your Chason. Leave us a nice reviewer of five stars. If you're enjoying the show, don't forget. You can catch a new series from Calai Shark Media called Signal Lost, and it's an espionage thriller based on real world events like if the government had a conversation on the Signal app and it got into the wrong hand, what would happen? Check it out Signal Lost wherever you get your podcasts. I'm know

10:05 Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue and good Times.