March 20, 2026
Meghan’s Brand Backlash Grows as Harry Sees a Global Role for the Sussexes
Prince Harry reportedly believes he and Meghan Markle still have an important role to play helping the monarchy connect with audiences around the world, particularly at a time when the institution faces renewed scrutiny following the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor controversy.At the same time, Meghan’s lifestyle brand As Ever is facing criticism from customers after complaints about product quality,
including candles arriving without wicks and fruit spreads described as too runny.Marketing experts say the solution may be simple: improve the product and let positive customer experiences reshape the online conversation.
Columnists are also debating Meghan’s upcoming appearance at a luxury women’s retreat in Australia, with some critics comparing the event to a paid meet-and-greet while supporters argue the duchess is proving herself a savvy businesswoman.Plus, Meghan makes a quiet visit to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and a documentary executive produced by the Sussexes, Cookie Queens, secures theatrical distribution in the United States.
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Royal Books:
Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors by Tom Bower
William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story
The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana
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Calarogu Shark Media. Hello, Welcome to Palace Intrigue. I'm your host,
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Mark Francis, Prince Harry reportedly believes he and Megan Michael
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still have a role to play in helping the monarchy
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connect with audiences around the world. One source told Radar
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Online Harry's view is that the monarchy is going through
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a moment of real strain and uncertainty, with a number
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of challenges hitting it all at once. Because of that,
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he believes the family needs people who can operate comfortably
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on the world stage and engage with global audiences in
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a meaningful way. From Harry's perspective, the monarchy cannot simply
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focus inward or rely on tradition alone. He thinks it
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needs figures who can travel, speak to international issues and
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connect with communities across different countries, people who can represent
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the institution beyond Britain in a way that resonates globally.
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Harry feels the royal family does not currently have enough
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younger members who are both prominent and active enough to
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take on major engagements around the world. He looks at
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the visits and projects he and Meghan have undertaken internationally
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and sees that as evidence that they can step into
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that role if needed. From Harry's perspective, the situation involving
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Andrew has dragged the Royal family back into a level
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of scrutiny that is both intense and damaging. Harry believes
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the fallout from the Andrew scandal has revealed cracks in
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how the Royal family operates in response to crises. In
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his view, it has exposed vulnerabilities within the institution that
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have made it look outdated and unprepared for the pressures
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of the modern world. Meghan's as Ever brand is facing
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growing criticism after a series of negative customer reactions, with
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one marketing expert suggesting the Duchess now needs to focus
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on product quality and rebuilding trust. Recent complaints about the
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brand have included reports of candles arriving without WIS, along
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with criticism that some of the fruit spreads were too
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runny and failed to meet expectations. Marketing executive Maggie Swift
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said when customers start posting about problems like candles arrive
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without WIX, the conversation online turns quickly, search results start
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reflecting their discussion, negative reviews, raddit threads, complaint posts that
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becomes the brand story. Unless the product experience improves, the
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smartest move is to fix the product and let customer
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feedback change the narrative. The first fix should be the
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product experience, and packaging is part of that. People judge
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of product the moment it arrives. For jile leaks in transit,
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or a candle looks poorly finished that tunes into photos
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and comments online within minutes. These comments matter because they
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show up in search results when people look up the brand.
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That is how reputation spreads. Now, good packaging prevents small
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problems from becoming public complaints, but the product still has
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to earn repeat purchases. Every backlash does not automatically kill
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a brand. Wheny consumer brands have rough first launchers, what
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matters is what happens next. If the product improves and
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customers start posting positive experiences, the search conversation shifts, reviews
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improved new articles appear, and the earlier criticism fades. The
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brand needs to slow down and narrow its focus. Lifestyle
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brands get into trouble when they launch too many products
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before customers trust the basics. I would concentrate on one
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or two products people might actually reorder. She said food
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products can work because repeat purchase are simple. If someone
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likes the fruit spread, they buy another jar. That is
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how small consumer brands grow. In the Telegraph, Judith Woods writes,
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Meghan Michael sorry. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is appearing at
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an Ultimate Girl's Weekend in Sydney next month where women
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will pay seventeen hundred pounds for a VIP experience including
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a picture with her. A normal ticket is fourteen hundred pounds.
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It's being billed as an unforgettable weekend for women ready
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to reconnect, reach out and have some serious fun, which
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is obviously Harry's missus down to a t. Activities include
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talks by a psychologist, yogurt sound healing and a manifestation session,
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then crowning at all the gala, dinner and firesyc Q
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and a with Meghan has. Guests with VIP status will
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be seated in the front row and receive goodie bags,
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which has given rise to speculation they might contain picky
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bits from her, as ever range of random comestibles. Given
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that Netflix has sniffily decided not to give Meghan's brand
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as backing as it's not a good fit aka we
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don't do tradwife. Between this, she might suddenly need to
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shift quite a few palettes of dried flowers and wear
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better than the other side of the world. Either way,
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once the Yunzie ladies have enjoyed their gong baths and
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finish their meditation, it will be showtime as Megan girds
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her smile for a meet and greed with guests table
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by table. Oops, did I say greed? I meant, well,
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you'll know what I meant. But on reflection, maybe it's
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a bit harsh. In the ipaper, Victoria Richards tells us
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to underestimate the Duchess of Sussex at your peril. Megan
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Markle is showing the world and her dissentence that she
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can go from royal to reality TV star, to Middle
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East envoy and now to special guest speaker at an
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event charging fourteen hundred pounds, particular for an event that
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wouldn't look out of place on the latest series of
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The White Lotus. Meghan really is smashing this non working
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working Royals thing in a way that Sarah Ferguson sadly
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never quite managed. She and Prince Harry may have stepped
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back from their official duties to raise their children in California.
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But she's certainly capitalizing on well, they're social capital, and
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Megan is proving that she may be many things act
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reality TV star, fall in the side of the royal family,
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but the thing she's best at being a savvy businesswoman.
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Others see a less favorable comparison to Sarah, a royal
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insider told Radar Online. Within royal circles, some people are
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saying Megan is starting to look like the new Sarah Ferguson.
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Sarah is renowned for going to extreme and questionable lengths
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for a quick and easy buck, and they see this
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in a similar vein. They are nicknaming Megan Sarah two
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point zero and saying she's trading on her fake royal
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status for an easy payday. It's all a bit sad, really,
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one observer said. When you have a duchess who is
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no longer a working royal headlining a pricey retreat overseas,
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it in ever sparks conversation about whether it feels like
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a faux royal tour. Some people say it blurs the
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line between private business ventures and the kind of engagements
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royals used to perform. In an official capacity. However, the
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organizers of the event have strongly defended Megan's involvement. Jemma O'Neill,
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who is hosting the Sydney retreat, says she admires the
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duchess resilience and believes her participation reflects a genuine connection
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to the event's purpose. She said, I have admired this
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woman and what she has endured. I feel so flattered
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that she's effectively doing this as a favor because of
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our mutual friend. She's doing it because she really loves
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what our community is about women trying to grow, be
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their best selves and trying to help other women. One
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insider tells, Palace intrigue, Well, that and the money ll
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Palaser just a moment. Meghan made a surprise visit to
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a children's hospital in Los Angeles last week, where she
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spent time with the young patients as part of the
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hospitals Make March Matter campaign. The duchess first visited the
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hospital's creative Oasis, where she joined children and staff for
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a watercolour painting session. She later spent time with bed
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bound patients who were unable to leave their rooms to
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take part in the activity. Photos from the latest visit
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showed Megan wearing a black face maskers. She painted with children,
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colored pictures with them, and spoke with staff. The appearance
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drew praise online from some supporters. One wrote, this is
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incredibly touching bringing comfort, creativity and smiles to children who
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are going through so much as such a beautiful use
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of her time and platform, A really special visit. A
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documentary produced by the Sussexes has been picked up for
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theatrical distribution in the United States. The film, titled Cookie Queens,
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focused on the annual cookie selling tradition of the Golf
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Scouts of the USA, premiered earlier this year at the
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Sundance Film Festival and has now been acquired by Roadside
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Attractions for release in American cinemas this summer. The documentary
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explores the long running Golf Scouts tradition and the culture
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surrounding the cookie sales program, which has become a well
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known part of American community life. Megan, who is a
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Girl Scout as a child, has spoken about her personal
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connection to the story and described the film as a
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celebration of a familiar American tradition and they have it.
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If you like to email us addresses The Palace Intrigue
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at gmail dot com. Please FoST on Spotify, Apple or
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the Apple of your choice. By Mark Francis My thanks
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to John McDermott. This Palace Intrigue in good terms
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00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:31.360
134
00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:35.000
135
00:07:35.079 --> 00:07:37.879
136
00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:42.720
137
00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:45.480
138
00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:48.279
139
00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:51.279
140
00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:55.920
141
00:07:55.959 --> 00:07:58.800
142
00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:01.720
143
00:08:01.720 --> 00:08:04.720
144
00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:07.319
145
00:08:07.319 --> 00:08:09.319
146
00:08:09.319 --> 00:08:13.600
147
00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:16.079
148
00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:18.759
149
00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:21.240
150
00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:24.439
