Call me a horrible person all you like, but I fear Meghan’s recent wedding nostalgia is a ploy to ‘funnel people’ to her floundering lifestyle brand, ALISON BOSHOFF tells Palace Confidential
Meghan Markle’s release of previously unseen photos to mark the anniversary of her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 is a cynical marketing move to promote her As Ever lifestyle brand. Alison Boshoff told Palace Confidential.
The Daily Mail’s Editor-in-Chief said the throwback photo dump was said to coincide with the brand’s highlighting of its ‘519’ candle, named after the couple’s May 19 wedding date.
Boshoff added that this was a make-or-break year for As Ever and predicted that the brand must start making money now or “all the wheels will fall off.”
This week, Meghan posted a series of never-before-seen photos of the wedding on Instagram to mark the Sussexes’ eighth anniversary.
The Daily Mail’s Editor-in-Chief said the throwback photo dump was said to coincide with the brand’s launch of its ‘519’ candle, named after the couple’s May 19 wedding date
Boshoff added that this was a make-or-break year for As Ever and predicted that the brand must start making money now or “all the wheels will fall off.”
‘Do you remember what they did to celebrate their seventh wedding anniversary?’ Boshoff asked co-hosts Rebecca English and Richard Eden.
‘Meghan posted a picture of a cork board with baby scans and stuff inside to show how in love they were. Everyone left: pass the sick bag.
‘This year is very different. And I wonder why it’s so different. May I draw your attention to a very beautiful candle called 519 with wedding dates?
‘Call me a horrible person, but I’m afraid this huge, candid photo dump was intended to drive people towards the brand because they really need to make money this year. This is the year Meghan’s brand has to work.
‘That’s the difference between a seventh anniversary and an eighth anniversary. Both are equally trivial, but this one is moving too fast.’
Despite claiming that Meghan’s business efforts were struggling, Boshoff dismissed theories that the Duchess was trying to launch her own potentially lucrative fashion brand.
The rumors began circulating online after Meghan posted a photo of herself in front of a wardrobe full of designer clothes, including the Giorgio Armani suit she later wore in Geneva.
Boshoff said this was an attempt by the Duchess to promote herself as an influencer rather than the mysterious launch of a fashion line.
He explained: ‘This started when Meghan posted a photo on the eve of her visit to Geneva. It was in her large, walk-in wardrobe, with a large rack of designer clothes behind it.
‘It was a black Giorgio Armani suit with gold buttons, very prominently displayed on the front. His daughter Lilibet was sitting at his feet with her face turned away.
‘People took this as a sign that she wanted to start a fashion brand; I think this is very unlikely. The money required to start a fashion brand is huge.
‘This is Meghan the influencer again, not Meghan the fashion designer.’
In an Instagram post, Meghan shared a photo showing her daughter Lilibet helping her pick out an outfit for the UN event, with the caption: “Mum’s little helper.”
This post did more than raise suspicions of a foray into fashion. There have also been renewed accusations of hypocrisy regarding Meghan’s use of her children in public social media posts.
The Sussexes have previously stated that they will do their best to protect Archie and Lilibet’s privacy and will refuse to show their faces in the photos.
However, the couple heavily featured their children in their latest posts; critics argued that they wanted to have their cake and eat it too, hiding their faces and still showing off.
“This picture was published just before Meghan went to Geneva to publicize the harm being done to children online,” said Richard Eden.
‘Legally a child cannot give consent, so you could argue Meghan is violating her daughter’s privacy.
‘Personally, I find something a bit off-putting about the way they use their children for commercial gain, which is what I find.
‘We talked to Meghan about how she could start a business with her daughter in the future, and to me that seems like a real commercialization of her children.’
Hear the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden, Alison Boshoff and Rebecca English break down the latest documents surrounding Andrew’s appointment as Trade Ambassador by subscribing to Palace Confidential on YouTube.
