Meghan Markle starts sending out gift boxes to influencers to promote new £47 candles inspired by her children – with nods to their royal titles

Meghan Markle has been sending gift boxes to influencers as usual, including new £47 candles inspired by her children, to promote the brand’s upcoming Mother’s Day collection.

Just days after she and Prince Harry returned to Montecito from their divisive tour of Australia, the Duchess of Sussex, 44, announced that she was adding two new candles to her lifestyle brand as part of her ‘Mother’s Day Edit’ on April 20.

Marketing materials for the two candles mention Archie and Lilibet’s royal titles; Meghan unveils Signature Candle No. 506, named after her son’s birthday on May 6 and Signature Candle No. 604 is a tribute to Princess Lilibet’s birthday on June 4th.

Ahead of the April 22 launch, the Mother’s Day collection was sent to select American influencers, including Carly (@mycityapartment), who has more than 460,000 followers, and Kristina Zias, who has nearly 350,000 followers on Instagram.

Carly shared a photo of the £115 box, including gourmet chocolates from As Ever, on her Instagram Stories and tagged Meghan’s lifestyle brand.

In the box was a handwritten letter from Meghan that read: ‘I developed the scents last year so each note came together to take me back to a special memory with them.’

“I’m there when I can light the candle and close my eyes,” Meghan’s message read. ‘Unforgettable moments of motherhood.’

The box also included chocolates from Los Angeles brand Compartés, with Meghan writing, “Enjoy every bite.”

‘Thank you for welcoming us into your Home as Usual and allowing us to not only be a part of your moments, but to be a part of your memories,’ the letter read.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who inspired new candles for Meghan’s As Ever range

Prince Archie’s scented candle features ‘ginger, neroli flower and cashmere’, a nod to his six-year-old son’s red hair, and promises to bring a ‘warm, comforting scent’ for ‘soft, familiar comfort in the room’.

The candle, inspired by her four-year-old daughter Lilibet, is made of ‘amber, water lily and santal’ and contains a ‘light, floral scent’ that will bring ‘a feeling of brightness and openness to the home’.

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Meghan told Town & Country that the products are part of As Ever’s trend towards more ‘expanded fragrance and apothecary offerings.’

‘As Ever’s goal has always been to find ways to bring beauty and ease to your life as a host, as a guest, as a friend, as a mother,’ she said.

‘No matter how you show up, As Always I want it to feel special. It started with a pot of jam and a collection for your kitchen, and now we’re excited that the collection will soon expand to other parts of your home. ‘This is a very special time and I’m proud of what we’ve created.’

According to People, the Mother’s Day arrangement will feature three ‘bundles’, including a $156 (£115) set with candles, chocolates made in collaboration with Compartés, and specially designed matchboxes.

In 2024, it was revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan had adopted the title Sussex as a surname for their children as they ‘united’ their family; thus six-year-old Prince Archie and four-year-old Princess Lilibet were known as Archie Sussex and Lilibet Sussex rather than Mountbatten-Windsor.

This is thought to be in keeping with the fact that Harry was known as Captain Wales while in the army.

The launch follows Harry and Meghan’s ‘semi-royal’ tour of Australia, which Meghan shared on Instagram this weekend.

Directing her followers to find out more about the trip on Sussex.com, the duchess shared a montage of her four-day trip Down Under.

‘Australia, you have our hearts,’ he added.

Set to Australian singer John Paul Young’s song Love Is In The Air, the post featured clips from official visits as well as more intimate moments, including a photo of Harry eating dinner and Meghan touching up her make-up.

Meghan unveils Signature Candle No. 506, named after her son Archie’s birth date on May 6

The ‘Mother’s Day Edit’ also includes Signature Candle No. 604, which pays tribute to Princess Lilibet’s birthday on June 4

Last week, the Duchess of Sussex asked her superfans if it was finally time to invest in herself after spending her ‘whole life investing in women’ during a VIP meet-and-greet event in Sydney.

Meghan was speaking to a private audience at the Her Best Life retreat on Friday as her tour of Australia with Prince Harry came to an end.

Women had paid up to £1,700 for VIP tickets to the event, which included the opportunity to sit in the front row of the Q&A and take photos with the duchess.

‘I’ve spent my whole life investing in women, can I finally invest in myself?’ Meghan asked this question to the audience during the 90 minutes she took the stage.

He also told the crowd that his experience in the public eye had been ‘very difficult’ but that people’s criticism of him was about his own ‘predictions’.

He said the last decade, during which he celebrated happy moments such as his wedding and the birth of his two children, was tainted by violent attacks.

Meghan said motherhood has taught her to have perspective and patience, which she needs “given how our lives are.”

Organizers of the event, held at the InterContinental hotel near Coogee beach, are understood to have paid £120,000 for Meghan to appear on stage.

Tickets include a gala dinner with Hiramasa kingfish tostada, vannella burrata, riverina Angus beef tenderloin, free-range chicken, coconut pate and mango and passion fruit pavlova.

Prince Harry was also in attendance and stood up when his wife entered the room to greet him with a kiss and help him onto the stage.

Meghan wore a cashmere tank, beige trousers and nude heels from Australian brand Scanlan Theodore for the Q&A.

As Ever introduced the arrangement with a post featuring blocks of chocolate and added the caption: ‘A few things made to be gifted or shared. Mother’s Day is coming soon. Set your reminder. Launches April 22 on AsEver.com

High-profile guests included radio queens Jackie O Henderson and Carrie Bickmore, as well as reality TV star Megan Towner.

Meghan also spoke to her friend Gemma O’Neill, a talent manager who represents Jackie O.

There was a strict ‘no filming’ rule during the event, but a photographer was on hand to capture key moments.

One guest, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Times: ‘He said he wanted to be the antidote to everything that is malicious, toxic and unjustly cruel on the internet.

‘She also said Harry protected her from lions and elephants, especially when they went on a date to Botswana.’

On Saturday morning the group would attend an optional yoga class at 7.45am before ‘winding down for the day’ with a buffet breakfast.

But unbeknownst to the attendees, their star guest Meghan had already left the building.

The duke and duchess slipped quietly out of the hotel’s underground car park at 7.20am.

They drove to Sydney Airport in a small convoy of a NSW police BMW and two shiny Range Rovers to fly back to Los Angeles.

The Duchess has faced criticism for the money-making aspects of her trip Down Under.

This includes a partnership with AI fashion website OneOff, where fans can shop the clothes they wear.

Meghan is expected to earn a portion of the company’s sales commission, which ranges from 10 percent to 25 percent per item sold.

He is also an investor in the artificial intelligence-supported fashion industry.

It’s unclear how much the duchess expects to earn, but the firm said of its deal with Meghan: ‘She cares about fashion and was motivated to invest not only to expand her portfolio, but also to help lift the spirits of fashion designers she admires.’

One of the outfits advertised online was the outfit she wore to meet survivors of the Bondi terror attack.

The Duchess of Sussex appeared deeply moved as she listened to the stories of those who witnessed the horrific anti-Semitic massacre in December that left 15 people dead.

Meghan also embraced survivor Jessica Chapnik Kahn while protecting her five-year-old daughter after attending the Hanukkah party.

She and Harry also spoke to first responders to the Bondi terror attack, including lifeguards on the beach.