The Duchess of Sussex's lifestyle brand As Ever has sparked an unlikely controversy in Britain after two Anglican priests publicly criticised her $148 chocolate advent calendar, drawing a furious backlash from her devoted online supporters.
The row began when the Rev Daniel French, an Anglican priest, encouraged his followers to choose a cheaper, charitable alternative to Meghan's luxury advent calendar, part of the new holiday collection from her As Ever brand. His fellow clergyman, the Rev Chris Phillips, attempted to defend him, but then faced a separate onslaught of social media criticism himself.
Members of the so-called Sussex Squad, Meghan's fiercely loyal online fanbase, accused the priests of using their platforms to attack the duchess. One critic called them sorry excuses for Christianity, while others flooded their social media accounts with angry messages. The priests' intervention and the backlash it provoked were widely covered in the British and American press.
The controversy comes as Meghan continues to expand As Ever, her lifestyle brand, with a new holiday collection that has drawn comparisons to Buckingham Palace's own festive offerings. Her Hostess Basket features teas, fruit spreads, flower sprinkles and scented candles, while the collection also includes the $148 chocolate advent calendar at the centre of the row. Some commentators noted that the As Ever offerings struck them as oddly similar to the Royal Collection's 2026 hamper collection, adding a further layer of intrigue to the dispute.
The advent calendar row threatens to mar what would be the Sussexes' first Christmas back across the pond. Prince Harry and Meghan are reported to have returned to Britain with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, earlier this year, settling into a new routine. But the couple have also faced security concerns surrounding their children's new school, and reports suggested they pulled the children from the school just two days into the term.
The episode is the latest in a long series of British media storms surrounding the Sussexes since they stepped back from royal duties. Their supporters argue that Meghan faces disproportionate and often racially tinged criticism in the British press, while her critics contend that the pricing of her products, a $148 advent calendar chief among them, invites legitimate scrutiny at a time when many families are struggling with the cost of living.
For the Church of England, the row was an unwelcome distraction, dragging two of its clergy into a celebrity culture war neither had sought. French's original point, that Christmas spending might be better directed towards charitable causes, was largely lost in the noise of the online pile-on. The affair served as a reminder of the extraordinary intensity of feeling the Sussexes continue to generate in Britain, where even a chocolate calendar can become a battleground.