They seemingly had a falling out when she and her husband, Prince Harry, decided to step down from royal duties in 2020 and even Meghan Markle’s jam isn’t immune to a little shade from Buckingham Palace. The Duchess of Sussex is preparing to launch her own lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard and began preliminary marketing by sending samples of strawberry preserve to some of her A-list pals.
On April 24, the same day Chrissy Teigen received a jar and shared about it on her Instagram, the official Palace shop shared a post of their own. “Our Strawberry Preserve is made using only the finest berries and is delicious served in a variety of ways,” they wrote in the caption. “How do you enjoy your strawberry preserve? Let us know in the comments!”
The comments, though, were filled with playful accusations that the Palace had shaded Meghan, given the curious timing. “Is it just me that loves the subtle shade?” one person commented. “I’m dying at the timing of this ad,” a third person wrote, while someone else said: “I love a royal jam war!”
Though Meghan hasn’t announced when her jam will be publicly available, the interest generated by her soft launch seems to have caused a ripple effect, driving up demand for King Charles‘ jam, particularly his Organic Strawberry Preserve. Just days after Meghan’s inner circle began posting about her jam, the King’s jam began selling out in droves on his website.
King Charles’ jam is sold under the Highgrove brand (formerly known as Duchy Originals) which he started in 1990. The brand was established by Charles, then the Prince of Wales, to promote organic farming and support sustainable agricultural practices. It has since grown into a popular range of organic food products that includes jams, biscuits, beverages, and dairy, among other items.
The products are often sourced from Highgrove, King Charles’ own private estate in Gloucestershire. In 2010, the brand partnered with Waitrose, a British supermarket chain, to distribute its products more widely, and this partnership has helped raise significant funds for charity, with millions of pounds donated to the king’s charities over the years.
While profits from Highgrove sales go to charity, Meghan’s venture is for-profit. Her American Riviera Orchard brand also seems to be inspired by her central Californian identity, which aligns with her and Prince Harry’s current base in Montecito, whereas King Charles’ jam is marketed as a “quintessentially English” product.