The Duchess of Sussex enjoyed another success with As Ever this week – but she faces a big problem moving forward if she doesn’t make some changes, one expert has noted
13:00, 17 Jan 2026Updated 13:52, 17 Jan 2026
Meghan has a major issue when it comes to her lifestyle brand, according to an expert(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Meghan Markle has every reason to celebrate this week – but one expert has warned it might be short-lived unless she changes tact.
The duchess has launched two new products on her As Ever website – and they quickly sold out. The first item was a £13 bookmark, while the other was a £47 bundle, which included the bookmark, honey and peppermint tea, and her fans were quick to snap them up.
It’s another business success for Meghan, who has released a host of popular products since the brand launched in April 2025. But she has one major issue when it comes to As Ever, and it all comes down to brand image, according to one expert.
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Meghan’s As Ever lifestyle brand was launched in April last year(Image: Netflix)
Renae Smith, founder of the PR and branding firm The Atticism, noted some confusion surrounding the “small batch” lifestyle brand; from a drop that sold out, to telling customers there wouldn’t be any more, then another drop, then saying there were no products, followed by a website glitch that showed there were thousands of jars of honey and jam left.
“Meghan does have the potential to actually have a really good brand,” Smith told the Independent. “But she either has no understanding of what she wants the brand to be, or she has very poor advisors in that space.” It could also be that she is not prepared to listen; the Sussexes have lost 11 publicists in the space of five years, with the last, Meredith Maines, quitting after less than a year in the role.
As Ever has drawn comparison to other celebrity wellness brands, like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop – launched in 2008 and now valued at a staggering $250m (£185m). But there are some major differences which could hold Meghan back, according to Smith.
Meghan needs to hone her brand – both in her business and as a public figure, according to the expert(Image: Getty Images for Fortune Media)
“Goop had a plan from the beginning, it was neat, it was structured,” she observed. “Meghan doesn’t stick to a lane; she’ll go and be an influencer for a bit, then she goes back on TV and does something weird, then she does a podcast, which was also weird,” she says, in reference to Archetypes.
“If you’re going to be the next Martha Stewart, just do that,” Smith continued. “Don’t take photos of yourself near the bridge where Diana died or even go to Paris for a Balenciaga show, commit! Hone [your image]: ‘My husband’s a prince and I love staying at home with my children,’ whether it’s true or not, who cares? But she won’t.”
It comes amid speculation that Meghan could return to the UK for the first time since the Queen’s funeral in 2022. Prince Harry is reportedly on the cusp of having his police security reinstated, and could finally bring his children to see their grandfather, the King.
It would also leave the door open for Meghan to make a comeback – although many have been left wondering why given her much-publicised disdain for her time in the UK. It could give her business a much-needed boost, however, according to Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine.
Will Meghan join Harry in returning to the UK?(Image: )
She has argued that a UK return could lead to a massive pay day for Meghan by boosting her royal status and, as a result, As Ever. Vine claimed that “after nearly six years in America, the royal fairy dust is finally wearing off”, and that Meghan “needs to re-up on that magic. She needs to remind the world of who her in-laws are, to stay relevant and, more importantly, to stay commercial”.
However, PR to the stars Mayah Riaz told the Mirror that coming back to the UK could actually lead to the opposite, and would be a “high-risk” move for the duchess. “Her commercial power has always been strongest in the US, where the royal association already works as shorthand for global status. American audiences do not need to see her on British soil to be reminded she married into the Royal Family. That story is already baked into her brand,” she said.
“A UK visit would not automatically equal positive brand lift. In fact, I believe it would be high risk, high noise. The UK media landscape is far less forgiving, and any return would be dissected frame by frame. For Meghan, a visit would likely reignite old narratives rather than create new ones. From a PR standpoint, that is rarely a smart trade.”