Remember the strawberry jam battle earlier this year? In April, the Buckingham Palace shop started promoting its strawberry jam on social media after Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, sent 50 jars of the jam to friends, influencers, and celebrities. (Seriously, this story is crazy.)
Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, has launched an influencer campaign featuring its strawberry jam…
(Image provided by: Instagram)
…and whether or not it’s a coincidence, the Buckingham Palace Shop also started advertising their own strawberry jam around the same time.
(Image provided by: Instagram)
Now, when it comes to what OK is calling a “royal jam rivalry,” royal commentator Angela Levin said not to read too much into it. “I don’t think he’d ever dream of doing something like that and taking it away from her,” royal commentator Angela Levin said. “It’s just not in his nature.”
The king has been in the business of selling products for a lot longer than we might think. Prince Charles has long sold a line of organic products from Duchy Originals, dating back to when he was still Prince Charles in the 1990s, according to OK Magazine. In 2010, his company partnered with British supermarket chain Waitrose to sell his products. The king’s Highgrove Organic Strawberry Preserves retail for about $8.60 and “reportedly sold out minutes after Meghan first unveiled the strawberry jam,” OK Magazine reports. (Meghan’s strawberry jam from American Riviera Orchard is not currently available for purchase; it was only showcased as part of the aforementioned influencer campaign.)
Turns out King has been in the lifestyle field for a lot longer than you might imagine.
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Public relations expert Megan Boyle said the reason Meghan’s campaign was promoted without so many jam jars was likely to be “to create hype”.
“The implication that the jams were only sent to 50 people creates demand and interest,” she said. “It may have been a low-key launch, but it’s perfectly in keeping with the soft, homely approach of the celebrity recipients. Meghan will have put a lot of thought into who she gifted the jams to, and individually numbering them indicates they are limited edition, but also ensures people don’t feel left out.”
The whole world is eagerly awaiting the launch of American Riviera Orchard.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
When Meghan was pregnant with Prince Archie, the father-in-law and daughter-in-law were photographed sharing a smile.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lest anyone feel left out, there’s also Meghan’s and the King’s strawberry jam for everyone. For now, we can all enjoy Charles’ strawberry jam, but I’d love to try American Riviera Orchard’s strawberry jam once it’s available to buy.