Royal Strawberry Preserves Showdown! Buckingham Palace Starts Promoting Its Jam Shortly After Meghan Markle's Product Makes News
Meghan Markle rolled out her new strawberry jam to select friends on social media recently, but the glossy ad campaign has been interrupted by a competitor: Buckingham Palace.
"Our Strawberry Preserve is made using only the finest berries and is delicious served in a variety of ways — on a scone as part of a cream tea, on a crumpet, with a croissant, and on toast," the caption for a video promoting the jelly on the BP Gift Shop Instagram page read.
The clip's comments section went wild, with users pointing out the odd timing of the promotional campaign.
"Is it just me that loves the subtle shade," one Instagram user quipped.
"I'm dying at the timings (sic) of this ad," someone else added.
And that's how you promote a product," one poster stated.
"Wait, Did the Palace just subtly troll Ms. Montecito?!" another chimed in.
Days before this phenomenon, King Charles III's personal farm shop at his Highgrove home reported increased sales of the King's preserves at the same time.
His Majesty has long sold a line of organic products from his Duchy Originals line, starting when he was Prince of Wales in the 1990s. In 2010, his company went into partnership with Waitrose, a line of British supermarkets that sell the products. The King's Highgrove Organic Strawberry Preserve retails for roughly $8.60 and was reportedly sold out within minutes of Meghan's first announcement of her strawberry jam.
The ex-actress' first product from her brand, American Rivera Orchard, was likely promoted with so few jars of the jelly to "create hype," according to PR expert Megan Boyle.
"The suggestion that the jam has only been sent to 50 people creates demand and interest," she told an outlet. "It may have been a low-key launch, but it perfectly aligns with the softer and homely approach of those celebrities on the receiving end. Meghan will have put a great deal of thought into who receives a jar, and individually numbering shows that it’s limited edition, but also doesn't leave people feeling left out."
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Fashion designer Tracy Robbins and Argentine socialite Delfina Blaquier advertised the jam on their Instagram accounts, as reported by OK!
Prince Harry apparently wants no part of the new brand's promotional campaign, which one royal insider says comes from "his many years of not selling or promoting himself to embarrass the Crown."
"Harry thinks the new brand is a great idea because it’s Meghan’s idea – he’s still so loved up that she can do no wrong in his eyes," royal author Tom Quinn dished. "But we have to remember that he grew up in a family that would’ve looked down on this kind of commercial enterprise, so there is a part of Harry that’s uncomfortable, which is why we are unlikely to see Harry personally baking cakes or demonstrating kitchen utensils."
Fox News reported on social media reactions.