Meghan Markle's festive blunders as row breaks out with priests over £112 advent calendar

Meghan Markle's festive blunders as row breaks out with priests over £112 advent calendar As the Duchess of Sussex faces backlash over her £112 luxury advent calendar, we explore all her other festive faux pas over the years Meghan Markle has found herself at the centre of a rather bizarre festive fallout after launching her first-ever luxury advent calendar. The Duchess of Sussex, 45, has unveiled a chocolate-filled countdown calendar through her lifestyle brand As Ever, with the limited-edition product retailing for a cool $148 (£112). Created in collaboration with Los Angeles chocolatier Compartés, the calendar contains 24 handcrafted chocolates and features an illustration inspired by Meghan and Prince Harry's $30 million mansion in Montecito, California. But the eye-watering price has raised eyebrows, with the launch prompting a clash as religious figures questioned whether such an extravagant product reflects the true spirit of Christmas. The latest controversy is not the first time Meghan's festive ventures have attracted scrutiny. From an awkward Netflix Christmas special to speculation surrounding the Sussexes' holiday cards, the duchess has found herself at the centre of several seasonal talking points... Priests push back Meghan's latest festive launch has prompted a debate over the commercialisation of Christmas, after Anglican vicar Reverend Daniel French criticised the price of Meghan's luxury advent calendar. The clergyman instead highlighted a more affordable Christian advent calendar costing around £6, featuring Fairtrade chocolate and supporting charitable work through the Leprosy Mission. His comments reportedly triggered a wave of hostile responses from some supporters of the Sussexes, with Father Chris Phillips also facing criticism after backing the vicar's position. The online backlash became so intense that Reverend French reportedly restricted access to his social media account after the flurry of backlash. Her calendar contains 24 chocolates, with the packaging designed to resemble the couple's Montecito home and garden. The countdown numbers are finished in edible gold, while the flavours draw inspiration from California fruit and products from Meghan's As Ever range. However, the price comparison does not end with the religious alternative. Compartés already sells its own chocolate advent calendars for $120 (£90), each containing 24 chocolates. Meghan's collaboration costs $148 (£112) for the same number of treats – a $28 (£21) premium for the As Ever version. Compartés is no stranger to celebrity attention, having featured its products in Oprah's Favorite Things selections. Oprah famously hosted Meghan and Harry on her talk show for their bombshell 2021 interview where they made a series of startling allegations against the Royal Family. The Christmas card riddle Meghan and Harry's festive family photos have also attracted attention, particularly when the couple shared their official holiday card in December 2024. The digital card featured a collection of images from the couple's public engagements, alongside a rare photograph of their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. In the family picture, Archie, then five, and Lilibet, then three, could be seen running towards their parents, who stood with their arms outstretched. The children's faces were not visible. But the card became the subject of online speculation after a separate image purporting to show the children facing the camera circulated on social media later that month. The alleged AI-generated picture showed versions of Archie and Lilibet standing beside one another, with the children and family dogs appearing in the image. Some social media users questioned its authenticity, and the image was reported as a fake Christmas card. "The only one in focus is Meghan. Fake photo," one person wrote on X, while a second said: "Archie doesn't look like he's grown in well over a year, and the daughter looks like she's his height now." A third person wrote: "How is Lily [Lilibet] as tall as Archie? Where is the hair Lily can almost sit on?" seemingly referencing a a reference to a previous comment made by Meghan about her daughter's hair length. Another X user made bizarre claims about a "digitally altered outline" around Meghan and even suggested the dogs were "superimposed" at a later date. "The grass & leaves all look fake. Dogs aren't acknowledging the kids at all or engaged. Mine would be in their faces," they claimed. But the rumours were seemingly put to bed after Photoshop experts claimed it was a real picture. Panned Netflix special Meghan's festive offering also came under fire when With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration arrived on Netflix in December 2025. The special saw the duchess prepare for Christmas with festive recipes, decorations and crafts, inviting friends and guests into her home for a series of seasonal activities. Among the moments featured were Meghan making personalised Christmas crackers, preparing festive food and sharing traditions with guests, including tennis star Naomi Osaka. Harry also made a brief appearance, joining his wife in the kitchen and reacting to her cooking. However, the programme was largely panned, with reviewers questioning whether its polished presentation translated into the warm, relatable Christmas atmosphere it appeared to be aiming for. The Independent's Hannah Ewens gave the special one star out of five, arguing that it was not informative, fun, enjoyable or aspirational. Other critics were similarly unimpressed. The Telegraph's Anita Singh described the programme as "quite mad and a little bit sad", while the Irish Times criticised what it saw as an overly manufactured festive atmosphere. The reaction was particularly awkward for a show built around the idea of creating meaningful seasonal moments at home. Awkward editing error One of the most widely discussed moments involved Meghan's beloved rescue dog Guy, who died in January 2025. During the special, Meghan placed a sentimental ornament on her Christmas tree that appeared to pay tribute to the beagle. Later in the episode, however, a dog identified as Guy appeared alongside her as she prepared brunch. The sequence suggested that the special may have been filmed before Guy's death, despite being released towards the end of 2025. Meghan had previously spoken publicly about her grief following the dog's death, explaining that she adopted him from a rescue centre in Canada in 2015 after he had been at risk of being put down.