Meghan Markle’s £112 Advent Calendar Sparks Debate Over the Price of Her Luxury Products

Meghan Markle’s latest As Ever release has put the price of luxury gifts under the spotlight. Her new Christmas advent calendar, featuring 24 handcrafted chocolates and priced at around £112 ($148), costs considerably more than a similar festive product launched by Buckingham Palace, raising fresh questions about the pricing of the Duchess of Sussex’s lifestyle brand.

For shoppers in Britain and the United States facing rising everyday expenses, the contrast is striking. With petrol costs, household bills and other essentials competing for their budgets, a premium chocolate calendar may seem an extravagant purchase.

Meghan’s luxury chocolates cost nearly ten times as much as the Palace’s

Meghan’s new Holiday Advent Calendar is part of As Ever, her online lifestyle brand known for products including scented candles, jams and flower sprinkles. Released ahead of the Halloween-to-Christmas shopping season, the calendar contains 24 handcrafted chocolates in a keepsake box inspired by Meghan’s home and garden in Montecito, California.

Priced at approximately £112, or $148 in the United States, the product is available exclusively in the US.

The launch comes as Buckingham Palace unveils its own advent calendar for 2026. Sold through the Royal Collection Trust website for £12, the Palace’s version contains the same number of chocolates, making it around £100 cheaper than Meghan’s offering.

The Buckingham Palace calendar weighs 95g and is designed to evoke the festive atmosphere of three royal residences, including Windsor Castle. Its promotional description says it captures the magic of the festive season.

The substantial difference in price has drawn attention to the contrasting approaches taken by the two brands. While both products offer a chocolate countdown to Christmas, Meghan’s calendar commands a significant premium.

The commercial ambitions behind the Sussex lifestyle brand

Prince Harry and Meghan have pursued commercial opportunities as they maintain homes in California, Portugal and, more recently, the Cotswolds. The costs associated with their properties, security arrangements and vehicles have also featured in public discussion of their finances.

Against that backdrop, the £112 advent calendar has become another example of the couple’s efforts to build a commercial enterprise around their public profiles and lifestyle.

Their use of blacked-out cars and security convoys has attracted attention, while the price of Meghan’s latest product has prompted criticism from those who consider it out of step with ordinary household budgets.

The calendar also raises an interesting question about privacy and branding. Harry and Meghan have repeatedly placed a premium on keeping their private lives away from public scrutiny, yet the design of this particular product draws inspiration from their personal home and garden.

For critics, that contrast illustrates the tension between protecting their private lives and using elements of those lives to market luxury goods.

As Ever’s premium pricing extends beyond chocolate

The advent calendar is not the first As Ever product to attract scrutiny over its price. The brand’s website offers a range of items aimed at customers who enjoy hosting gatherings and creating an upscale home atmosphere.

Entertaining was also a central theme of Meghan’s Netflix lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, which focused on home life, food and hospitality.

Among the products available is the Signature Scent Collection, comprising four candles and an As Ever matchbox. The collection is priced at around £193.

Another option, The Cozy Duo, includes two candles and a matchbox and sells for approximately £96.

These prices position the products firmly in the premium lifestyle market. For customers willing to pay for the branding, presentation and overall aesthetic, they may hold appeal. For others, the cost raises questions about whether the products offer sufficient value compared with less expensive alternatives.

The brand’s emphasis on hosting and carefully styled gatherings also places it in a particular lifestyle niche, appealing to consumers who see entertaining at home as an occasion worth investing in.

Jonathan Grahm helped create the advent calendar

Meghan developed the new calendar in collaboration with Jonathan Grahm, creative director of Compartés.

According to the product’s press release, considerable attention was paid to the packaging and finishing details. The countdown numbers were hand-painted in Meghan’s own handwriting using edible gold lustre.

Those personalised touches help distinguish the calendar from a standard box of chocolates, presenting it as a keepsake as well as a seasonal treat.

However, the added craftsmanship and presentation come with a price that is far above Buckingham Palace’s comparable offering. Whether customers consider that premium worthwhile will depend on how much value they place on the design, branding and association with Meghan.

A festive product that highlights the Sussexes’ business strategy

The calendar reflects the commercial direction Meghan and Harry have pursued, using their names, lifestyle and personal image to develop products for consumers willing to pay premium prices.

Although Meghan’s business operates from the United States, its commercial reach and the couple’s continuing connections to Britain mean that their activities remain a subject of interest among royal watchers on both sides of the Atlantic.

The decision to draw inspiration from the couple’s private residence is particularly notable given their emphasis on personal privacy. It demonstrates how the boundaries between their private lives and commercial ventures can become blurred when elements of their home are incorporated into a product intended for sale.

For shoppers, the immediate consideration is simpler: whether a chocolate advent calendar costing £112 offers enough to justify its price, particularly when Buckingham Palace sells a calendar containing the same number of chocolates for £12.

As the Christmas shopping season approaches, Meghan’s latest release is likely to appeal most to consumers attracted by its distinctive packaging, handcrafted chocolates and association with the As Ever brand. For more price-conscious buyers, the Palace’s considerably cheaper alternative may prove easier to justify.

And for critics questioning the Sussexes’ commercial ambitions, the price difference offers another reason to scrutinise the luxury lifestyle products they choose to bring to market.