A ROYAL expert has slammed Meghan Markle’s decision to launch her rose wine on Princess Diana’s birthday as a “cruel” way to hijack Prince Harry’s mum’s legacy.
The 2023 Napa Valley Rosé went on sale on Tuesday at around 4pm UK time via a new wine section on Meg’s As Ever website.
But Meghan’s timing decision has been criticised by a royal expert[/caption]
Princess Diana in Hong Kong in 1989[/caption]
Meghan’s new Rosé will set back punters $30 a bottle and she now plans to bring out a sparkling wine.
But now, a royal expert has slammed the timing of the wine’s release, which is said to “capture the essence of sun-drenched outdoor moments”.
Royal reporter and podcaster Kinsey Schofield claims that the release of the beverage on the late Princess Diana‘s birthday has “struck a nerve” with those in the royal household.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Schofield claimed: “As Ever appears to be the latest attempt to stake a claim in the oversaturated lifestyle market.
“Still, this launch has struck a very specific nerve, not just because of what the product is, but because when it was released, July 1, Princess Diana‘s birthday.
“A source close to the royal household told me, it’s not lost on Prince William that Meghan has launched an alcohol brand on his mother’s birthday, the very mum he lost in a drink driving tragedy.
“When I asked if there was anger at Meghan for using Diana’s birthday to promote her commercial products, my source replied: ‘It’s what he’s come to expect from her’.
“He doesn’t think much of her.”
The beverage, priced at more than £65 for a minimum three-bottle order, had only appeared to be available for US customers to buy, with shipping addresses limited to America.
A half case costs $159 (£115) and a full case will set you back a whopping $300 (£218).
The wine went on sale at 4pm UK time, but the site was updated less than hour later to signal stocks were sold out.
But Schofield claims that “timing an alcohol launch to Diana’s birthday wasn’t just a misstep, it was borderline cruel”.
The royal podcaster said: “You have to sit at home, you have to sit and think, what is Prince Harry thinking at home today?
“As Meghan is doing victory laps around the kitchen, excited for this launch, Harry is still thinking about the mother he lost, the mother that he loved, the mother that he talks to us about constantly.
“This is still a tough day for Prince Harry too. Let’s be honest, Meghan has spent years framing herself as the spiritual successor to Diana.”
Schofield added: “I was once told by a royal family source that Beatrice, I believe this was at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, overheard Meghan tell Prince Harry that Diana spoke to her during her yoga session that morning.
“I feel like Meghan has hijacked or attempted to hijack this woman’s legacy, to the point where Meghan is so important that Diana is speaking to her from the other side of the yoga mat.
Kinsey Schofield has weighed in on the latest release[/caption]
The release on Diana’s birthday has drawn criticism[/caption]
“So to claim ignorance here doesn’t hold up. It wasn’t just insensitive.
“It felt like a betrayal of the very narrative she’s working so hard to craft.”
Schofield said: “I think Diana’s death remains one of the most heartbreaking and symbolic moments in modern royal history.
“Linking that memory, whether intentionally or accidentally, to a commercial product, especially one tied to alcohol, feels like a profound misjudgement.
“There are 363 other days to launch a wine or an alcohol brand. Choosing this one, even if unintentional, speaks volumes.”
‘TONE DEAF’
Schofield also claimed that her source in the royal household said that William and Catherine have been “quite good at ignoring the Sussexes”.
However, it is claimed that anything to do with Wills mother is still a “tender spot”, according to the source.
Schofield added: “To launch an alcohol brand on Diana’s birthday, it felt pointed, or at the very least, shockingly tone deaf.
“Privately, there is hope within the family that Harry and Meghan will eventually thrive in the business world, not out of affection, but out of strategy.
“The thinking goes, if they’re secure and financially stable, maybe the public criticism towards the palace and media outbursts will subside.”
The new wine is being flogged on new website Wine.AsEver.com – where more booze will be added.
The Rosé is described by As Ever as “a pale blush wine offers a roundness and depth of flavor that is complemented by gentle minerality and soft notes of stone fruit with a lasting finish”.
They claim the tipple is an “As ever blend” which includes “Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Syrah varietals”.
While the taste is described as “sophisticated, dry, and refreshing, it is designed for summer’s best moments – from lunches that turn into dinners and sun-drenched weekends where the only thing louder than the music is the laughter”.
It comes as Meghan is also set to reveal a sparkling wine among new wine varieties.
Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry at Thorpe Park when the boys were growing up[/caption]
Prince Harry will still be thinking of his mother especially on her birthday, a royal expert claimed[/caption]
