Meghan Markle has revealed how her ‘affordable’ products will swerve any controversial trade tariffs set by Donald Trump. The Duchess of Sussex launched her lifestyle brand As Ever last week, selling her first batch of products, which were all snapped up within 30 minutes of going on sale.
The products included a raspberry spread costing £10.80, a collection of herbal teas, which retailed for £9.30 each and her signature flower sprinkles, which featured in her Netflix show and cost £11.60. The launch of As Ever has coincided with US President Trump slapping huge tariffs on imported products to the United States.
Earlier this month, he declared that the US would now tax nearly all of America’s trading partners at a minimum of 10 per cent – and impose steeper rates for countries that he says run trade surpluses with the US.
The move has sent shock through the financial markets and businesses that rely on trade. But in a new interview with Fortune, Meghan has revealed why her As Ever business is positioned to avoid the turmoil. She explained: “At the moment, all of our products are currently made in the US, so we don’t anticipate tariffs affecting us directly.”
The price of Meghan’s products has also been compared to similar available on the market – and are more expensive than several royal equivalents. The online shop of the King’s Highgrove home sells an organic raspberry-and-blackberry preserve for £6.95, while the Sandringham royal estate has a raspberry-and-gin preserve at £6.99.
But Meghan added she wanted to create items that look “more prestige” but are “affordable”. She explained: “But as we look at the larger context of how this is going to affect the consumer day to day, I’m very grateful that in part of the conception of this brand, I wanted to create products that look more prestige but are more accessible and affordable.
“I think during any time of recession, people still want to find creature comforts, items that can bring them joy.” The new interview comes as Meghan launched her new podcast yesterday called Confessions of a Female Founder – the latest in her flurry of output after her much-criticised Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan and her new brand As Ever.
She has promised the series will feature “girl talk” and advice on how to create “billion-dollar businesses”. And in the first episode, the Duchess said she suffered medical complications after childbirth and had to cope with the ‘ world ‘ not knowing.
Meghan said she had been diagnosed with post-partum pre-eclampsia following the birth of one of her children. The condition is similar to pre-eclampsia, which affects women during pregnancy – and involves high blood pressure, according to the Preeclampsia Foundation charity.
Describing the condition, Meghan said: “It’s so rare. And it’s so scary. You’re still trying to juggle all these things and the world doesn’t know what is happening, quietly and in the quiet you are still trying to show up for people,” she added.
“You’re still trying to show up, mostly for your children. But those things are huge medical scares.” Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder of dating platform Bumble and the first guest on Meghan’s podcast added: “They’re life or death, truly.”
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