Meghan Markle’s ongoing drama has taken another awkward turn. Despite having been clearly told in 2020 by Queen Elizabeth that she and Harry were not to use their HRH titles commercially, Meghan has once again stirred up controversy by branding herself “The Duchess of Sussex” on a gift basket sent to her friend, Jamie Carl Lemur.
The basket, filled with jam and ice cream, came complete with a “royal” calling card—an odd and unnecessary flex that felt more like a grifter starter pack than a kind gesture.
What made matters worse was that this little HRH-labeled stunt happened to appear on Jaime’s podcast, conveniently doubling as promo for Meghan’s new jam brand and podcast episode. Coincidence? Hardly. Meghan’s every move seems as calculated as a chess grandmaster on a caffeine binge.
Naturally, royal watchers had a meltdown. The general reaction was a blend of disbelief and secondhand embarrassment.
HRH doesn’t mean anything in the U.S.—at the end of the day, she’s Rachel from L.A., not a reigning royal. Yet Meghan continues to cosplay as if she’s still holding court, giving PTA queen vibes from Santa Barbara.
The fallout has even reached Parliament, where calls are growing louder for Harry and Meghan to be officially stripped of their titles. It’s become one of the defining debates of 2025, and not without reason.
Let’s be honest: that jam-and-ice-cream basket wasn’t about friendship—it was about image. It was a subtle but pointed way of saying, “Look at me, I’m still royalty,” even if she’s technically not. The entire gesture reeked of social climbing and status flaunting, with just enough royal glitter to suggest some sort of lingering legitimacy.
Peak nepo-baby behavior. Royal commentators were quick to note how this latest stunt seems like an insult to Queen Elizabeth’s memory. After everything—from bombshell interviews and Netflix exposés to tell-all therapy sessions—Meghan still appears eager to cling to the “Duchess” glow when it suits her business interests.
Five years after stepping back from royal duties, you might expect Meghan to have built a new identity based on merit and independence. Instead, she’s still grasping for relevance through the same title she once claimed to want freedom from. It’s like watching someone camp outside a Supreme store for a drop that already sold out.
With the calls to Parliament increasing, many believe it’s time to make a clear statement: royal titles shouldn’t be used as marketing props. The monarchy risks looking weak if it continues to turn a blind eye while Meghan turns her Duchess role into a lifestyle brand from a Santa Barbara estate. Without HRH, she’s just another actress with a fading podcast and some unsold jam. And if you think this is the end of it—think again. There will be more leaks, more cryptic interviews, and likely more curated baskets—perhaps next time with her face printed right on the jar.
