Meghan Markle has introduced a festive "Holiday Collection" through her As Ever lifestyle brand, featuring a luxury Hostess Basket and a high-end advent calendar. The launch follows the release of Buckingham Palace's 2026 hammper selection, marking a direct entry into the royal gifting space.
The £117 price gap between As Ever and Buckingham Palace
The entry of the Duchess of Sussex into the Christmas hamper market creates a stark contrast in pricing between the new As Ever brand and the official royal offerings. According to the report, the most affordable royal option, the Sweet Treats Hamper, retails for £70 and includes chocolate chip shortbread and clotted cream fudge. In contrast, a similar hosting set from As Ever costs $155 (£117), suggesting a premium pricing strategy targeted at a more affluent demographic.
This pricing disparity extends to the advent calendars. While Buckingham Palace has released a milk chocolate box with 24 pieces, the report says that Meghan Markle's version is £100 more expensive, retailing at $148 (£112). This positioning reflects a broader trend of the Duchess of Sussex leveraging her personal brand to compete in the luxury lifestyle sector, moving beyond traditional royal associations into a commercial enterprise.
From Montecito mansions to $148 advent calendars
The As Ever "Holiday Collection" emphasizes personal touches and high-end aesthetics, specifically drawing inspiration from the Duchess's private life. the $148 advent calendar features a festive illustration of the £11 million Montecito mansion shared by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. to add a layer of exclusivity, the countdown numbers are hand-painted in the Duchess's own penmanship using edible gold lustre.
Beyond the calendar, the "Hostess Basket" is designed as a curated experience. The wicker basket includes a leather As Ever tag with gold lettering and is pre-filled with peppermint and lemon-and-ginger tea caddies, a trio of spreads, scented candles, and flower sprinkles. These items are intended to encourage customers to "gather a little closer" and create their own traditions, as stated in the "Merriment in the making" newsletter sent to subscribers.
The Compartés collaboration and the 'weird' ingredient backlash
A central pillar of the As Ever festive range is a partnership with the Los Angeles-based luxury chocolate brand Compartés. This "ongoing collaboration" has produced "Botanical Confections" in floral flavors such as Hibiscus Rose and Lavender Honey. The brand is also offering a trifecta of these chocolate bars , which previously retailed for approximately $12 (£9) per bar.
However, the partnership has not been without criticism. As reported, some consumers found previous As Ever x Compartés products off-putting due to "insane" and "weird" ingredients, specifically citing the inclusion of bee pollen and hemp hearts. Whether these polarizing ingredients will persist in the new Holiday Collection remains a point of interest for luxury food critics.
The missing price tag for the Hostess Basket
Despite the detailed reveal of the products, several key pieces of information remain unavailable. Most notably, the exact retail price for the "Hostess Basket" has not yet been officially announced, leaving consumers to guess based on the $155 price of a previous, similar set.. Additionally, the report notes that the high-priced advent calendar is currently only available for purchase in the United States, leaving UK and international fans without a direct purchase path.
There is also a lack of clarity regarding the identity of "Mr Grahm," who appeared alongside the Duchess in a promotional Instagram video. The clip, set to a Michael Bublé song, shows the pair on a golf cart at an unidentified estate, teasing the October 6th launnch of the collection without providing further context on the collaborator's role in the business.
Comments 0