Meghan Markle has launched a Christmas chocolate bar range just 24 hours after her festive special on Netflix received poor reviews.
The Duchess of Sussex’s As Ever lifestyle brand has announced their “Chocolate Holiday Trio” which is marketed as “perfect for stocking stuffers, and elevated last-minute gifting”.
Each 80g bar costs £8.99 ($12) and is limited to two per customer, coming wrapped in a bespoke botanical-print paper.
The new chocolate bars use Meghan’s “beloved signature ingredients” of As Ever raspberry spread and flower sprinkles to “spark a little sweet nostalgia”.
As Ever announced their new Chocolate trio ahead of Christmas
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The three flavours are dark chocolate with raspberry spread and sea salt, white chocolate with flower sprinkles and hemp hearts, and milk chocolate with shortbread cookies and bee pollen.
The white chocolate version is promoted as “as seen on With Love, Meghan”.
Described as “curated by Meghan and crafted by Compartes chocolatier and tastemaker Jonathan Grahm”, As Ever calls the confectionery “the most coveted set of the season”.
Meghan released her festive special, With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration, on Wednesday and the Netflix special was met with a barrage of poor reviews.
Daily Mail reviewer Annabel Fenwick Elliot gave the special zero stars, saying: “It’s the syrupy hypocrisy and our hostesses’ deep lack of self-awareness that continue to make her and this show so unlikeable.
“If only she could lean into her waspish, Type A personality – poke a little fun at herself, even – she could just about be endearing, in a Monica-from-Friends sort of way.”
Meghan Markle’s Netflix special was met with mostly negative reviews
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Times columnist Hilary Rose described the show as “unfathomable”, adding that it includes “four pointless crafts, three random ‘friends’, two unseen kids, one English prince and a duchess in a pear tree, or at least making pear syrup.”
She added that some of the dialogue left her feeling like “the English language has been fed through Google Translate and found wanting”.
Ms Rose also revealed viewers “learn that red is a festive colour and that if you don’t like cheese or pepper, you might not like a dish consisting of cheese and pepper”.
The Express took a different approach, with Emily Ferguson giving a much more positive review, claiming the show gives “some handy tips on wrapping awkward items such as cuddly toys and wine bottles.
“The special one-off episode, released on the same day the Royal Family welcomes the German President and First Lady to Windsor Castle for a three-day state visit, balances festive fun with personal anecdotes that are sure to please her fan base.
“And in a solo clip while decorating iced cookies, Meghan delivers an important message: ‘Take care of yourself and you will be able to take care of everybody else.’”
Prince Harry has made his debut speaking appearance in his wife’s Netflix lifestyle programme
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GETTYStandard writer India Block gave the duchess’s special a two-star review, saying: “Duchess formerly known as Markle firmly believes that holiday traditions can be boiled down to word salads of platitudes.
“Netflix has really hit its stride with this special episode of With Love, Meghan. They’re really leaning the frantic energy of its star trying to crack puns without splashing hot oil or butter down her pristine cashmere sweaters.”