Kate Middleton made her royal comeback this Saturday at the Trooping the Colour after being diagnosed with cancer in March. The Princess of Wales appeared happy and waved to excited fans along the streets of London. In a statement, she hinted at attending more royal events later this summer.
While the royal family celebrates Kate and King Charles resuming their duties, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were notably absent. Reports suggest they weren’t even invited to the event, which, given recent events, might not be surprising.
Despite their absence, the Sussexes, particularly Meghan Markle, still managed to capture attention.
Just hours before Kate’s public appearance, Meghan did something that left many accusing her of trying to steal the spotlight from the Princess of Wales….
Speculation about Kate Middleton’s possible return to public life began over a week ago. On Friday, the Princess of Wales shared the wonderful news with the world.
In a detailed statement, the Princess announced her plans to attend this year’s Trooping the Colour, marking her first royal outing since her abdominal surgery in January and subsequent cancer treatment over the past few months.
“I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times,” Kate said.
Buckingham Palace balcony appearance during Trooping the Colour
On Saturday, Kate Middleton was photographed arriving at Trooping the Colour. She sat in a car alongside her husband, Prince William, and their three children, wearing a white dress with a black bow and a white hat, with her hair styled in a bun.
The princess waved to the crowd, looking very happy.
In an interview with GB News, Schofield commented that the princess looked “absolutely incredible” and “well” during the big celebration.
“You can’t deny that she looked absolutely incredible. It was like My Fair Lady; she looked like Audrey Hepburn in that outfit. I don’t know if that was the inspiration, but she looks so sophisticated, so smart. It’s what we’ve come to expect from her; I would expect nothing less,” Schofield said.
“She was so engaged with the children in the carriage. All you can think about is the fact that she’s had a lot of special time with them lately, that this family is incredibly bonded,” she added. “She’s had the opportunity to spend a lot of time at home with them; they’re incredibly close and a beautiful family indeed.”
Kate Middleton later appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside her husband, children, King Charles, and Queen Camilla. After a very challenging year, things seemed to return to somewhat normal.
While Kate has expressed her intention to attend more royal events this summer, it’s likely she will choose them wisely and not rush back into full-time royal duties.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘were not invited’ to Trooping the Colour, expert says
For many years, the royal family has contended with the ongoing feud involving the estranged Sussexes, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The couple has been distanced from the royal family, with their last appearance alongside the royals being at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022.
Reportedly, King Charles has invited Harry and Meghan to Balmoral this summer to spend time with the family and allow Archie and Lilibet to get to know their cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. However, their absence at Trooping the Colour was not surprising.
According to royal expert Tom Quinn, there were discussions about inviting Harry and Meghan to Trooping the Colour, but concerns about potential negative consequences led to the idea being quickly dismissed.
“There was a brief discussion among the senior Royals about inviting Harry and Meghan to Trooping the Colour, but the idea was quickly dismissed because even if the couple accepted the invitation, there is a feeling that they cast a dark shadow over everything,” Quinn told the Mirror.
It is unknown whether Harry and Meghan watched the royal family reunite on the Buckingham Palace balcony. However, the couple clearly has many other things occupying their time at the moment.
Meghan Markle – new lifestyle brand
Some weeks ago, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited Nigeria on a three-day tour to promote the Invictus Games. Unfortunately, the royal family reportedly had strong, angry opinions about it.
Meanwhile, the Duchess has embarked on a new business venture, launching her luxurious lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, in March of this year. In the announcement video, filmed at the couple’s Montecito mansion, Meghan showcased the beautiful home and her cooking.
The first product, a lemon-filled gift basket containing fresh fruit jam, was sent to 50 of her friends, many of whom are celebrities. PR expert Mayah Riaz estimated that Meghan Markle could earn a seven-figure sum within the first year of launching her lifestyle brand.
“So far, the jams have been sent to only 50 people. This suggests that it will be an exclusive and limited edition item,” Riaz told the Mirror. “It has already been reported that a single jam jar could cost three figures. I believe that is entirely likely from what we have seen so far. This is not rare for a celebrity brand.”
Riaz added, “Therefore, my estimation is that American Riviera Orchard could earn Meghan seven figures within a year. It is entirely possible for the brand to make multi-seven figures by the end of next year.”
“Meghan was in tears when the brand launched”
Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, is set to sell products such as oils, home fragrances, kitchen utensils, and homeware. The brand generated intense hype upon its announcement, gaining hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers within the first 24 hours.
However, there has been little activity since then, and Meghan has yet to announce when the brand will officially launch. Interest appears to be waning, and some time ago, royal expert Tom Quinn shared some disheartening details about Meghan’s venture.
Speaking to the Mirror, Quinn claimed that the Duchess was devastated by the public’s reception of her lifestyle brand, particularly the criticism of her jam.
“The one fly in the ointment is Meghan’s new internet brand, American Riviera Orchard. Meghan was in tears when the brand launched, and her new jam was widely mocked for being expensive and nothing special. She has reached the point now where she thinks that anything and everything she does will be unfairly criticized,” Quinn said.
Quinn added that Prince Harry believed “people are unfairly picking on her.” Moreover, Quinn noted that Meghan wasn’t prepared for any setbacks regarding American Riviera Orchard.
“She is especially sensitive about any criticism of her luxurious lifestyle in the US – from her point of view, this is something to be admired, not criticized,” he added.
Meghan Markle accused of stealing Kate Middleton spotlight
It’s well-known that Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle weren’t close during their time as senior working members of the royal family. Their relationship deteriorated further after Harry and Meghan left the royal family and later accused them of various things through interviews, the Netflix series, and Harry’s book. Today, their relationship is said to be at an all-time low.
Now, Meghan Markle is accused of trying to steal the spotlight from her former royal colleague once again.
On Saturday, June 15, just hours before Trooping the Colour, Argentinian polo player Nacho Figueras, a close friend of Meghan and Prince Harry, revealed the Duchess’s brand’s new raspberry-flavored jam via an Instagram Story.
The timing of the announcement angered many royal fans, who took to social media to express their displeasure.
“Trying to steal the spotlight from the RF,” one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote, according to OK! Magazine. “It is still shocking and disgusting.”
Another person added, “Narcissism at its finest,” while a third stated, “No. Meghan can never outshine Princess Kate, not then, now, ever.”
A fourth commenter concluded, “Who buys jam anyway? It is so easy to make right at home with fresh fruit and a load of sugar!”
Source claims Meghan Markle had nothing do to with it
Although many were furious with Meghan Markle for this, a source close to the Duchess told the Daily Beast that she had nothing to do with it.
The source claimed, “While I am sure the gift packages came with notes requesting social media coverage, you can’t tell Nacho Figueras what to do. So I think it’s certain the timing of his post was his own idea.”
“The larger point here is that the American Riviera Orchard campaign has been phenomenally successful and cost Meghan nothing.”
The source added, “It is a textbook social media campaign. The only problem is that there still seems to be nothing actually for sale, so what is it all for? I guess we will find out.”
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