Meghan Markle unveiled her As Ever holiday collection on Tuesday, but not everyone is raising a glass to celebrate. The Duchess of Sussex’s latest lifestyle launch includes a £50 candle, £49 jars of honey, and £13 spice kits, all marketed as festive essentials for the season.

Described on her website as products designed to “elevate every occasion with beauty and warmth,” the range quickly ignited debate online over its luxury price tags. Now, renowned celebrity chef Jameson Stocks, who has been vocal about Meghan’s ventures after stepping down as a working royal, has weighed in – accusing the Duchess of “ripping people off” and “profiting heavily from her royal past.”

Mr Stocks, speaking exclusively to the Daily Express, didn’t hold back as he delivered a scathing verdict on Prince Harry’s wife and her latest venture.

After taking a look at what’s on offer, he shared: “Charging £49 for honey is utterly disgraceful and shameful.”

“While it’s understandable that everyone needs to make a profit, there’s a clear difference between earning a fair margin and exploiting customers,” he added. “I’d recommend shopping elsewhere where you can find honey for a fraction of the price without the royal tax.”

Mr Stocks went on to question the advice surrounding Meghan’s brand direction. “I believe the Meghan brand is taking advantage of people, and those who surround her with misguided advice should feel ashamed as well,” he said.

“It’s unclear whether customers are buying her products for their quality or simply hoping their value will increase over time due to the limited numbers available.”

Turning his attention to her new wine collection – which includes the 2021 Vintage Napa Valley Brut and 2024 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, the chef compared the prices to those found in high-end restaurants.

“To justify charging premium prices, the wine and champagne must be world-class – not merely a white-label offering,” he said.

“Most fine dining establishments actually earn more from their alcohol sales than from their food menu. Her pricing, in terms of restaurant markups, isn’t unreasonable. However, within the same price range, you can find wine and champagne from world-renowned wineries and champagne houses. Simply placing her logo on a bottle doesn’t automatically make it premium, plus you have to remember people don’t want to pay restaurant prices for home,” he continued.

In the blistering rant he proceeded to add: “I’ve spent a great deal of time visiting wineries around the world, and I find her white-label products to be nothing more than a joke. I suspect that her limited editions will sell out again, simply as a marketing tactic to deceive customers.

“However, I believe most people are purchasing these items purely as novelties, with many never even opening them in the hope to get resale profit.”

When asked what the late Queen Elizabeth II might have thought, Stocks was firm but respectful: “I can’t talk on behalf of the Queen – the Queen is the Queen. I don’t think she would be very happy about people profiting heavily on the royal name.”

“I think that’s why the bad taste comes here. If Meghan was punting wine and selling honey as a TV actress, nobody would care.”

He concluded: “I think Meghan’s As Ever brand is nothing more than a con and ripping people off. Take away the packaging – it’s nothing different to anything else in the marketplace, just a hell of a lot more price-wise. It’s nothing.”