Meghan Markle comes under fire for launching her new book amid Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis. 

The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle has once again received criticism from royal experts after introducing her new lifestyle brand earlier this month. As the British Royal Family navigated controversies involving Kate Middleton and addressed the fallout from the photoshopping scandal, Markle took to Instagram to announce the creation of her new brand, American Riviera Orchard.

And royal experts have expressed discontent with the former actress’ timing in announcing the brand, claiming that it was a deliberate strategy to divert attention away from the Royal Family’s health-related concerns.

Meghan Markle Announced Her New Lifestyle Brand

Earlier this month, Meghan Markle announced her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard through an Instagram post and a promotional video that was reportedly filmed at her and Prince Harry’s home in Montecito, California.

As per Forbes, documents filed in February indicate that the company is registered as an LLC in Delaware, with plans to establish an online retail store offering various products such as tableware, cutlery, cookbooks, kitchen textiles, and food items. Additional filings in March suggest potential expansion into gardening items, stationery, party decorations, and home decor.

However, other details beyond these categories have not been disclosed in the filed documents. A source told People that the Suits star has been planning the launch for a while and is excited about it as well. They also shared that the brand is a reflection of everything Markle loves, “family, cooking, entertaining and home décor.”

The timing of the brand announcement has drawn criticism from royal experts who question the decision to launch the brand on the same day as The Diana Awards and amid news of Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis, characterizing it as a calculated business move.

Royal Expert Called Out Meghan Markle For Her ‘Calculated’ Move

The British royal family has been the had been subject of specualtions following Kate Middleton’s abdominal surgery. The Princess of Wales later came out to reveal that she had actually been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. Prior to that, King Charles also went public with his cancer diagnosis.

Kate Middleton in a video announcing her cancer diagnosis

And Royal expert Tom Quinn believes that Meghan Markle, who announced her new business venture amid all this, decided to benefit from the attention that the royal family has been getting over the past few months. He told The Mirror in a recent interview,

“Meghan has calculated that the Kate health mystery and King Charles’ illness mean there is more attention on the royal family than usual, and that she might be able to benefit from some of that attention.” 

He further suggested that Markle deliberately announced the brand on the same day as The Diana Awards, arguing that “she is just trying to cash in on Diana’s legacy.” He also claimed that The Duchess of Sussex perceives herself as Princess Diana’s successor and believes that she faces media scrutiny as Princess Diana did.