Meghan Markle’s $64 Anniversary Candle Draws Criticism Over Pricing

Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, As Ever, has released a candle priced at $64 (approximately £48) to commemorate her eighth wedding anniversary with Prince Harry, sparking criticism over its cost and marketing strategy.

The candle, described as “modern and elegant” and “housed in a beautiful ceramic vessel,” is a limited-edition product promoted on the brand’s Instagram account.

The Instagram post, published Monday, read: “The feeling of warm sunshine and blue skies, surrounded by love and laughter. Celebrating 8 years of our founder @meghan and Prince Harry’s love story.”

The product, called Signature Candle No 519, features scents of “Moroccan mint, white tea leaves, and a back note of woodsy cardamom,” according to the brand’s website.

The website states the candle “evokes the freshness of a day in the English countryside.”

Critics noted that Markle has not set foot in England since September 2022, aside from stopovers at Heathrow Airport.

The anniversary being celebrated is the couple’s eighth, which is not traditionally considered a milestone compared to the tenth anniversary.

In a commentary, the Guardian questioned the logic of marketing a product based on an arbitrary anniversary, stating: “I mean, who is this for?”

The article contrasted the candle with Markle’s other products such as jams, writing: “Markle’s jams I understand, because everyone likes jams.”

The Guardian’s piece employed a sarcastic tone, including fictional dialogue to highlight the perceived absurdity of the product.

One line from the piece read: “Do say: ‘Darling, let’s commemorate our anniversary traditionally this year.’ Don’t say: ‘By monetising our relationship with merch for the rich and gullible.’”

The article also referenced a made-up “bronze anniversary” but corrected that the actual anniversary is not associated with a traditional gift.

The product’s price point of $64 was described as “objectively too much for a candle” in the original commentary.

Markle’s As Ever brand aims to offer lifestyle products, but this particular launch drew skepticism for its perceived commercialization of a personal milestone.

The Guardian invited reader responses of up to 300 words via email for possible publication in its letters section.