Meghan Markle faces criticism for new American Riviera Orchard products launch during Trooping the Colour

Meghan Markle has come under fire from a royal commentator for being "naive" after promoting two new offerings from her American Riviera Orchard brand coinciding with a significant royal ceremony.

This past weekend saw the Trooping the Colour, a pivotal yearly event where the Royal Family unites to celebrate The King's official birthday through the Birthday Parade, a spectacle of military grandeur that honours the monarch's ties to the Armed Forces.

On the day of Trooping the Colour, which also marked Kate Middleton's first public outing since beginning cancer treatment, American Riviera Orchard's latest products surfaced online. Prince Harry's pal and polo ace Nacho Figueras took to social media just hours before the Saturday event to reveal he had received some goodies from American Riveria Orchard.

Nacho, who struck up a friendship with the Duke of Sussex back in 2007, posted on Instagram showcasing a new raspberry jam and dog treats, both elegantly packaged in glass jars, reports the Mirror.

The release of these images sparked a divide among supporters and detractors of the Sussexes, with some suggesting the timing of the product tease on the morning of Trooping the Colour was intentional. However, numerous people were quick to dismiss this notion.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams spoke exclusively to The Mirror about the latest additions to the Sussexes' product line: "Apparently two more products, raspberry jam and dog biscuits, have just been launched."

However, he questioned the timing of the launch: "To do this on the same day as Trooping the Colour shows a very naive approach to marketing as they know journalists keep an eye on what they do."

Fitzwilliams also referenced a social media post by Prince Harry's friend, Nacho Figueras: "Nacho Figueras, Harry's polo playing friend, posted that he'd received jam and dog biscuits and posted photos. Whereas cynics might say the raspberry sums up the Sussexes destructive attitude to the royal family rather well, on the jar it said two of two. If she wants her brand to succeed, Meghan better be more adventurous than this!"

This follows comments made to The Mirror by public relations expert Lynn Carratt: "I don't think Meghan sending a pot of her American Rivieria Orchard jam and some dog biscuits to the couple's close friend Nacho Figueras a day before the Trooping of the Colour and Kate's first public appearance since undergoing cancer treatment was done with any malice."

Carratt added: "She didn't have any control over when Nacho would post them. And it didn't overshadow anything."

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