She is certainly a woman on a mission, laser-focused on launching her new brand and podcast. But an insider says Meghan Markle’s latest plans include a shock U-turn on her previous unwillingness to attempt to win back the royals – and she has started at the very top with King Charles.
It has been reported that as the 43 year old launches her lifestyle brand As Ever – previously named American Riviera Orchard – she has been sending exclusive samples of her jam to more of her famous friends. And one person lucky enough to receive a basket of products, including her sold-out raspberry spread, is her father-in-law, King Charles.
It was recently reported that a ‘sample box of delights from As Ever’ had been delivered to Charles’ London residence, Clarence House, along with a note. The US news report detailed, ‘An As Ever gift box was sent, which included the jams, honey, crêpes mix and various assortments. This was a gifted idea from the Duchess of Sussex.’
A source now tells heat that it could be a peace offering, saying, ‘Meghan didn’t think twice about sending the King a gift basket and, despite what people may think, the word is it actually went over quite well. Her strategy is to be the bigger person, so that she and Harry can eventually melt the ice and end this standoff with his family. Meghan has always been of the opinion that she can kill people with kindness. She puts a brave face on the current situation with regards to her in-laws, but deep down, there’s no doubt she’s very upset being so disliked. The bad blood and continued lack of communication gets her down in a big way.’
Meghan’s surprise attempt to repair fractures with the royal family comes at a particularly tense time as her husband Prince Harry, 40, has recently made claims his family had downgraded his personal police protection in the UK in an attempt to stop him and his wife from stepping down as working royals in 2020, which Buckingham Palace sources have denied. Harry said as he left the Royal Courts of Justice in April after an appeal hearing about the decision, ‘People would be shocked by what’s being held back.’ Our source explains, ‘Meghan and Harry are caught between a rock and a hard place because they want to stand their ground and don't want to be looking like they're grovelling, but at the same time, they do want to mend fences. It's very difficult because they aren't getting much feedback.’
Despite the frostiness between the Sussexes – who are parents to Archie, five, and Lilibet, three – and the wider royal family, Meghan has been known to send presents to her husband’s relatives. Our source adds, ‘She continues to acknowledge peoples’ birthdays – she’s still sending gifts – and she’s stayed in contact with Eugenie to maintain that bridge as best she can.’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s relationship with certain members of the family are not all fractured, with Harry’s cousins Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall and their respective husbands Jack Brooksbank and rugby player Mike remaining in contact with the couple, who will celebrate their seventh wedding anniversary in May. An insider claimed, ‘Zara and Mike don't shout about their relationship with the Sussexes from the rooftops, because it is still frowned upon by a lot of people in the royal family, but it's known that they, along with Eugenie and Jack, have a lot of time for Harry and Meghan.’
Elsewhere, it has been widely reported that both Meghan and Harry are starting to panic that a continued hostility between them and the royals – particularly future king and queen Prince William and Kate Middleton – could see them lose their Duke and Duchess titles.
‘This is her way of trying to alleviate the hostility levels, basically,’ our insider shares. ‘It’s not as though everyone’s getting a gift basket, just a select few including the King and Queen, a few of the Yorks, Zara and Mike and various others who she still has a soft spot towards.
‘She and Harry had a talk before she sent off the packages and he thought it was a lovely gesture. They’re both hopeful that it will go some way to at least thaw the icy relationship with the King and he did have someone in his office write back to say thank you, which Meghan found gratifying. She’s so proud of her products and has every confidence that everyone who gets to taste them will agree that she’s creating magic. So, that’s another motivation behind her sending these gifts, it’s a very subtle opportunity for her to show that she’s not all hype as far as her lifestyle prowess.’