'Has She Lost Her Mind?': Meghan Markle Faces 'Cash-Grab' Over $64 Set

Meghan Markle's As Ever luxury brand has triggered a fresh wave of online criticism after launching a £52 'A Moment to Unwind Set' on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. The curated bundle, featuring a leather bookmark, sage honey with honeycomb and peppermint tea, sold out within hours — yet consumers and royal commentators remain baffled by the price tag and what many perceive as a cynical repackaging of existing inventory.

The former working royal's latest product drop has reignited accusations of tone-deafness and inventory manipulation. Online forums erupted with disbelief, with observers questioning whether Markle had 'lost her mind' with such premium pricing for everyday essentials in an economically strained climate. More scrutinising critics detected a pattern of bundling slow-moving stock under the guise of innovation — a strategy that appeared designed to clear warehouses rather than genuinely serve customer needs.

Breaking Down the Components

The 'A Moment to Unwind Set' comprises three items, each with a troubling price history. The leather bookmark — printed with the words 'Fell Asleep Here' — carries an £18 price tag when purchased individually, despite comparable versions available on Amazon for under £5. The peppermint tea was already a staple in the As Ever range at £14, while the sage honey with honeycomb had been available since the brand's launch at £32.

The bundle itself was limited to just four purchases per order, a restriction that observers cynically noted prevented transparency about actual inventory levels. When the same product line initially launched in April 2025, such strict purchase caps mysteriously coincided with rapid 'sold out' designations — leading to speculation that Markle deliberately maintained artificially low stock figures to create the illusion of runaway commercial success.

Royal Watchers Express Genuine Shock

The public reaction was swift and acidic. One frustrated Reddit user wrote: 'SIXTY-FOUR DOLLARS!! Absolutely disgusting. She has no shame. None whatsoever'. Another comment captured the broader sentiment: 'In THIS economy?? Has she lost her mind?'

A third observer calculated the mathematics with barely concealed contempt: 'So roughly £21 each for three unappealing things. I didn't think it was possible for it to get more ridiculous, but here we are'.

One particularly pointed critique suggested the purchase limits existed precisely to obscure her actual inventory crisis. 'A BLOODY BOOKMARK! I'm sorry to shout, but dear God, what depths will she plumble to next? I'm assuming the 'limit of 4 per order' is so no one can discover her stock,' the commenter noted, alluding to previous discoveries of enormous unsold quantities when customers had attempted bulk orders.

Repackaging Unsold Inventory

What emerged as perhaps the most damaging criticism was the realisation that Markle appeared to be bundling obsolete stock and marketing it as a fresh, thoughtfully designed offering. The concept of bundling old products with a newly manufactured bookmark — effectively creating artificial perceived value — struck observers as transparent cost-shifting rather than genuine product innovation.

One Reddit user, armed with previous research into As Ever's inventory, articulated this observation with clinical precision. 'She's just restyling her leftovers that she can't sell and attaching a cheap bookmark to it. She's got a s--- load of honey with sage jars (approx. 8,500 lol) leftover from the holidays (remember it was for basting your turkey?), and she also has an abundance of the crappy peppermint tea if I recall correctly (about 35,000)... this just further supports the stock figures and mess of her business that was found a few weeks ago'.

Alarming Inventory Numbers Raise Fresh Questions

The revelation of As Ever's actual stock levels offered a sobering perspective on the brand's commercial health. As of Jan. 3, the quantity of available peppermint tea stood at 39,475 units according to data an intrepid Reddit investigator uncovered before Markle's web team corrected the glitch. The situation grew more concerning when examining other products: her £64 'Candle 084' carried 62,524 units in stock, while her dried flower sprinkles remained largely unsold with 80,391 units available.

These figures paint a markedly different picture from the carefully curated aesthetic Markle projects for As Ever. Rather than a thriving luxury lifestyle brand, the inventory data suggests a business struggling to shift product volume — one where bundling, artificial scarcity tactics and price inflation appear deployed as last-resort strategies to generate cash flow. The brand's customer service team now advises contacting As Ever directly for 'bulk' purchases, with the order limit recently adjusted to 100 items per transaction, suggesting a desperate pivot toward inventory liquidation.

For a brand positioned as an aspirational luxury lifestyle experience, the reality emerging from these details proves considerably less glamorous. Markle, who has been seeking alternative revenue streams as her Netflix lifestyle series appears increasingly unlikely to materialise, now faces persistent questions about whether As Ever represents genuine entrepreneurship or simply another avenue for what critics dismiss as wealth extraction from a devoted fanbase increasingly weary of perceived exploitation.