Meghan Markle's As Ever Christmas Hampers Spark 'Copycat, as ever' Jibe After Palace Launch

Meghan Markle's As Ever brand has drawn online comparisons to royal Christmas hampers after launching three wicker gift baskets as part of its 2026 Holiday Collection.

The Duchess of Sussex expanded the range on 6 October with Pantry, Parlour and Hostess baskets. Royal Collection Trust announced its own 2026 festive collection on 28 September, with its Christmas products becoming available online from 1 October.

The timing prompted criticism and jokes in several Reddit discussions. One user summed up the reaction with the jibe, 'Copycat, as ever.'

However, there is no evidence that Meghan deliberately copied Buckingham Palace or Highgrove, or designed the As Ever range to compete personally with King Charles III. Wicker food hampers are also a familiar feature of the Christmas gift market.

Meghan Markle Expands As Ever With Three Holiday Gift Baskets

As Ever lists the Pantry Basket at $259 (€231.65 and £196.16), making it the most expensive of its three new wicker gift baskets.

According to the brand's official product listing, the basket contains its Signature Fruit Spread Gift Box and Honey Duo Gift Box. It also includes flower sprinkles, three herbal teas and two mulling-spice kits.

The Parlour Basket costs $242 (€216.45 and £183.28) and focuses more on entertaining. It contains a double-deck playing-card set, three Compartés chocolate bars, two mulling-spice kits and an As Ever candle.

The $211 (€188.72 and £159.80) Hostess Basket includes fruit spreads, two candles, peppermint, hibiscus and lemon-ginger teas, along with flower sprinkles.

Meghan also marked the holiday launch by reflecting on her business's growth and her childhood experience selling handmade products.

'As I pinch myself looking at how this brand has grown, and as we introduce our holiday collection, I feel very proud, and grateful,' she wrote.

Royal Collection Trust Unveils Its Own Expanded Christmas Offering

She recalled making scrunchies on her grandmother's Singer sewing machine and selling them for $1 (€0.89 and £0.76) each as a child. Meghan also thanked the team behind As Ever for helping develop the business.

The new baskets join other seasonal products in the As Ever collection, including its $148 (€132.37 and £112.09) 2026 Holiday Advent Calendar created with Los Angeles chocolatier Compartés.

Royal Collection Trust had unveiled its own expanded Christmas offering shortly before the As Ever release.

Its official Buckingham Palace Christmas Hamper costs £144.99 and contains Christmas pudding, mince pies, chocolate-orange biscuits, chutney, gingerbread chocolate and ginger shortbread.

The basket also includes a Buckingham Palace tea towel and a 2026 Christmas bauble. The official product listing says the hamper is available for UK delivery only.

Royal Collection Trust's wider festive range includes Sweet Treats, Best of Britain and Pamper hampers. It has also introduced a reusable, fillable Advent calendar depicting the façade of Buckingham Palace.

That calendar is distinct from As Ever's chocolate Advent calendar and should not be treated as an equivalent product.

Income from Royal Collection Trust purchases contributes to the care and conservation of the Royal Collection and supports efforts to make it accessible to the public.

Meghan Markle 'Copycat, As Ever' Jibe Fuels Online Hamper Comparisons

The overlap in timing and presentation quickly became fodder for online jokes, although the reactions cited reflect individual social media users rather than broader public opinion.

In an r/SaintMeghanMarkle discussion about As Ever's Hostess Basket, one Reddit user wrote, 'Copycat, As Ever.'

Other participants compared Meghan's baskets with products associated with royal residences and estates. A separate discussion on r/TheBritishRoyalFamily jokingly referred to the comparison as 'The Battle of the Hampers.' Those comments do not establish that As Ever copied a royal product.

Highgrove, King Charles III's Gloucestershire residence, separately sells festive wicker hampers through its retail operation. Proceeds from Highgrove product sales support The King's Foundation.

That business is distinct from Royal Collection Trust, which manages the Royal Collection and operates the Buckingham Palace retail offering.

As Ever is different again. It is Meghan's commercial lifestyle brand, with products centred on food, entertaining and home goods.

The similarities therefore largely involve familiar Christmas retail elements such as wicker baskets, preserves, chocolates and other gift items. Those features alone are not evidence of imitation.

The brands also serve different delivery markets. As Ever states that it currently ships only within the 50 US states and does not offer international shipping.

British customers therefore cannot currently order the new As Ever gift baskets directly for delivery in the UK. Royal Collection Trust, meanwhile, lists the Buckingham Palace Christmas Hamper for UK delivery.

The 'copycat' line may have given the launch an eye-catching social media punchline, but the available evidence supports describing it as online commentary rather than a substantiated allegation that Meghan copied the Palace.