Royal commentators are at it again, insisting that Meghan Sussex should donate the profits from her successful lifestyle brand As Ever to charity. It’s a curious demand, not least because King Charles doesn’t donate his profits to charity - he pockets them. In 2023 alone, the Duchy of Lancaster brought in £26.2 million for him personally. Yet somehow, Meghan, who is no longer a “working” royal, is expected to hand over her earnings to prove her virtue.
The rules are different for her. And that’s the point. The establishment has spent five years trying to unprove what Meghan demonstrated simply by existing: that competence, charisma, and success are not the exclusive property of white aristocrats. She married Harry, threw herself into royal work, and did it better than the rest of them. That was the real crisis. So now, every jar of jam she sells is treated as a cultural affront, every profit margin a moral failing.
And I thought Meghan wasn’t part of the royal family anymore? The press has reminded us of this ad nauseam, usually to pacify their Little England readers, hungry for an old-fashioned “white” England that never actually existed. Yet when Meghan succeeds independently, suddenly she’s back under their jurisdiction.
Why are “royal experts” even discussing her finances? Because the rota can’t let go. They demanded the Sussexes earn their own money; now that they do, the rota still isn’t happy. It’s not just about money (though they do hate her having nice things). It’s about control.
The funniest part is the certainty with which commentators claim to know what Meghan does or doesn’t do with her profits. How exactly do they know? Meghan hasn’t been briefing them. Are they up to their old tricks again? A bit of “unlawful information gathering”? Because unless Meghan is sending them her bank statements, they’re either, ahem, bending the law or guessing.
This is where the class implications bite. Charles can hoard Duchy profits (and take money from charity) because he’s a king. William can hoard Duchy of Cornwall profits and preside over mouldy rental homes because he’s an heir. But Meghan, a self‑made woman of colour, is expected to justify every penny, every hat, every child’s outfit. It’s the culture wars in miniature: the establishment defending inherited privilege while attacking earned success. Meghan’s independence exposes the fragility of their hierarchy, so they dress up their resentment as moral outrage.
Meghan doesn’t owe the British press, the monarchy, or the taxpayer a single jar of jam. She built her business, she supports charities on her own terms, and she lives outside the gilded cage. The commentators can keep demanding donations, but what they really want is submission. And Meghan, thankfully, isn’t selling that.