Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has once again found herself embroiled in controversy, this time over her alleged involvement in a jewellery scandal.
It all started when Markle made a public appearance alongside Prince Harry in Kingston, Jamaica, wearing a stunning black spaghetti-strapped top and a matching Carolina Herrera princess skirt.
To complete her look, she donned a pair of exquisite gold statement earrings by designer Jennifer Mayer.
However, it wasn’t long before a comment thread about Markle’s outfit brought attention to Mayer’s questionable business practices.
According to a source, Mayer had been involved in a scandal involving freebies and deals with brands.
This revelation raised eyebrows and led to further scrutiny of Markle’s association with Mayer.
It turns out that during her 72-day stint as a working royal, Markle frequently wore jewellery from Mayer’s collection.
This raised suspicions, as senior British royals are required to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with brands they collaborate with, preventing them from using their royal connections for marketing purposes.
In essence, they cannot capitalize on their association with the royals.
This means that brands can mention that a senior royal wore their product on social media, but they cannot provide a direct link for customers to purchase the item.
Instead, interested buyers must navigate through the brand’s website or catalogue to make a purchase.
This arrangement aims to maintain the appearance of organic and unplanned endorsements, rather than blatant promotional opportunities.
However, when Markle wore Mayer’s jewellery, the designer violated these rules by posting a direct link to purchase the pieces on Instagram.
Kensington Palace swiftly intervened and ordered Mayer to remove the product link.
Given Mayer’s experience in Hollywood, where NDAs are commonplace, it is likely she understood the seriousness of breaking this agreement.
Speculation arose that Mayer may have paid Markle to wear her jewellery as a form of influencer marketing.
Alternatively, she may have provided the pieces for free in exchange for positive press coverage.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that senior royals are prohibited from accepting free goods, as it creates a conflict of interest.
However, Prince Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” revealed that Markle had accepted gifts from companies during her time as a working royal, making her acceptance of free jewellery somewhat unsurprising.
The cost of Mayer’s earrings worn by Markle in Jamaica alone amounted to $3,250.
When considering all the Mayer jewellery worn by Markle, the total value exceeds $15,000.
It is worth mentioning that Markle did sign a merchandising agreement with Mayer.
However, when Buckingham Palace questioned her about the Instagram photos featuring the jewellery, Markle distanced herself from Mayer, claiming that the designer had acted independently.
This prompted the royal family to send a strongly worded cease and desist letter to Mayer, who was left mortified, given her standing in Hollywood.
Mayer ultimately provided evidence of Markle’s previously signed agreement to the palace.
The fallout from this scandal resulted in the royal family specifically prohibiting Markle from accepting freebies.
This decision was a direct consequence of Mayer’s actions, serving as a reminder to Markle that her involvement in merchandising activities would not be tolerated.
The repercussions were felt most acutely in Hollywood, where Markle’s reputation suffered irreparable damage, much to the amusement of the real A-listers.
An article in The Sun shed light on the inner workings of Markle’s wardrobe grift.
The founders of the jewellery company, Jessica Warch and Sydney Nehaus, appeared on Dragon’s Den (the UK equivalent of Shark Tank) in search of investment.
During their pitch, they admitted to using cold emails to persuade Markle to wear their earrings.
This revelation suggests that Markle’s penchant for influencer-like behavior remains unchanged, which is hardly surprising.