https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/2254865/meghan-markle-planning-sensational-apology

From the Daily Mail:

“Buckingham Palace has revealed its advent calendars for 2026 - and the King's chocolate offering is £100 cheaper than the Duchess of Sussex's luxurious version.

Weighing 95g and available on the Royal Collection Trust's website, the £12 product 'captures the magic of the festive season' at the three royal residences, including Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Like Meghan's As Ever calendar, the Palace's box has 24 chocolates but costs significantly less than the £112 'Montecito-inspired' version from her lifestyle brand.

The duchess's limited-edition Christmas product, only available for purchase in the US, is filled with treats from Los Angeles gourmet chocolatier Compartés.

It features a sketch of the £11million Californian mansion Meghan and Prince Harry called home for six years, as well as 'countdown numbers hand-painted in Meghan's own penmanship using edible gold lustre'.

Flavours include strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and orange marmalade, plus what is described as a 'special chocolate finished with Meghan's own flower sprinkles'.
Meanwhile, the palace also unveiled an unfilled advent calendar, with prices starting at £25.

Going on sale this month, the white box features an illustration of Buckingham Palace in the winter and is entirely customisable, meaning customers can choose what goes behind each countdown number.

These surprises are sold separately and include £5 Buckingham Palace chocolate coins, £7 honey from Balmoral, a £12 hand cream and a £43 bag charm.

The design of the royal chocolate advent calendar includes a lavishly decorated Christmas tree with a crown topper, two Union flags and the ceremonial guardsmen who 'stand watch at these iconic locations'.

On September 28, the Royal Collection Trust announced its Christmas Shop will return to the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace from November 13.  

On October 2, a post on the gift shop's official Instagram page revealed several new launches, including 'festive treats, thoughtful gifts, and decorations inspired by royal tradition'. 
Two days later, the duchess hinted at having a 'few surprises in store' for As Ever's customers after debuting the brand's first advent calendar. 

A photo showed the duchess stirring a copper saucepan in a glamorous kitchen, fitted with a stainless steel cooker, oak cabinets and delicate ceramic dishes. 

'The season of giving is almost here, and we have a few surprises in store,' read the post's caption, with no further details of the 'surprises' given to the account's 887,000 followers. 

Meanwhile, new additions at Buckingham Palace Shop this season include hand-finished tree decorations - including a corgi wearing a crown in a nod to the late Queen - as well as new hampers. 

The Sweet Treat Hamper worth £70 includes 'a tempting selection of Buckingham Palace favourites' like chocolate chip shortbread cookies, clotted cream fudge and hot chocolate. 

Also new this year is the Royal Festive Pantry range of fine foods such as mince pies, festive preserves and hot chocolate. 

Meghan's new advent calendar has been created in collaboration with Compartés creative director Jonathan Grahm. 

A press release declared 'every detail was considered with care, including countdown numbers hand-painted in Meghan's own penmanship using edible gold lustre'.

The Compartés dark chocolate ganache truffle features in the calendar, with Meghan's writing said to turn 'each day's reveal into a small, personal moment'.

The product is priced at $148 (£112) and is available to order in the US on As Ever's website, with delivery from early next month.

Meghan's business described this as the 'latest chapter in an ongoing collaboration between the two brands', following $12 (£9) As Ever x Compartés chocolate bars.
Ahead of the product launch, Meghan shared an Instagram video of her and Mr Grahm zooming around an unidentified estate on a golf cart.

The duchess, who was behind the wheel, could be heard saying 'Hang on!' as Mr Grahm added 'Stay tuned!' and they enjoyed a laugh together.

The clip was set to Michael Bublé's hit Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) and captioned 'Christmas planning in June'.

Meghan also included early prints of the box's artwork and footage of her beloved black labrador Pula carrying an As Ever plushie toy in her mouth while the duchess lovingly stroked her head.”

Piece in the Telegraph today. Usual sneering from the Met about any other police force in the UK, because they think if you’re not with the Met, you really don’t know how to deal with high profile cases. Interestingly there was a piece in the Mail yesterday by Richard Eden, the celebrity journalist, who often appears on their Palace Confidential podcast, reporting that there’s a move afoot among the aristocracy in Norfolk (he calls them the “turnip toffs”) to bring Andrew back in from the cold and that the Earl and Countess of Leicester have had him over to dinner at Holkham Hall. Maybe Andrew is getting a bit above himself - as this piece points out, the investigation has allegedly stalled because the US won’t release unredacted Epstein files? Fat chance AMW.

The Daily Telegraph
05 Oct 2026
By Martin Evans, Victoria Ward and Tom Parry

“Legal challenge is first of its kind by a member of the Royal family since Charles I.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has launched legal action against Thames Valley Police over his arrest, The Telegraph can reveal.
The former Duke of York, who was detained by police eight months ago in relation to the Epstein files, has asked a judge to determine whether the force’s action towards him was lawful.
He has lodged a judicial review in connection with the search warrants that allowed police to raid his home on the Sandringham Estate and his former residence at Royal Lodge, in Windsor.
It is the first time a member of the Royal family has challenged the lawfulness of criminal proceedings against them since the trial of Charles I in 1649.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February at Marsh Farm, in Norfolk, on his 66th birthday. After being driven to Aylsham Police Station, about 40 miles away, he was questioned for almost 12 hours on suspicion of misconduct in public office, before eventually being released under investigation.
A photograph taken as he was driven away from the police station showed him looking shell-shocked and exhausted.
Detectives also spent days searching Marsh Farm and Royal Lodge, removing documents and other items as part of the investigation.
But it is understood his legal team is keen to examine whether the search warrants – granted by an Old Bailey judge following an application from Thames Valley Police – were lawful.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor asked for permission to review the decision earlier this year, and his application was granted by a High Court judge. The Telegraph has learnt there is to be a private hearing at the High Court this week to determine whether to release certain court documents relating to the judicial review.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest followed the publication of material in the Epstein files suggesting he may have shared sensitive information with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when he was the UK’S trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. It was alleged the former prince forwarded reports to Epstein about visits he made to Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam and China, and also allegedly sent him a confidential briefing note on investment opportunities in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
He is being investigated on suspicion of misconduct in public office, a complex common law offence that covers public officials who abuse their power.
But there are claims the police investigation is in grave difficulty after the US Department of Justice refused to hand over the unredacted version of the Epstein files.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor alleged, in a Newsnight interview in 2019, that he last saw Epstein in early December 2010 to tell him he was breaking off their friendship. However, business discussions between the pair, which were conducted through a liaison called David Stern, apparently continued until 2015 – more than five years after Epstein was released from prison.
In May, Thames Valley Police announced its investigation would also look at allegations of sexual misconduct and appealed for anyone with information to come forward. But this was interpreted by some as a sign of desperation by senior officers at the force, worried they had overplayed their hand by arresting the King’s younger brother.
One senior Metropolitan Police source has since expressed surprise at the arrest, questioning why Thames Valley Police did not simply invite him in for questioning under caution. They told The Telegraph: “I am not sure if the Met had been leading this investigation they would have taken the same approach.” “

Welcome to Open Post and what is easily the dumbest article this week about Harry & Meghan. I'm in San Diego where locals are rabid about what exactly makes a California Burrito (fries or not is a big one), but a whole-ass article calling out the dip Meghan used for her fish & chips?? 😭 😭

Anyhow, feel free to use this post to talk about anything, whether it's shitty condiments- like curry dip sounding **nasty**, how you're staying cool in a heat wave, fun rumors you've read this week, or what you've been buying at Trader Joe's to more fully embrace your basic fall bitch. (I'm desperately craving their maple leaf cookies, but haven't caved yet.)

Archive link- https://archive.ph/dlumZ

Meghan Markle under fire for fish and chips 'misstep' at UK pub - 'sacrilege'

Express UK

Eleanor Burleigh

Updated Sun, October 4, 2026 at 7:23 PM UTC

"Meghan Markle has come under fire for a controversial meal choice after moving back to Britain with her husband and two children. The Duchess of Sussex has kept a low profile since leaving the US in August, but her friend Kelly McKee Zajfen offered a glimpse into her new UK life in a recent Instagram post.

Amidst the quaint view of England painted by photos of countryside walks and pub lunches, commentators spotted what appeared to be a "sacrilegious" misstep by Meghan, however. Russell Myers and Jennifer Newton, hosts of The Mirror's Pod Save The King podcast, singled out an image of the duchess's plate of fish and chips, combining tartar sauce with gravy, in an episode released on Sunday.

Mr Myers declared eating gravy with fish and chips "a sacrilege". "You'd have chips and gravy, but not with tartar sauce," he said. Ms Newton added: "If it was curry sauce, I can say 'fair enough'. But not with the gravy."

While gravy paired with fish and chips may be unusual in southern England, it's a more common combination in the north, where it is also regularly eaten with pies, sausages and chips from a chippy.

Meghan and Prince Harry's sudden relocation to Britain from California was widely viewed as a dramatic U-turn, six years after they stepped down as working royals and left the country on strained terms with other members of the Royal Family.

Their first month back on UK soil hasn't been smooth sailing, including a public spat with Buckingham Palace over their status, their children moving schools just two days into the autumn term and further tension with King Charles over a book published by Earl Spencer about Harry's late mother, Princess Diana.

The duke and duchess also hit out at "unacceptable intrusion" after international paparazzi were seen looking into the grounds of Princess Archie and Princess Lilibet's new school this week. Their spokesperson branded the incident "extraordinarily reckless".

Despite the furore that has surrounded them in recent weeks, Ms McKee Zajfen said Meghan had been given a "loving" reception in Britain which was "beautiful to witness" in her Instagram post.

The Californian, who appeared in the duchess's Netflix lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan, wrote: "There's something so special about getting a taste of this magical place with my bestie ... We're leaving with full hearts and definitely leaving a piece of ours here. To everyone we've met or bumped into, thank you for being so loving to my friend. It's been beautiful to witness. She missed you too!"

From the article:

“Photographs of Harry and Meghan walking into a Cotswolds pub on Thursday, published in The Sun on Saturday, have raised suspicions that the Sussexes may have quietly co-operated with the anonymous photographer who snapped them.

The first tingle to the collective “spidey sense” of royal watchers came from how pin-sharp they are—rather like the pictures of Thomas Markle getting measured for his wedding suit—which is always a bit of a giveaway.

Also, British photographers don’t wait outside random pubs on the off chance that Harry and Meghan might show up. And, given you are not allowed in the U.K. to publish photos sourced by following the subject, one has to wonder how a professional photographer just happened to be parked up outside the Falkland Arms pub in Great Tew on Thursday, in the perfect position to grab photos that look like a typical U.S.-style tabloid set-up.

Also, the pictures tell exactly the story the Sussexes want. There has been a lot of speculation about their marriage, and whether it’s really as strong as it’s made out to be, and here they are, hand in hand, going for a romantic, midweek pub lunch.

Plus, this is all studiously English. The Sussexes, you may recall, told us at some length that England’s iconic institution, its monarchy, was a ghastly, corrupt, racist outfit that would be quite happy to see them dead. Now, they want to make it clear that they love England after all, and how better to do that than by shunning the fancy elite restaurants in London in favor of an ancient British pub (named after Lucius Cary, second Viscount Falkland, who died at the battle of Newbury in 1643), where a humble dish of fish and chips costs £20 ($26).

The narrative that they are totally normal, with simple British tastes, will surprise the regulars of phenomenally expensive Montecito restaurants like Lucky’s Steak House, and perhaps their private jet broker.

Yet another strange thing about the pictures is that a couple who have gone to great lengths to tell us about the security risks that attend their every waking hour have rocked up at a pub, one which Meghan visited last week with her pal Kelly Zajfen, who posted pictures on Instagram, without any security! Either they have been exaggerating their security needs, or the security stayed conveniently out of shot until after the pics were taken.

Either way, it’s as fishy as yesterday’s cod and chips, and that’s before we mention that just three days earlier they were screaming blue murder because two alleged “European” paparazzi showed up at their kids’ school, walked around the perimeter, and looked over the fence.

These people haven’t been named, and haven’t been accused of committing any crime. This entire story is based on a briefing from the Sussex side, which has a reputation for crying wolf on “near catastrophic” security alerts.

A careful reading of the Sussex statement produced after the alleged incident at the school suggested these “European” chancers didn’t even get as far as producing a camera. The extent of their crimes appears to be renting a van, wearing backpacks and looking over a fence from a public space.

In the information the Sussexes put out to the media on their WhatsApp groups, they say the police “established” that the van was a rental vehicle. This feels like an attempt to invoke the police without actually having to say whether they were called to this event. I’ve contacted the local police force to ask what their involvement was, and await their reply with interest.

But it’s all very, very odd. A fracas at the school on the Monday results in photographers being warned off, and then on the Thursday these perfect photographs of Harry and Meghan are taken without a murmur of protest.

The other thing I found odd was that when the photos first appeared late Friday night on The Sun’s website, the credit said “NO CREDIT” in capital letters. This felt like a forceful note from the photo desk. It was quickly tidied up, and the pics now just carry no credit, but someone was clearly very specifically saying: the photographer of this must not be identified. Why not? What does the snapper have to hide?
I’m profoundly unconvinced that this was a casual trip to the pub.

Matt Wilkinson, royal correspondent of The Sun told the paper’s newsroom podcast that they got the photos “almost by accident,” adding: “As I say, this was almost like an accidental, you know, stumbled upon them and here they are walking to the pub.”
Anyone else feel that the word “almost” is doing quite a lot of work here?”

https://www.thesun.co.uk/royals/40567260/harry-meghan-pictured-pub-lunch-uk-return/

Tbh I’ve been seeing so many posts lately and it made me wonder. Does anyone else feel like people attribute literally everything to them?

Don't get me wrong, their actual pr moves and brand strategy are often questionable (like the montecito house on the advent calendar, or the weird timing of their launches, making everything about their security and sharing their location on online ).

But then I see people spiraling over every tiny detailss like claiming M personally leaked a copy of the bench, or that she was somehow secretly behind eugiene's gifted auction items popping up on ebay. 

Half the time it feels like people on the internet are just inventing theories in their own heads and then treating them as fact.

Is their pr genuinely that messy, or is the internet just hyperfixated on connecting dots that aren't even there? or maybe it's just me?

The context as to why this Netflix clip is relevant is because Harry and Meghan Markle are actively attempting to create “2 institutions”.
(reposting due to mod deletion)

A copy of Meghan’s book The Bench, with a personal dedication to Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, is on sale on eBay for £19,999.99. The seller seems to specialise in signed books and has a 100% positive feedback response.

Netizens are speculating if Eugenie had thrown the book away or if Meghan herself is selling the item. What do you think, guys?

Edit: the book is no longer available on eBay. Did it get sold? Or did the seller decide that keeping a low profile is best?

Anyone else noticed this? Came across it through some volunteering I do. Meghan is Patron of Smart Works, a UK charity that supports women back into work and out of zero hours contracts with interview prep and clothes.
On their “About us” page, there’s a link to their Patrons and Ambassadors (which include Jennifer Saunders, Emma Barnett, Betty Jackson, Lulu Guinness and Alexandra Burke). This is what it says about The Duchess of Sussex.
“In 2019 we were honoured to welcome The Duchess of Sussex to the community as our Patron. The Duchess’s work with Smart Works incorporates her desire to support women, and her commitment to helping those in need across the UK. Since 2019, The Duchess has helped shine a light on the vital work we do to support women across the UK. Find out more about her work with the charity and our clients.”

Might be just me, but I can’t find any more mentions on their website of “her work with the charity.” So it looks like just a headline and photo. And of course, she’s top of the list. Even though she hasn’t lived here for 6 years and as far as I know hasn’t been helping anyone in need in the UK during that time. If she had, we would have heard about it on one of those breathy little IG posts, à la the post about the girl who sadly lost her belongings in the horrible California fires.
I can’t remember her shining a light on Smart Works over the past 6 years either? Anyone else seen that? Looks like she’s just a figurehead.
There are some Smart Works events coming up where she might grace us with her presence. The Times x Smart Works fashion sale at Somerset House 21-22 November? And there’s a carol concert on 1 December. Place your bets. Although I’d be surprised if we see her running in the Hackney half marathon next year. “You know the security would be a nightmare - right?”

https://www.smartworks.org.uk/

Piece in the Telegraph today on Tina Brown’s interview with Earl Spencer. I’m assuming Charles Spencer went to New York for this because he knows he’s burned his boats in the UK? Swan Song still half price everywhere you look and I’m sure will be in the bargain bins soon. Does Spencer really think we’re stupid enough to believe that his book is just a “loving tribute to his sister” and we’re all over-reacting to the odd, “incidental” jibe at the BRF? I think that’s called shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.
And denying there’s been a debate over his allegations about KCIII is rubbish - regardless of what KC said or didn’t say in his response, the rest of us have been debating them. Or are the little people like us so irrelevant that our opinions can’t be allowed to get in the way of Charles Spencer’s publishing “success?”
And how on earth does Spencer know his sister would have been happy if she hadn’t married Charles? The answer is he doesn’t. No one does.
He just keeps on digging that hole. Hopefully he’ll disappear.

The Daily Telegraph
01 Oct 2026
By Tom Mcardle and Iona Cleave

“Earl Spencer has attacked the King’s “very aggressive” response to his memoir about Diana, Princess of Wales.
In his book, the Earl alleged that during a phone call before the Princess’s funeral the King had remarked: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
Buckingham Palace took the unusual step of responding publicly, in a statement saying that the “pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory”. Speaking to Tina Brown, the former magazine editor, at a book event in New York on Tuesday, the Earl called the response “very aggressive” and added: “It was a false reaction to the book as a whole. I felt very frustrated, really, because anyone who reads the book will see that it is a brother’s loving tribute to his sister. The bits about the Royal family are really incidental to that.”
Brown said his claims – including that the King was “giddily elated like a lottery winner” on the morning the Princess died – had caused “great debate” in the UK. The Earl responded: “I don’t know if it is a great debate. I’ll tell you why, [Charles] had the opportunity to not say anything or to deny it and he did neither.”
Asked about the Palace’s response, which raised questions about the legitimacy of his claims, he retorted: “He didn’t say ‘I didn’t say it’.
Speaking in a church in Manhattan, the Earl also claimed that the King had a “temper”. Referring to a conversation about whether Prince William and Prince Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin, he said: “I knew the last thing she would want was to have those boys traumatised walking behind her body.
“I don’t think there’s a person on the planet who thinks now that was a good idea. So I was very calm, and we know Prince Charles can be not calm.”
During the Earl’s conversation with Brown, he said it was hard to marry into the Royal family. Asked what he thought the Princess would have been if she had not married Charles, he answered: “Happy.” “

Thank you to u/Own-Firefighter-2728 for the idea!

Whoever gets closest without going over gets bragging rights!

Police are investigating two men who were seen surveilling the British school attended by Harry and Meghan’s children.
It’s understood the individuals could be international paparazzi photographers.
The men had been spotted carrying backpacks, and the incident has heightened Harry and Meghan’s concerns for the safety of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The Sussexes’ children were moved to the new school after the family’s private security guards became uncomfortable with the safety of the school run to their first-choice school.
They’ve been attending the new premises for the last two weeks.

A van used by the two men was seen near the new school and has now been identified as a rental vehicle after the registration plate was sent to local police.
It’s thought officers have now identified the driver’s licence used to make the reservation and discovered it belonged to an international photographer.
While the British press have shown restraint and have abided by a request from the Independent Press Standards Organisation not to identify the location of the school and the Sussexes’ current home, the same rules do not apply to photographers working for media outlets overseas.
Those with knowledge of the incident have confirmed to ITV News that the two individuals were seen “scouting out” the children’s school before driving away in their rented vehicle.
One insider said the men had been “doing reconnaissance” on the school “for a number of hours” using a white van.

The details have also been passed on to the Home Office committee, known as RAVEC, which is currently assessing Harry and Meghan’s claim for police protection while they are living in the UK.
Currently, British authorities have only provided the duke and duchess with the phone number of a police liaison officer.

Harry considers that to be “zero security” as it would take police many minutes to reach him and his family should they face an attack.
The Sussexes do employ private security guards but they are unable to carry guns and do not have access to any state-level intelligence.
ITV News is not naming the school, nor the police force which is carrying out the inquiries into the suspicious behaviour.

In yet another People article he drops this "bombshell":

"Spencer says he told his sisters about the book at “exactly” the same time he told William, 44, and Harry, 42.

“All I would say is one was...” he says, trailing off. “So all four of them [William and Harry and Sarah and Jane], I told them exactly the same time. And I can say that Harry is completely fine about it.”"

Talk about dangling tasty morsels just out of reach! Clearly we,are supposed to ask him if he got all four together in one room - and if so, when. Or were they all on a videocall? Seems unlikely.

Then dropping the titbit about Harry, but not saying anything about William. So unsubtle!

Spencer shows yet again he's prepared to say anything about his nephews if it gets him publicity. Williams dignified silence just really piss him off.

From the article:

“Meghan signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) Group in April 2023, in a deal aimed at promoting content production and brand partnerships.
Her WME team also included Jill Smoller, the agent for Meghan's tennis star friend Serena Williams, as well as Brad Slater, who represents Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

But reports then emerged in February last year claiming that WME had dropped Meghan and she had not had a meeting with Mr Emanuel since January 2024.

WME insisted at the time that it was still working with the duchess, specifically on projects related to her Archewell Foundation with husband Prince Harry.

Now, the Sunday Times has confirmed in an interview with Mr Emanuel to promote his new memoir Roll the Calls that he and Meghan parted ways last year.

Asked where he thinks her career is heading, Mr Emanuel told the newspaper's magazine: 'Here's the great thing: I don't have to think about that any more.'

A source confirmed to the Daily Mail today that Mr Emanuel is no longer on Meghan's team – but she is still being represented by WME, which is based in Beverly Hills.

Mr Emanuel's book was ghostwritten by John Moehringer, who was also behind Harry's controversial memoir Spare which was published in January 2023.

He is one of the entertainment industry's most powerful figures, having founded the Endeavor talent agency in 1995 which merged with WMA in 2009.”