Meghan Markle blasted as ‘tacky’ as discomfort emerges around Duchess ‘using hers and Prince Harry’s children to promote business ventures’ – as she’s set to ‘make a killing’ on Instagram shop

Meghan Markle has been labelled as ‘tacky’ amid emerging discomfort around the Duchess seemingly using her children to promote business ventures.

Those in royal circles are said to be concerned about Meghan’s increasing use of the couple’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to promote her business.

Yesterday was no exception, with Meghan posting a glossy picture of her cuddling them on both her personal and official As Ever sites.

The 43-year-old posted a rare photograph of her children with their faces turned from the camera.

She stands in the middle of them in a garden, and tagged herself in the image.

The Duchess added a dove emoji and wrote: ‘Every day is a love story.’

Just one hour after posting the image, she revealed she now has a ‘ShopMy page’ which experts say she is likely to cash in on. 

It is expected she will rake in ‘millions’ with her online shop selling fashion items she endorses in a commercial tie-up.

One expert called it ‘tacky and desperate’. 

Speaking to The Sun, royal author and journalist Phil Dampier said: ‘Nothing happens by accident and she would have thought this through and knows putting a photo of her children out at the same time as her clothing line would get maximum publicity.

‘It begs the question whether Meghan is exploiting her two children who remain in the line of succession. I’d expect the Palace to take a dim view of this.’ 

A disclaimer on her ShopMy website reads: ‘Please note, some products may contain commissionable links.’

‘She could potentially earn millions from this and is probably earning a commission on every sale she makes,’ money and business coach Maddy Alexander-Grout told MailOnline.

She added: ‘If you take on average how many followers she has (2.6 million) and how much engagement she has, I would imagine based on her following that she will have thousands and thousands of people buying these things and she will be making a fair amount of that.

‘She is going to make a fair amount based on what the clothes are worth. If she gets say 15% off a shirt that’s £128, she will be making £19.20. She will be selling thousands of those and could be making at least £19k from one linen shirt.’

One of the reasons Meghan and Prince Harry parted ways with the Royal Family was the monarchy’s refusal to accept commercial endorsements by the couple.

The Duchess, 43, who stepped back from frontline royal duties alongside her husband in 2020, wrote over a screen-recorded video of her new online store: ‘Many of you have asked, so here you go! A little shopping to start the week.’

Her Netflix show was panned by critics, but the Duchess of Sussex is still confident that people want a slice of what she is selling.

Meghan has doubled down by launching an Instagram ‘shop’ flogging clothing and accessories that she has ‘hand-picked’, earning commission on each item sold.

The ShopMy site features 32 items ‘curated’ by the duchess with ‘affiliated’ links to the brands’ websites.

While there are a few affordable items, including a £99 Uniqlo trenchcoat, many seem way out of the average shopper’s budget. Others appear to shamelessly highlight her royal links or endorse her well-connected friends’ ventures.

It came as Graydon Carter, the former editor of Vanity Fair, said the duchess was ‘adrift on facts and reality’.

Meghan was the star of one of Mr Carter’s final editions as editor, in October 2017, with the cover line: ‘She’s just wild about Harry.’

He admitted that he had ‘no idea’ who Meghan was when one of his team suggested her for the cover, asking them: ‘Why should we do a story on her?’ His colleague replied: ‘Because she’s going to marry Prince Harry.’

But when a Vanity Fair reporter interviewed Meghan, she apparently snapped: ‘Excuse me, is this going to all be about Prince Harry? Because I thought we were going to be talking about my charities and my philanthropy.’

 Meghan told her 2.6 million followers on Instagram yesterday: ‘Many of you have asked, so here you go! A little shopping to start the week.’ 

One of the most expensive items on her ShopMy site is a £1,070 ivory ‘Windsor’ Heidi Merrick gown – the name of the royal estate in Berkshire where she and Prince Harry married and once lived.

Then there are the Ariel Gordon £215 ‘royal signet’ stud earrings and a £595 pair of tan Saint Laurent slides. 

A £271 black ‘Storie’ linen dress is sourced from California-based designer Tracy James, a new and good friend of Meghan who is helpfully married to the CEO of Paramount Pictures, Brian Robbins.

Meghan’s Instagram site was launched at the start of the year in advance of her ‘With Love, Meghan’ lifestyle programme and her soon-to-come As Ever range of merchandise. 

It now contains a ShopMy link with the message: ‘A hand-picked and curated collection of the things I love – I hope you enjoy them! Please note, some products may contain commissionable links.’

Under the terms of Harry and Meghan’s agreement with Buckingham Palace when they acrimoniously quit royal duties, there is nothing to stop her selling products as long as she doesn’t nakedly cash in on her royal links.

However, it is notable that the new scheme has been launched using her full title, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.