Home > ROYAL REBELS > MEGHAN MARKLE

King Charles Makes ‘Bold Move’ to Upstage Meghan Markle Just Days Before Her Big Day

King Charles's private residence, Highgrove House, is known for producing luxury wine and special champagne from fresh organic grapes. Meanwhile, Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, As Ever, is gearing up to launch its new rosé wine collection on July 1. Though the Duchess of Sussex has often been accused of upstaging the royal family during key events, it seems the tables have turned on her. In a well-timed move, Highgrove Gardens announced a 15% discount on their Sparkling English Rosé wine, subtly stealing the spotlight from Markle’s big launch.

Highgrove Gardens introduced the offer as part of English Wine Week, allowing customers to enjoy the discount with the purchase of six or more bottles. According to GB News, the timing of their promotion is notable, coming just days ahead of Markle’s anticipated wine launch. Highgrove’s campaign has already seen success, with Charles’s wine showing ‘out of stock’ following the announcement. The outlet also reports that all surplus proceeds from the Highgrove brand are donated to charity, supporting the work of The King’s Foundation, while profits from Markle’s ventures benefit the Duchess directly.

As far as Markle's rosé wine is concerned, the Duchess announced on her brand's Instagram page last week that she would be entering the wine market with a Napa Valley rosé under her As Ever brand. The product will reportedly be sourced from California near her Montecito home. Markle's brand describes her upcoming 2023 vintage as featuring "soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality, and a lasting finish" with a "bespoke blend" that arrives "just in time for summer entertaining." However, she has not yet revealed the price for her new California rosé.

While Charles's well-timed move seems to be successful, this isn't the only time the King and the Duchess have gone head to head with their respective businesses. On April 2nd, Markle's raspberry jam, first introduced under American Riviera Orchard before being rebranded as As Ever, appeared to resemble one of Charles’s preserves. In the wake of her launch, sales of Highgrove’s Organic Strawberry Preserve saw a noticeable boost, as royal supporters turned to the King’s offering instead. As per Elle magazine, Markle's jam also sold out in less than an hour on the launch day.

The King first began selling products from his Duchy of Cornwall estate in the 1990s. Meanwhile, Markle's rebranded lifestyle brand, As Ever, officially launched on April 2, 2025. Interestingly, Markle's new wine launch date also coincides with her late mother-in-law's 64th birthday. As per People magazine, July 1 is deeply symbolic, marking not only what would have been Princess Diana’s birthday, but also the day Harry and Markle first went public as a couple at the 2016 Botswana Summit. In his memoir, Spare, Harry shared that July 1, 2016, on what would have been his mother's 55th birthday, was the exact day he connected with Markle. After spotting a selfie of Markle on Instagram, he asked a mutual friend to introduce them, marking the beginning of their relationship.