An American influencer and political commentator has raised eyebrows by criticizing Meghan Markle’s luxury candle line, As Ever, after discovering that a $64 candle he purchased was missing a wick.

Some fans have speculated that the candle might have been tampered with before Link Lauren, a TikTok personality known as ‘MAGA Malfoy,’ shared his review.

Link, 26, recently discussed the new holiday-themed offerings from As Ever on his podcast, “Spot On with Link Lauren.”

During the segment, Link was visibly perplexed upon unboxing the ‘Signature Candle No. 084,’ which is marketed to evoke the scent of Meghan and Prince Harry’s California home. With disbelief, he announced, “There’s no wick!”

Amidst bouts of laughter, Link remarked that the wick was not merely displaced but entirely absent, asking his cameraman to “zoom in” for a closer look at the candle mishap.

While plugging his show, Link also uploaded a video that showed him taking the candle out of its white box and captioned it: ‘I got Markled!

He quipped, “I unboxed Meghan Markle’s new $65 candle on my show today. There’s no wick! Kind of a metaphor for her career. Nothing’s lighting.”

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Meghan and Link for comment.

An American influencer and political commentator has called Meghan Markle out after the $64 candle he ordered from her brand As Ever was ‘missing a wick’

However, fans have suggested the candle was ‘tampered with’ before Link Lauren, the TikToker dubbed ‘MAGA Malfoy’, filmed his review

Writing under Link’s X video, social media users criticised the Duchess of Sussex for selling the ‘unusable candle’ while joking the wick was ‘sold separately’. 

One person quipped: ‘Well, in these challenging economic times, the candle will last forever.’ 

Another urged Link to ‘demand a refund’ while a third added: ‘Talk about taking one for the team! I was dyyyying! The $64 wickless candle is the entire brand in a nutshell.’  

When one X user said Link was unlikely to ‘get a refund’, he replied: ‘I’m gonna reach out and see. I have the video of me opening it on camera brand new. 

‘They can’t argue with facts. The whole thing is weird.’ 

Another social media user said they would normally recommend buying a ‘$10 wax warmer from Walmart’ but the candle ‘doesn’t sound like it’s even worth the extra 10 bucks’. 

Some people, however, suggested the ‘wick was removed afterwards’ as one person wrote: ‘That candle looks like it was made with a wick and someone pulled it out.’ 

‘Genuine question,’ another wrote. ‘How do we know you didn’t take out the wick yourself and start taping? The box was already opened when you hit record. This can’t be real.’ 

A third added: ‘Box seems already open, and there is a hole in the middle of the candle. Now I am not usually so prone to conspiracies, but someone would think that the candle was tampered with, before this video…’

Meghan recently unveiled As Ever’s new Christmas collection, ahead of the release of her Netflix ‘holiday’ special, With Love Meghan. 

In addition to her usual collection of jams and spreads, Meghan launched two new ‘signature’ candles – No. 519 and No. 084. 

While the first is a nod to her wedding day, No. 084 is the ‘signature scent that warms Meghan’s family home’ in Montecito, California, which she shares with her husband Prince Harry and their two children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four. 

Its website description reads: ‘With notes of fresh water lotus, earthy sandalwood, and California poppy, No. 084 is our elegant, effortless and warm welcome to the candle collection.’

In his review of the candle, named after her birthday on August 4, Link said it ‘probably does smell like Meghan Markle’s bathroom’ in her Montecito mansion, ‘but it’s a no for me’. 

Ultimately, he concluded, it was unforgivable for a candle as expensive as that to be sold without its wick. 

Link, 25, is a reporter and commentator who frequently discusses the British royal family on his TikTok account, where he has nearly one million followers.

Writing under Link’s X video, social media users criticised the Duchess of Sussex for selling the ‘unusable candle’ while joking the wick was ‘sold separately

The conservative influencer, who was appointed senior adviser to Robert F Kennedy Jr during his presidential campaign last year, was dubbed ‘MAGA Malfoy’ for his striking white blond hair.

Fans have compared his appearance to Harry Potter character Draco Malfoy, who plays the school bully at Hogwarts and is one of the main antagonists of the series. 

 The villain is known for his bleach blonde hair, similar to Lauren’s.

It comes after Meghan shared a tribute to veterans in a heartfelt social media post after she was criticised for not wearing a poppy during Remembrance weekend – while at Kris Jenner’s lavish 70th birthday party. 

The Duchess of Sussex on Tuesday posted to Instagram, sharing a famous clip of Prince Harry in military uniform sprinting to his helicopter mid-interview during his 2013 tour in Afghanistan.

Alongside the footage, Meghan wrote: ‘As my husband says, “Once served. Always serving”. Thank you to all who served, sacrificed, and continue to serve. Honouring you on Veterans Day. And every day.’

The post also included a touching photograph of Harry’s recent visit to Sunnybrook Hospital’s Veterans Centre in Toronto, where he met former servicemen and women.

However, her message came after reports that she chose not to wear a poppy to Jenner’s Bond-themed party at Jeff Bezos’s £165million mansion.

Some people, however, suggested the ‘wick was removed afterwards’

Sources told the Daily Mail that Meghan claimed this was because poppies are ‘not widely available in America’, unlike in Commonwealth countries. 

While the Duke of Sussex pinned a poppy to his tuxedo, Meghan opted not to wear one with her glamorous all-black outfit.

The mother-of-two, 44, has previously been pictured wearing a poppy during Remembrance alongside her veteran husband Harry, who served two Army tours in Afghanistan.

Last year, the Sussexes both wore poppies fastened to their lapels as they published a joint video about online violence against children.

While in 2023 the Duchess wore a poppy brooch as she and Harry visited United States Navy SEALs in San Diego.

People across the globe can purchase a poppy from the Royal British Legion’s website, but would have to pay £28 for postage to get it sent to Montecito.

After the first two seasons of her cookery show ‘With Love, Meghan’ were widely panned, Meghan is now gearing up for a special Christmas edition of the series. 

Releasing on December 3, the episode follows the Duchess as she ’embraces traditions’ while ‘making new ones’, according to its poster. 

On it, Meghan can be seen wearing an emerald green dress while lighting candles and decorating her table for dinner with giant baubles, ribbons, and spruce leaves.  

In a statement about the episode, Netflix promised a ‘magical holiday celebration’ with Meghan ‘as she shares how she likes to make this time with family and friends especially memorable and meaningful’. 

‘Together, friends and family deck the halls, create holiday feasts, craft heartfelt gifts, and share lots of laughs – and give you simple how-tos to follow at home.’