Meghan Markle unveiled her partnership with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai on Instagram, following a highly publicised “private” tea at Claridge’s that quickly became anything but private.
The appearance came roughly six weeks after the Duchess of Sussex returned to Britain, reportedly with the aim of having her children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, attend school in the UK. Her reappearance on the public stage was impossible to miss.
Meghan said that one day’s proceeds from sales of jam and tea made by her California-based lifestyle brand, As Ever, would be donated to Malala’s charity, the Malala Fund. The contribution was announced in connection with International Day of the Girl on October 11.
On Sunday, she posted a photograph from the tea meeting, showing herself smiling beside a more serious-looking Malala, along with a joint message. “When we support the girls today, we empower the women of tomorrow. Access to education is the key to unlocking this,” it said.
Addressing her 4.9 million Instagram followers, Meghan wrote: “This International Day of the Girl, in partnership with Archewell Philanthropies, 100 per cent of net proceeds from As Ever jams and teas will support Malala Fund and its vital work to ensure every girl has access to free safe quality education. Tea for Two has never felt so good. Shop at asever.com.”
However, the scale of the response remains unknown. Meghan’s office declined this week to provide sales figures for the promotion, leaving questions over how much money was ultimately raised.
Meghan Markle meets Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai after their widely discussed “private” tea at Claridge’s
The announcement has also prompted scrutiny of what “100 per cent of proceeds” from a single day of As Ever jam and tea sales might actually represent.
Based on the limited figures available, the sum could be relatively small. A generous calculation suggests that one day’s sales may have generated approximately £1,900 for the Malala Fund—an amount that would not cover the cost of the striking white Ralph Lauren trousers Meghan wore to the Mayfair hotel.
A source familiar with Meghan’s business did not rule out that estimate, but stressed that any figure would be speculative because the company does not publish detailed sales data.
The source also argued that the value of the initiative should not be measured solely by the direct donation. Public attention could encourage additional contributions from members of the public, they said, meaning the campaign might create a wider benefit beyond As Ever’s own sales.
Even so, the episode raises a broader question about whether the scale of the publicity matches the campaign’s measurable impact.
In a promotional image for As Ever, Meghan said one day’s jam and tea revenue would be donated to Malala Yousafzai’s Malala Fund
As Ever’s strongest seller was the $42 (£31.70) Signature Fruit Spread Gift Box, containing three jars, while just two jars of orange marmalade were sold between January 4 and 5
The $64 (£48) As Ever candle No. 084 recorded no sales during the post-Christmas period monitored between January 4 and 5
The donation has also invited comparisons with Meghan’s earlier charitable projects, including the largely forgotten 40×40 initiative, visits to women’s shelters and an Instagram post about sending Billie Eilish merchandise to a girl affected by last year’s Los Angeles wildfires. Critics may question whether such highly publicised, individual gestures deliver more value to those being helped—or to Meghan’s own public image.
What the available information does suggest is that Meghan selected the strongest-performing part of her collection for the fundraiser. Jams and teas appear to be considerably more popular than the other products sold by As Ever.
The sales estimates stem from a website error in January. For a short period, shoppers could order the remaining stock of products, making it possible to calculate how many items were available. Although the glitch was widely reported, it reportedly remained active for around 24 hours, providing a snapshot of sales for candles, sprinkles, jams and wines between January 4 and 5.
That period fell immediately after Christmas, traditionally a difficult time for luxury retailers. On the day in question, As Ever sold no bottles of its $89 Napa Valley Brut, no spiced cider kits and none of the $64 No. 519 candles.
The leading product was the Signature Fruit Spread Gift Box, with 25 units sold at $42 for a three-jar set. Herbal lemon and ginger tea and herbal hibiscus tea followed, selling ten units each at $14 plus shipping. Only two jars of orange marmalade and five jars of sage honey were sold. Some product figures are unavailable, but assuming comparable sales for the raspberry jam trio and the boxed strawberry spread, the available data points to roughly $4,677 in jam and spread revenue, alongside $364 from tea in a single day.
How much would that bring in net? Commercial jam generally makes a small margin of 5-10 per cent. Artisan jam generally makes more like 30 per cent, and fancy tea 20 per cent.
If we were to be very generous and assume a really outstanding margin of 50 per cent on both, that would still amount to proceeds of $2,520 (£1,902) in a day.
Meghan’s trousers worn for tea with Malala cost $2,247 (£1,696) and her cashmere sweater $832 (£628) – a total of £2,324.
Beyond what she may have donated, sales on that January day of booze and candles look slow. She sold seven of candle No 084 in 24 hours, each for $64, nine tins of flower sprinkles at $15 and only seven bottles of the 2024 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at $35, and seven bottles of Napa valley rosé at the same price.
Wine could be a big money-spinner for As Ever, as on a direct-to-consumer basis she could be making a huge margin of up to $20 a bottle. You have to assume that in the run-up to Christmas, she will make more than that.
In recent weeks she has brought out three different hampers ranging from $211 to $259 and an advent calendar for $148. Her team has now let slip that she will start shipping to the UK at some point. She won’t be selling foodstuffs – due to complications – but tea, candles and bookmarks will apparently go on sale here.
Several sources in California reckon As Ever is a minnow in decline, and some say the UK return is due to Meghan and Prince Harry having burned through the cash from their immediately-post-Megxit deals.
That suggestion is derided by Team Sussex’s paid spokesmen.
So where on earth might Harry and Meghan make money? She is thinking about returning to acting. Her former Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel revealed she is ‘getting booked’ for ‘reality and TV stuff’. Harry can pick up paid speaking events and other work such as his ‘grief masterclass’.
Their best chance is probably if one of their investments in someone else’s bright idea pays off.
But it seems that anyone waiting to get rich from jam, tea and sprinkles may be waiting a very long time indeed.
