Meghan Markle has responded to critiques labeling her lifestyle content as “beige and boring” by showcasing a bold fashion choice—a burgundy gown.

The Duchess of Sussex, 44, was recently spotted preparing a turkey with her brand’s $32 sage-infused honey and adorning ribbons, promoting her brand’s new holiday collection as Thanksgiving and Christmas approach.

For the occasion, Meghan wore the Marion burgundy slip dress by Heidi Merrick, a local Santa Barbara designer, just a short distance from Meghan and Prince Harry’s $14 million Montecito estate.

This eye-catching dress, known for its “timeless silhouette,” features black ribbon shoulder ties and thigh-high slits, adding a touch of elegance to its design.

Originally priced at $506, the dress is now available for $304 and comes in additional colors, black and ivory.

Captioning her post: ‘Our table is set with a seat just for you’, the ever-so-slightly brighter tones of Meghan’s new gown appear to be a response to royal fans’ claims over the weekend that her Christmas promo has been ‘beige’ and ‘depressing’. 

Coinciding with this appearance, Meghan released her brand’s latest newsletter, sharing that she, Harry, 41, and their children Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, gather sage from their garden to enhance their homemade holiday meal.

A description of Meghan’s sage honey on her website reads: ‘Reminiscent of warm days spent tending to the abundant varieties of sage growing in her own garden, this honey holds a special place in Meghan’s heart.’ 

Meghan Markle opted for a very festive look in her latest promotional video for As ever – as she gushed over strolling through fields of sage with her family

Sage is among Markle’s ‘favourite’ flavours, according to the newsletter, and she’s been documenting herself ‘flowering sage’ in her backyard on Instagram over the last year. 

‘Those photos you’ve seen this year on our Instagram of Meghan walking through what seems like lavender, with its gorgeous purple hue, actually share the beauty of flowering sage (Fun fact: the varietal is called Santa Barbara),’ the newsletter said. 

She recalled ‘strolls’ through the garden with Harry, Archie, Lilibet and their two pet dogs and how sage served as the backdrop of their family’s ‘sun-drenched moments’ together. 

‘Those strolls, with Archie and Lili running in tow, her husband checking on the bees, Pula chasing the ball with Mia trying to keep up — those were the sun-drenched moments that made an everyday walk something a bit more magical,’ said the newsletter.

The sweet anecdote from Markle’s family life also served to promote As Ever’s new Sage Honey with Honeycomb, which retails for $32.00 for a 9 oz. jar on the official website. 

Her latest newsletter comes just days after she was accused of releasing a ‘beige’ and ‘depressing’ holiday promotional video for her lifestyle brand, despite previously claiming that she had to ‘tone down’ her bright style to fit in with the Royal Family.

She took to Instagram on Saturday to share a brief clip of herself assembling gifts as she continues to tout her As Ever Christmas range, which includes a $64 candle, champagne and a mulled spice kit.

In the short video, Prince Harry’s wife was seen popping a present into a grey stocking which hung from her mantlepiece, before clasping her hands together and smiling.

She looked stylish in the Marion burgundy slip dress from Heidi Merrick – a brand local to Santa Barbara

The price of the dress has been slashed to £232 from £386, and is also available in black and ivory

The video was a promotional clip for Meghan’s As ever holiday collection

The Duchess Of Sussex, 44, revealed that she, Harry, 41, and their kids – son Archie, six, and daughter Lilibet, four – harvest sage from their garden to season their homemade feast 

‘Oh, we see you!’ the caption read. ‘Not even Thanksgiving yet and you’ve already got this in the bag.’

Some fans, however, were disappointed by the glossy promotion, claiming it lacked festivity and featured only ‘bland, boring browns’, rather than the typically bright holiday period fanfare.

Writing on X, one questioned: ‘Where are the Christmas colours? Where is the festiveness? Where’s the “Merry and bright”?

‘There is not one thing that says “holiday cheer” in this clip. It’s depressing, unseasoned manila envelope drabness.’

Commenting beneath the post, several agreed with one remarking, ‘She loves those bland earthy colours of beige, browns… Nothing ever looks festive, warm, or inviting.’

‘Nothing says Christmas like olive green and beige!’ a third sarcastically remarked.

Others pointed out that the Duchess had previously complained that she had to mute her wardrobe’s colour palette to avoid clashing with more senior members of the Royal Family.

The claims were made in the third episode of her Netflix series, Meghan & Harry, released in 2022.

‘Most of the time I was in the UK, I rarely wore colour,’ she said. ‘To my understanding, you can’t ever wear the same colour as Her Majesty if there’s a group event, but then you also shouldn’t be wearing the same colour as one of the other more senior members of the family.’

The sweet anecdote from Markle’s family life also served to promote As Ever’s new Sage Honey with Honeycomb, which retails for $32.00 for a 9 oz. jar on the official website

To respect this rumoured royal protocol, Meghan said she started dressing almost exclusively in shades of camel, beige and white.

She continued: ‘I wore a lot of muted tones but it was also so I could just blend in. I’m not trying to stand out here.

‘There was no version of me [that was] joining this family and trying not to do everything I could to fit in. I don’t want to embarrass the family.’

Social media users pointed out that the former Suits actress, dressed in a brown silk gown, now appeared to be mimicking said style, consisting of ‘muted tones’.

Alongside promoting her latest festive line, Meghan is currently filming the upcoming movie, Close Personal Friends for Amazon MGM Studios – the Duchess’s return to acting for the first time since 2017.