Over the years, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has been at the center of numerous reports about people allegedly intimidated by her. The stories have involved housekeepers, nannies, secretaries, members of her staff and even people who worked with her occasionally during her acting career. But this latest controversy is something else entirely.
According to reports emerging in recent days, it is now Markle's fans, rather than the duchess herself, who are causing distress, and their targets are British clergymen. Yes, more than one priest has become caught up in the controversy.
Last weekend, Meghan unveiled a luxury Advent calendar, a Christmas countdown calendar, featuring gourmet chocolates and priced at 112 pounds ($148). The trouble began when an Anglican priest politely suggested a far cheaper alternative. After facing a barrage of insults from some of Meghan's supporters, widely known as the "Sussex Squad," he became embroiled in an online dispute that eventually led to clergy members restricting access to their social media accounts.
So what exactly did the priest say to provoke such an angry reaction? The Rev. Daniel French suggested that shoppers could instead purchase a Christian Advent calendar for just 5.99 pounds, nearly 20 times cheaper than Meghan's offering. The alternative contains Fairtrade chocolate, raises money for The Leprosy Mission and includes a booklet explaining the meaning of Christmas.
Sharing a photograph of Meghan alongside her new product from the As Ever lifestyle brand, French wrote: "For £5.99 you can pre-order a Christian Advent Calendar with Fairtrade chocolate from the Meaningful Chocolate Company. A donation is made to The Leprosy Mission."
The seemingly harmless recommendation sparked a fierce backlash from members of the Sussex Squad. Some branded the priest "Satan spawn" and "evil," while another accused him of having an "ugly heart for a so-called Christian."
Meghan Markle and the much-discussed Advent calendar
(Photo: Instagram)
The controversy escalated when Father Chris Phillips, whose parish is in southwest London, publicly supported French on X.
Phillips' intervention triggered another wave of angry responses. According to people close to him, he became the target of harassment by online trolls. After 24 hours of abuse, including threats and allegations about his character, Phillips locked his X account and blocked several Meghan supporters.
That only fueled further criticism, with some users calling him a "coward" for restricting access to his account. One commenter questioned why a priest would join in criticizing a woman simply for selling an Advent calendar, sarcastically suggesting that he must be a wonderful example of Christianity to his parishioners. Another described French and Phillips as disgraceful representatives of Christianity. A third accused the priests of using an unpleasant tactic to raise support at Christmas, warning that God was watching them.
One social media user challenged French directly, arguing that he was clearly not the intended audience for Meghan's product. The commenter said they would stick with the chocolate they already knew, apparently referring to the Compartés brand used in Meghan's calendar, and added that the duchess's products had never disappointed them. French offered a brief response: "Enjoy."
The Advent calendar is Meghan's first major product launch since she, Prince Harry and their two children returned to Britain.
According to Meghan, the calendar was inspired by her home and garden in Montecito, California. Its packaging features a festive illustration of the couple's former primary residence, an estate valued at approximately 11 million pounds, where they lived for six years.
(Photo: Instagram)
A press release said that every detail had been carefully considered, including the countdown numbers written in Meghan's own handwriting using edible gold dust. The limited-edition product contains 24 handcrafted chocolates, created in collaboration with luxury chocolatier Compartés.
Flavors include strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and orange marmalade, along with a special chocolate decorated with Meghan's signature flower sprinkles.
The calendar also includes a dark chocolate ganache truffle from Compartés. According to the promotional material, Meghan's handwritten numbers are designed to make opening each day's compartment a small, personal moment.
For those interested in purchasing the luxury Christmas countdown, the calendar is available for preorder in the United States through the As Ever website, with deliveries scheduled to begin in early November.