They say when life offers you lemons, make lemonade, but Meghan Markle has had a different food item in mind in recent weeks.
Since launching her lifestyle company American Riviera Orchard last month, the Duchess of Sussex has been laser-focused on luxury jam in an effort to, ahem, maintain her image. However, there has been some criticism of her overly publicized release, which included sending a jar of strawberry jam to 50 of her most prominent pals.
A source claimed that Meghan, 42, is still "obsessed" with the sweet stuff.
“It’s all she wants to talk about. What’s really bothering her is that some people are skewering her over it when they haven’t even tasted it. It just proves to her that people will find any reason to attack her and that really gets to her – she can’t accept it,” an unnamed insider told Heat UK.
Meghan made significant efforts to raise interest for American Riviera Orchard's debut product, as per Vanity Fair. Mindy Kaling, Chrissy Teigen, and Kris Jenner are among the well-known women who have received her products thus far, with each jar allocated a handwritten number out of 50 to emphasize its individuality. With hundreds of jars missing, the slo-mo release appears to be a clever ploy to keep everyone talking about it.
The strategy looks to be working; it's not often that a jam causes such a stir. However, it was reported that Prince Harry, 39, is fed up with his wife's concentration on fruit-based preserves, especially given the violent reaction it appears to have aroused.
“It infuriates Harry that people seem to be out to get Meghan, no matter what she does. Especially because he knows first-hand how much heart and soul she’s put into this project. So much thought went into every decision, so it’s no wonder that she’s taking the criticism hard. But it’s like it’s the only thing on her mind and Harry is getting frustrated,” the informant said.
It was claimed it's especially galling because Prince Harry and Meghan have been determined to turn things around this year, after being labeled "whiney" and "grifters" last year. Meghan's new enterprise has the potential to launch a big lifestyle empire on the scale of Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop. But, with so much pressure on Meghan to make the business, including the jam, a success, it's hardly surprising that she's missing sleep.