Two British priests have been showered with insults on social media after criticizing a luxury Christmas calendar sold by Meghan Markle. According to Page Six, which refers to the Daily Mail, the reactions came from some of the Duchess of Sussex's followers, known as the “Sussex Squad“.
Meghan is selling the holiday calendar through her lifestyle brand As Ever. There are 24 chocolates in the box, and the price is 112 British pounds, or approximately 148 dollars. The product was developed in collaboration with Los Angeles-based chocolate company Compartés.
The Reverend Daniel French, an Anglican priest and university chaplain in London, expressed his disagreement with the price and directed his followers to another product.
He recommended an $8 Christian advent calendar from Meaningful Chocolate Company. It includes Fairtrade chocolate, a Christmas story and an activity book, with a portion of the proceeds going to the charity The Leprosy Mission.
His post sparked a wave of angry comments. Among the descriptions directed at French were "evil", "satanic offspring" and a man with an “ugly heart for someone who calls himself a Christian“.
Second priest locks his account
Chris Phillips, a Protestant priest from South West London, stood by his colleague on the social network X. “This is where I ran into the Sussex Squad“, he wrote.
After the publication, Phillips also became the target of hostile messages. According to data cited by Page Six, he locked his account and blocked some users. One of the critics accused the two clergymen of using their platforms to attack Meghan, and another called them “pathetic imitations of Christians“.
The expensive calendar is part of a holiday collection
The incident unfolds against the backdrop of the expansion of As Ever. The new holiday collection includes a hostess basket with teas, fruit jams, colorful candy canes and scented candles.
Some of the offerings have been compared to Buckingham Palace's 2026 holiday collection. The controversy over the advent calendar comes ahead of the Sussex family's first Christmas in the UK since their return in August. Meghan and Prince Harry have re-established themselves in the country with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
However, the family has also faced concerns about the safety of their children. Archie and Lilibet were withdrawn from their new school just two days into the term.