Meghan Markle’s latest bid to promote her homemade jam has sparked ridicule after fans spotted a mistake in one of her seemingly candid kitchen photos.
A Promotional Post Gone Wrong
The 44-year-old Duchess of Sussex, known for her passion for fruit preserves, shared new photos over the weekend on her As Ever website to promote a restock of her apricot spread and orange marmalade.
In one of the images, Meghan appeared relaxed in the kitchen of her Montecito home, carefully using canning tools to lift a jar of jam from a pot of boiling water. However, fans quickly noticed that something was off — she was holding the canning tongs upside down.
“Guys, she’s using the canning tongs upside down. The rubber part goes around the jars so they don’t slip,” one user pointed out. Another wrote, “She’s using the jar lifter wrong! I’ve been canning for years.”
Dear Meghan Markle,
Even if you want to pretend for the camera, at least learn to get the basics right before embarrassing yourself. The rubber-coated side of the jar clamp is meant to grip the neck or body of the hot jar securely. It prevents slipping and protects the glass… pic.twitter.com/AdDMALPfIC— Comments Section (@EssieComments) October 4, 2025
Criticism Over an “Amateur” Mistake
Critics argued the blunder undermined Meghan’s image as a self-proclaimed jam enthusiast, despite her previous claim that “jam is my jam” — a phrase that helped kickstart her As Ever lifestyle brand.
“Dear Meghan Markle, even if you want to pretend for the camera, at least learn to get the basics right before embarrassing yourself,” one commenter posted on X.
Another added mockingly, “Maybe jam isn’t really her jam after all. How embarrassing.”
Fans Defend the Duchess
Not everyone joined in the pile-on, though. Some supporters defended Meghan against the online criticism.
“I actually couldn’t care about how she’s holding utensils… There is soooo much going on around the world. Negativity is not needed right now. Concentrate on what really matters,” one Instagram user commented.
Another asked, “What exactly do you lot want to achieve by posting and talking about her?”
Still, the photo in question quietly disappeared from the As Ever website shortly after going viral.
Past Controversies Over Her Spreads
This isn’t the first time Meghan’s jam-making efforts have stirred debate. In June, American jam maker Donna Collins criticized the Duchess after Meghan described her As Ever products as “spreads” rather than jams — because they contain less sugar to let the fruit’s natural flavor shine through.
“It’s a real disappointment that Meghan is selling a fruit spread, which is what you make when your jam fails,” Collins told The Mail. “In the jam industry, a spread is what we call something that didn’t work. It can have the best ingredients, but if I had a jam that was too runny, I’d slap a label on it and call it a spread. There’s no excuse for this. It should be perfect.”
Production and Brand Claims
According to reports, As Ever’s spreads — priced at around USD $12 (about AUD $18) per jar — are made in small batches at a factory in Illinois, roughly 3,200 kilometers away from Meghan’s California residence.
Despite that, her website maintains that her “signature” raspberry spread was “inspired by the recipe she made in her home kitchen” and was “crafted with a fluid texture.”
“For years, I’ve been making jams, preserves, and fruit spreads for friends and family,” Meghan wrote on the brand’s About page. “The feedback from my loved ones was always the same: ‘Starting my day with your jam makes me feel happy.’”
While Meghan’s jam brand continues to attract attention, her latest kitchen faux pas proves that even royal entrepreneurs aren’t immune to a little public scrutiny.
