Meghan Markle urged to 'stop being so reactive' as she prepares for As Ever expansion

Sources close to the duchess have claimed that “2026 is going to be a big year for her”, leading to warnings from others.

Renae Smith, a PR expert, has warned the royal: “We can’t deny she has the ingredients for a long-lasting brand within her existing fanbase. But it’s got to stop feeling so reactive.

“To turn the tide in 2026, she needs to lead with clarity, show consistency in her messaging, and decide whether this next chapter is about commerce, culture, or personal reinvention, because trying to do all three at once simply isn’t working.”

Ms Smith also gave her insight into the reported cookbook, stating: “Will a cookbook pay the bills? No. But it could be part of a broader narrative, one that leans into homemaking, food, comfort, and simplicity.

“If she dropped the controversy, stepped into a softer, 'Martha Stewart meets Eat Pray Love' zone, and streamlined the brand properly, she might actually find long-term traction.

“Food, homey products, recipes, the heart of the home: it’s all there waiting to be owned. Just stop doing everything else. But this is Meghan. Stay tuned… because I highly doubt it’s going to go that way,” she told the Express.

The new look for the As Ever brand will see staple items, such as the crepe and biscuit kits, removed from the website in favour of more homeware goods.

A source claimed: “Meghan is looking at a cookbook for early 2026, and there will be more lifestyle products coming in the spring.

“2026 is looking like another big year for her. There will be more wine and definitely more homeware too.

“But she will ease off selling her biscuit and crepe kits.”

The source also told the Daily Mail: “They (Netflix) are monitoring the Christmas show to see if it picks up, before they do any proper pop-ups or experiences.”

Meghan’s As Ever brand suffered a mishap in recent days as stock numbers were exposed to customers in a recent website glitch.

Screenshots captured by eagle-eyed fans showed the error in action, with one shopper discovering that the site indicated 137,435 signature fruit spread gift boxes remained in stock.

The problem was rectified, though the duration of the malfunction remains unknown.

The website error prompted swift reactions from observers online. One commenter quipped: "Good thing those products don't have an expiration date."

Another social media user questioned whether previous rapid sellouts of As Ever merchandise might have led to excessive stock ordering, writing: "I wonder if the early sell outs of products made her over confident?"

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