Everything the Duchess of Sussex says, does or sells makes news, but some of her As Ever products cause more discussion and controversy than others. I’m still confused by the now-years-long discourse over JAM. I’m still confused that certain other AE products largely got a pass or weren’t seen as major controversies. Well, Meghan’s AE Advent calendars are the new jam, because ever since Meghan introduced the product (still available for preorder) last week, the British folks have been crying about little else. Keep in mind, no As Ever product is on sale in the UK. The British tabloids have been crying about a luxury Advent calendar which they will never get their hands on, because As Ever only sells in the US. Well, a British vicar decided to chime in on the Great Advent Controversy of Our Time, and the Sussex Squad got his ass. Take that, vicar!
Meghan Markle’s fans have ‘terrorised’ a group of British clergymen after they criticised her new £112 ($148) advent calendar and suggested she may have missed the true meaning of Christmas. The Duchess of Sussex unveiled the gourmet chocolate calendar in an online advert over the weekend while wearing a reported £75,000 ($100,000) worth of clothing and jewellery.
One British vicar who politely criticised the product has been forced to lock down his X account after being branded a ‘demon’ and a ‘disgrace to the cloth’ by supporters – known colloquially as the Sussex Squad – the Daily Mail can reveal.
The row began when Anglican priest and London university chaplain Reverend Daniel French suggested that people could instead buy a £6 Christian advent calendar that is almost 20 times cheaper and contains Fairtrade chocolate. The alternative he recommended also raises money for a leprosy charity and comes with a ‘little booklet on the meaning of Christmas’, he told his followers.
Sharing an image of Meghan alongside her As Ever product, Rev 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.’
But Rev French’s post sparked a backlash from members of the Sussex Squad, who branded him ‘satan spawn’ and ‘evil’, while claiming he had an ‘ugly heart for a so-called Christian’. His Protestant colleague Father Chris Phillips whose parish is in Benhilton, south-west London, backed the priest on X prompting a fresh wave of angry responses, to which he replied that he had ‘encountered the Sussex Squad on here’, adding: ‘Wow.’
His defenders have said he has been ‘terrorised’ by ‘deranged trolls’ ever since, forcing him to lock down his account. Trolls claimed he was a ‘coward’ for doing so. After 24 hours of online abuse, including threats and defamatory suggestions about his character, he was forced to lock his account and blocked a number of pro-Meghan supporters.
One wrote: ‘Why are you joining in and trolling a woman for selling an advent calendar? You must be a shining example of Christianity to your parishioners.’ Another said: ‘Both the Reverend Daniel French and Father Chris Phillips are sorry excuses for Christianity.’ A third added: ‘What an evil way of trying to garner Christmas support. God sees you.’
The vicar’s mistake, in my opinion, was posting an image of Meghan and the As Ever Advent calendar. That’s what made this snowball into such a pile-on. The vicar was literally using Meghan’s image to insult her and her product and promote a different one. Everyone would have had a much easier time if Rev. French had just said something like “speaking of Advent calendars, everyone should pick up ours,” with a link to his product. Instead, he’s the one who came off as unnecessarily trollish, and of course the squad reacted. Still, it’s sort of crazy that a whole-ass vicar had to lock his account. I wonder if the vicar ever had anything to say about Prince Andrew’s degeneracy? Or Prince William attacking Harry? Or Buckingham Palace’s Advent calendars?
Photos courtesy of As Ever’s Instagram.
That’s what happens when you use Meghan as an advertising tool. You get the eyes, but you also get the keyboards.
A clear textbook example of FAFO. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Someone on the hellscape of X said: “Baptized by the holy spirit of FAFO”
Sheer Perfection!!
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I LOVE US!!!
Ahahaha!
He was trying to be shady and he got back what he was putting out. The clergy are not above bitchy and assholish behaviors. They’re just used to their positions protecting them from backlash for it (much like the royals).
He could very easily have said “Advent calendars are in the news this week. Here’s ours coming to join the conversation!” He also could have compared his offering to the Royal Family backed offering. He also could have just shut up and kept minding his church business.
There are far too many ways this Pastor could have promoted his church Advent calendar without mentioning Meghan’s. He made the choice to be a troll and was not prepared for the response.
Exactly. By all means call out how advent calendars have become yet another symbol of commercialism and excess (the Fortnum & Mason food one is amazing but also £265 this year) but maybe be a bit more christian about it and don’t go after a woman who has been hounded by the press for a decade.
The Liberty of London beauty advent calendar is £285.00. https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/basket?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsISkn_anlwMVaDQIBR25ZgRXEAAYASAAEgKOPPD_BwE&gbraid=0AAAAACM49OAl-nDPR2fpvYeOkQil9anLJ#
The Clarins, Occitane, Dior, Anthropologie, and probably many other advent calendars are also slightly above Meghan’s price point.
But no, these guys had to go after the Black American woman whose products aren’t even available to their parishioners. Even posting her picture, to drive home their ugly point.
These guys are a disgrace to the cloth. I say that as a Christian.
I saw an Advent Calendar in a London bookshop containing tiny books for £100! What say these two Priests? Leave Meghan alone and we won’t come for you!
Let us not forget that the Anglican Church was founded by Henry8 so he could murder his wives with impunity! Christian, huh. 😑
* murder his wives with impunity AND have all the money that was going to Rome go to him instead!
And with so much evil in the world, why not attack the real problem? Maybe use his platform and voice and call out the fact that the royals are hoarding money and land from the public and still trying to make a dime selling advent calendars.
And someone posted his other comments about Meghan. The Advent calendar wasn’t the first – he made sure to disparage the Australia retreat (come to church for free!) and he mocked an unconnected job posting with “watching H&M on Netflix” (as a tortuous activity, to him). He had one comment where he’s critical “of all things woke.”
So it wasn’t a one-time poor choice; he’s deliberately choosing to disparage her over and over again. Others finally noticed. I can’t imagine how awful he is to his parishioners.
Seriously? What a freaking weirdo. That man needs to touch grass, preferably some grass next to his dang church that he purposes to care about. Those values are not valuing.
Nothing like Christians.
Nothing like right-wing Christians–MAGA or these two.
Plenty of actual Christians find this appalling.
LOL. LMAOROTF ….if I have that right. ;-D …”After 24 hours of online abuse, including threats and defamatory suggestions about his character, he was forced to lock his account”… perhaps he should take his Christian conscience and contemplate what Meghan’s experience of the UK public’s mob fuelled bellowing hysteria has consisted of, for 10 years.
Not 24 whole hours?! Poor baby.
Sheesh. Coward. He started it! Don’t start some, won’t be none.
This silly priest has managed to make a complete fool of himself, showing himself up as an ignorant buffoon.
How can he be advising his congregation to buy his £6 advent calendar INSTEAD of Meghan’s As Ever one when the latter isn’t available for sale in the UK in the first place??? And if he was aiming this at a US audience, I’m pretty sure they can’t order his Christian calendar either, as I doubt it delivers to the US.
What a way to look stupid!
I can see how intellectually-challenged people can get confused by the British media’s obsession with all things Meghan despite As Ever not being sold anywhere near the UK, but dude, check your facts next time!
Years ago I brought an American knitting pattern, about £2.50 paid over £10 for postage packing and customs. Not a sound investment for the church.
On top of all that, it wasn’t even a good sales tactic. There may be some people who buy the calendar he recommended out of spite or in response to the backlash, but it has nowhere near the reach or sales response it could have if he hadn’t been trying to be slick and throw shade.
I wish I had X sometimes. Id love to teach them a lesson. But I can’t
There’s email.
I just love the Sussex Squad, I stayed on social media the last few years just to follow them but I’m off all social media now and have to get my updates here.. that Vicar never should have used Meghan’s photo or been such a jerk imo he deserved everything he got and probably deserved worse… as you pointed out these vicars are awfully quiet when it comes to the pedo Prince, the adulterous Monarch with his mistress/wife and they certainly have not uttered a word about the heir who has a temper Lucifer would be proud of along with creditable allegations of physical violence against family members.. just because he’s a vicar doesn’t mean he’s a good person, so being a man of the cloth doesn’t give him a free pass to target a woman doing absolutely nothing wrong.
The RF and establishment failed to break Meghan. She got away. And like all abusers and bullies, they can’t forgive — or forget — her.
Ha, Buckingham Palace also has a Advent Calendar selling for around £12. So, the priest could have posted a photo of the BP Calender with the same remarks as well. That would have been fair – it’s called a level playing field. BTW, the BP Calendar definitely looks cheaper.
And, the fillings are probably pretty much run-of-the-mill chocolates. Let’s not forget, about the cocoa crisis in the 2020s. There’s really an impact regarding pricing. Consumption went down because of it. You need to know what type of chocolate is used and also production methods – and of course, if it was stretched.
Well yeah. He didn’t need to bring her up. Maybe if he had a history of calling out the excesses of the RF’s wealth, I’d be more sympathetic, but to my knowledge he does not. He just took the opportunity to take a jab while getting clout and attention for what he was selling. Which seems perfectly lovely and he could’ve done it in a far kinder way. But he didn’t so oh well.
right – if this was part of a long campaign to point out excesses of rich people in general or the royal family in particular, I might have more sympathy. But to just pick on her because he can, because he thought it would get him attention – nah. You reap what you sow.
When the head of the church gets millions from taxpayers per year to target someone who has been a uk media target for about a decade is just churlish.
He knew this.
This judgmental bs is why I’m no longer a member of any church.
The derangers are also carrying on over the as ever advent calendar
Sorry just laughing.
You expressed my feelings EXACTLY. And just because someone calls themselves a priest or a vicar, that doesn’t make them a saint. Once again for the people in the back row, leave Meghan’s name out of your mouth and there won’t be an issue. Simple.
The vicars mistake to use Meghan and As ever advents calender which is not even available in the UK to promote his advents calender for charity. Every high end highstreet department store/supermarket, John Lewis, Waitrose etc in the UK has their own luxury version of an advents calender. He could have chosen any of them or even the one from Buckingham Palace to make his point. He did not, he chose Meghan’s which is not even available in the UK. This makes me think that he targeted Meghan specifically. What did this vicar do last year to promote his advent calender?
Same thought here, Monika. Seems to me that the order came down to attack one calendar, specifically Meghan’s.
Exactly, @Monika, it’s just using “Christian charity” as sanctimonious cover for taking an underhanded snarky jab at a woman who’s making a living. Because, you know, she has a job. Try telling the remaining royals to tend to the flock.
I take issue with this headline. They did not “yell” at the two racists “of the cloth” – both of whom are known to skew “conservative”, so you know where they stand. One of them is actually campaigning to be elected to the Synod, and this is the time he chose to show his true colours while ignoring the deeds of the Supreme Governor of the Church of England the their king.
The Sussex Squad schooled him, yes, but there was no yelling. They called out the hypocrisy, the racism, and the unwarranted piling on by two church leaders – on a woman who has been on the receiving end of threats and attacks simply for existing.
And they mocked them, and laughed at them, in true Sussex Squad witty fashion. The use of “yelling” just seems unnecessarily incendiary. They called them out, that’s all. And one of them decided to delete his comment. Not sure if it’s the same one who locked/hid his account afterwards, but I knew I’d be seeing a report about what a victim he was very soon, since one of them works for a British newspaper and has a slot on a radio programme.
Agree with all of this. And what you’re saying is that one of them might now talk about this on their radio show? Lordy.
If he does say anything about it on the show, I hope a squaddie calls in so he can get a live reenactment of more of the same.
Hilarious Love it for Him
Fairtrade is not a quality grade.
It means that the cocoa farmers will receive a previously agreed upon revenue for their product. If it happens that the market price is a lot higher due to volatility of markets because of factors like war or weather, they don’t suddenly get more. The profit stays with the manufacturers and/or grocery chains.
That said, misogynoir men like those two — who don’t seem to have ever heard about the ninth commandment that forbids harming another person’s character or reputation — are the reason why more and more people are done with classist, racist institutions like organised religion.
A different Anglican priest needs to go public and school these racist fools.
If they were not ashamed of saying it publicly they should not be afraid of hearing about what they said!
The moral pulpit exhibiting finger pointing without shame doesn’t like the public responding to the hypocrisy!
Imagine that!
Have they ever spoken out and criticized the morality of the Windsor unchristian behavior from those same pulpits?
I have no sympathy for these priests. They should have stayed out of this and just spoke about their church advent calendar.
I just wanted to add that the Fail would have printed the “threats” and stronger examples of “terrorisation” had they been able to find any. There are many Christians among the Sussex Squad members and they were rightfully calling out this man’s un-Christian behaviour, and that of his equally trollish colleague.
For instance: “One wrote: ‘Why are you joining in and trolling a woman for selling an advent calendar? You must be a shining example of Christianity to your parishioners.’ Another said: ‘Both the Reverend Daniel French and Father Chris Phillips are sorry excuses for Christianity.’ A third added: ‘What an evil way of trying to garner Christmas support. God sees you.’” This is what passes for “trolling” and “yelling” nowadays?
And what’s more, the Fail deliberately left out the parts of their comments where they were definitely trolling Meghan. There will undoubtedly be many variations of Meghan in their parishes, far less famous, who can relate to at least some of what she has gone through, and who will have seen these two men for exactly what they are.
Apparently, those perfectly reasonable questions are what passes for “threats” to the Daily Fail. Try again.
These folks have really lost their minds over Meghan. And they play the victim when they get called out for their lunacy.
Remember the golden rule, padres — do unto others are you would have done unto you.
Disclosure: both priests are Church of England. I know one and have occasionally sparred with them both on social media. I was one of those calling out Fr Daniel’s choice of Meghan’s calendar as misogynynoir (especially since it isn’t available in the UK and other expensive secular calendars could have been cited to demonstrate his point). It was a deliberate choice. I called neither man a demon etc but I am quietly amused by the backlash.
Feminegra wrote a very good article about this. The reason why Reverend Daniel French got taken to task (and this was conveniently left out by the DM and The Telegraph) is because he has made several snide and critical social media posts about the Duchess of Sussex in the past, but has not said a word about Prince Andrew and his conduct. Given that Meghan has admitted to struggling with her mental health due to the hostility and bullying she experienced after her marriage, Rev French should be deeply ashamed of going anywhere near the ongoing pile on. His behaviour was not Christian and he 100% deserved the tongue lashing that he received.
Nice try vicar. As Ever is a business and it sells things to remain viable and make a profit. Is he not aware of the millions the Duke and Duchess donate to charity and good causes personally and through Archwell ? Read the room Vicar.
Wondering how these guys even heard of Meghan and As Ever. I see WanKs fingers’ stirring the pot.
Oh this is not a fluke it isintentional harrasment of Meghan by the Church of England.
Emily Andrews a virulent Mehgan hater has started a podcast with a Church of England Reverend Richard Coles.
It is abhorrent.
“Catching Up With The Royals”:
‘Each week, Richard and Emily share expert insight and informed opinion on the biggest Royal stories – from King Charles and Prince William to Prince Harry and Meghan”
Take a guess who they talk about the most. It may have been cancelled because there are no updates.
What a bizarre concept for a podcast — a royal reporter teaming up with a reverend? How random.