Now they’re mad about Duchess Meghan’s rosé coming out on Diana’s birthday

Next week, the Duchess of Sussex will launch her first-ever As Ever wine, a special Napa Valley rosé. I’m really excited for Meghan, even if I’m not going to buy her wine! I don’t drink anymore, but back in the day, I enjoyed a cheap, light white wine or rose. I’d be willing to bet that Meghan’s wine sells out in record time, and I’d also be willing to bet that if she really goes for a serious wine line, she’ll mint money. That’s what they’re afraid of too – that everything Meghan does is a huge success, and entering the alcohol business is going to take As Ever to the next level. So that’s why they’re choosing to focus on the launch date for Meghan’s As Ever wine: July 1st. Princess Diana’s birthday. Incidentally, that’s also the date of the first time Meghan and Harry spoke (on the phone). Harry wrote about that in Spare – that he felt like Meghan came into his life on Diana’s birthday for a reason. But please, allow the Daily Mail to throw a hissy fit:

Earlier this week, Meghan Markle made the grand announcement she would soon be launching her lifestyle brand’s first ever wine. The Duchess of Sussex, who revealed her love of a tipple on her recent Netflix show, has unveiled her first foray into the market with a Napa Valley rosé wine.

It is sourced from the famous region of California, up the west coast from her Montecito mansion, and has been described as having ‘soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality and a lasting finish’. But the piece of information about the wine that piqued the interest of most royal watchers was not the ‘bespoke blend’ of flavours, it was the date they would be hitting shelves.

Described by the brand as ‘launching just in time for summer entertaining’, it will be available to buy on July 1.

However there is just one major problem, as was quickly pointed out by hundreds of people on social media, because that is the day Princess Diana would have turned 64. Royal commentator Victoria Arbiter replied to the post on social media with exasperation by simply writing: ‘July 1st, Diana’s birthday…’.

A slew of royal fans also complained at the timing, with one claiming Meghan was ‘literally dining out on Diana’s memory’, and another said the choice was ‘tacky’. And although the price tag of the wine is yet to be confirmed, another royal watcher claimed: ‘She is using Diana to flog cheap wine.’

‘Nothing if not predictable by now,’ said another, as one chimed in ‘she is incredibly tone-deaf’.

The Sussexes have long shown little respect for the tightly regulated royal calendar and would regularly make news while other members of the family were on engagements – a big royal no-no. Meghan didn’t mention the late royal in her post announcing the wine, but the Duchess has previously spoken about her late mother-in-law, describing her as ‘someone I wish I’d had the chance to know’.

[From The Daily Mail]

I think these “critics” would have a better case if Meghan had referenced Diana in any way, shape or form in the As Ever announcement? While I’m sure Meghan is aware of the significance of July 1st in general, it’s also just… her production timeline for As Ever, and it’s not like every single person associated with the royal family has to sit quietly and never do anything on that date. “The Sussexes have long shown little respect for the tightly regulated royal calendar and would regularly make news while other members of the family were on engagements – a big royal no-no.” So now Diana’s birthday is part of the tightly-regulated royal calendar? For goodness sake. Meanwhile, Diana’s other daughter-in-law just went to Diana’s old dressmaker and had one of Diana’s suits poorly copied so she could wear it to Trooping the Colour. But I guess that’s “respectful” or an “homage.” I bet Diana would be a lot less creeped out by Meghan releasing a wine line on her birthday than Kate’s endlessly disturbing Diana cosplay.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images, As Ever’s IG and Netflix.

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96 Responses to “Now they’re mad about Duchess Meghan’s rosé coming out on Diana’s birthday”

  1. Another heaping load of horse shit!! They wanted Diana gone and they got their wish but now Meg is being disrespectful of Diana’s birthday by putting her wine out on that day? GTFO!!

    • Beth says:

      So, a meaningful personal date for the Sussexes, her own mother-in-law’s birthday to celebrate and – if shipping’s fast – good timing for 4th July celebrations. What’s not to like?

    • Eurydice says:

      But the thing is that Diana’s birthday isn’t on the royal calendar. This whole article is made up.

      • Beth says:

        And the Sussexes, of course, are as royal as the rest of them, but don’t have to coordinate calendars. I mean, how could they when it’s proudly stated by ‘palace insiders’ that there’s no contact? 😂

    • KoRAR says:

      Nothing like William showing his mother respect by calling her paranoid🤮

      • Laura says:

        When and where did William call his mother paranoid?

      • Chelsea says:

        @Laura a few years ago when it was revealed that Bashir was unethical in how he approached Diana for her interview William gave both a written and FILMED statement where bizarrely accused Bashir of destroying his parents marriage and making her ‘paranoid’ that people were out to get her. Harry later made comments clarifying that his mother was not just paranoid because there is a mountain of evidence that she was being watched by multiple governments and her phones were tapped by multiple media companies which Harry got a couple to admit and apologize for in court.

    • Blogger says:

      They find every excuse to denigrate both the woman they killed and the woman they want to kill. 🙄

      The rats were shook when people turned on them when Diana died. Meghan’s continued success shows she’s got “it”. The more they bring her down, the more the public will bring her up.

      Meghan is the underdog like Diana. They are so predictable in their reactions.

    • Where'sMyTiara says:

      Rota. Listen to your hypocritical selves.

      They don’t have to respect the royal calendar if they’re not working royals! No balcony, not beholden to the establishment that threw them out, stole their money & home, and pulled their security.

      Rota needs to stop showing their pasty white bums to the world over this.

      You wanted them gone Rota & BRF, and they left. They don’t owe anyone in the UK anything anymore; time to quit crying about it and go find the closet your white Duchess is currently hiding in.

  2. Lissen says:

    July 1st is Canada Day! HRH Meghan is celebrating with Canadians and marking the occasion with the launch of her wine!

    There! Howza for another take, you RATS?

    • Hypocrisy says:

      That’s Perfect 🇨🇦 I will endorse that reason😅. (I used to love to watch the joint fireworks 🎇 on the Detroit River to celebrate)

      • Cole says:

        Rose isn’t supposed to taste like stone fruit, that is a white wine, white grape thing. Rose is made from red grapes that doesn’t have a lot of contact with the grape skins. 🍇 it should taste like cherrys, berry’s that you find in red wine.

      • jais says:

        LOL. So are the wine experts going to come out and diss Meghan’s rose before it’s even tasted. I’m no expert so I have no idea. But I’ll trust Meghan’s taste on this since I’m not a big wine drinker at all. Corona is my go-to in the summer.

      • Ciotog says:

        Cherries are stone fruits.

      • Jenepooh says:

        Oooh, I was in Detroit for a conference a few years back during Canada Day. Those fireworks on the Detroit River were spectacular! Watched them from the Detroit Marriott from a top floor, with the fireworks being eye level for us. Such a great experience.

      • ecsmom says:

        @Cole you need to google Rose wine with stone fruit notes and AI comes up with no less than 7 Rose wines with just all sorts of stone fruit flavor profiles.

      • Me at home says:

        @Cole, it sounds like Meghan’s rose comes from further north (“up the coast”) so yes, stone fruit could be an expected taste.

      • kirk says:

        Joint fireworks on the Detroit River for Canada Day sounds like a great reason to visit Detroit 🎆🎇

    • Laura-Lee MacDonald says:

      Indeed! Now, for a regime change in DC so that normal trade can resume and California wines once again flood the shelves of Canadian liquor stores!!!!!

    • Blogger says:

      Cheers! Given Meghan’s strong links to Canada! 😂

    • Rhonda Bianchi says:

      Agreed

  3. ThatGirlThere says:

    All this faux outrage by the tabloids over “using Diana’s name” when they are the ones who drove her to her death.

    I hope the July 1 launch of Meghan’s As Ever rosé is one for the record books.

    • Tessa says:

      Diana was trashed by Ingrid and Tina etc and they are the same ones who trash Meghan

    • Nerd says:

      The silliest part of this is that Meghan never even mentioned her name. It was the people whining about her rosé who have now linked the two together. Any normal person even if they knew the date being Diana’s heavenly birthday would just say how cute and keep it moving. They create this outrage in their heads all on the own. It’s mental.

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        Seriously. The launch could be any day that ends in why and the ridiculous British Media would have found reasons why it was “wrong”. How is/are the British Media urinalist’s not embarrassed by themselves. Paycheck.

  4. LADY DIGBY says:

    “The Sussexes have long shown little respect for the tightly regulated royal calendar ” Given that Kate just blew out Royal Ascot with an hour’s notice a week ago, the above sentence is laughable isn’t it?

  5. Christine says:

    What must it be like to be a part of a “family” who has the hubris to claim every date on the calendar. It couldn’t possibly be that Meghan wanted to release the wine on a day complete significant to her and Harry.

  6. Louise177 says:

    Why would Harry and Meghan have to follow the Royal calendar? Especially when it’s always claimed they aren’t Royals anyway.

  7. Hypocrisy says:

    It’s a perfect day to release her wine.. and a perfect day to remind everyone that the BRF and their tabloids were the reason for Princess Diana’s death and they are the ones with blood on their souls.. Meghan is just releasing a Rose’ so they can all save the outrage.

  8. Miranda says:

    Yeah, no, when your king chooses to hold his coronation on the birthday of his barely-acknowledged grandson, you don’t get to say shit about these things.

  9. Dee(2) says:

    The same paper treated Diana like crap until the literal day she died, and now they are her defenders? So according to these people you can’t do anything on birthdays, anniversaries, days they died, days they have engagements, or children’s birthdays for days before or after anyone in the family, because you may ” overshadow”? Get out of here. No one reacts like that in any family, sometimes things overlap.

    It’s a lot of nerve too, to be angry about them not “respecting “the Royal calendar. The bosses at their former job took their home away, took away their security, stood by and continue to stand by as a media campaign is waged against them ,and is now actively and openly talking about stealing their children’s birthright, and they’re upset that they don’t give them second thought when they’re planning out their lives that they are funding themselves on another continent?

  10. Eurydice says:

    Yeah, I don’t think they should be bringing up “love of a tipple” with that gin-soaked equine in Buckingham Palace. And I don’t see Diana’s birthday anywhere on the royal calendar. Maybe they’re worried Meghan will upstage the Duke of Gloucester’s visit to the Topographical Society (how dare he when it’s Diana’s birthday!!).

  11. Jais says:

    I mean Charles and Camilla don’t exactly observe Diana’s birthday so how is it a part of the Royal calendar? Anyways hope I get some rose. Did she mention a time yet? Maybe 11est again.

    And also, Vicotria Arbiter really shouldn’t have exasperation over anything Megan does. It’s not Meghan’s fault she gave an interview about Oprah before it even aired.

    • Nanea says:

      But it is Meghan’s fault though. /-s

      Her part was more than half of that interview — and VA absolutely needed to show the world what ahe thinks of Meghan — as if anyone cared.

      So it’s totally, irrefutably Meghan’s fault that VA had to do something about it before it got out, because anyone knew what they’d be saying, even if they didn’t — and you can’t tell me otherwise.
      😁🫣😉

      • jais says:

        She will never not be bitter over that situation. Without taking any responsibility for her part in it.

  12. Honey says:

    Not trying to be a naysayer here, but won’t wine be expensive to ship? Anyone ship wine??? What’s your experience? I’ve never done it because I can get wine a dozen places within 5 minutes from where I live. I would love to try her rose, but it’s gotta be fragile and heavy.

    • Eurydice says:

      I can’t imagine it’s more expensive/difficult to ship wine than any other liquid in a bottle. Some online wine stores offer free delivery. I think any difficulty in shipping wines depends on state and federal laws. It’s only been since 2015 that you could mail order out-of-state wine in Massachusetts.

      • jais says:

        Yeah, I’m honestly not even sure about Georgia. Alcohol being delivered only started in 2020. Out-of-state wineries can ship to GA but not out of state retailers?

      • kirk says:

        Just checked one online wine seller – https://buywinesonline.com/pages/shipping-policy. They don’t ship to AL, MI, MS, UT, HI, AK.

        Ten years ago when my daughter lived in Santa Barbara I joined one of the many localish winery clubs, which I maintained for several years even though located in another wine producing, left coast state 😂. Had to be at home to sign for package, or drive to UPS if I wasn’t home. Shipping costs are different for winery club members vs buying from multi-source online store.

    • Dee(2) says:

      I don’t think it’s that expensive to ship. Definitely not $5, but I belonged to a wine club for about 10 years after a trip to Napa and I think the shipping price was about $19 for four bottles? It comes in a box and it’s packaged surrounded by cushioning, leaving and opening in the shape of the bottles.

      You have to sign for it because obviously they want to make sure you’re 21 and show your ID, but it came pretty quickly within a day or two of shipping. And lots of things that are shipped or fragile so they treated the same as they would electronics, artwork, jewelry, etc.

    • Barb Mill says:

      I bought a case of wine in a winery in CA several years ago and had it shipped to WI. At the time I was told if I shipped it I would not pay sales tax and that was about the same as the shipping cost. I don’t remember exactly what it was. We also shipped it to my H business address so that may have impacted it also because it wasn’t a residence address.

  13. Miranda says:

    Oh damn, despite it being right there in the title, I somehow didn’t catch that the wine is going to be a rosé! In that case, maybe Meghan actually should reconsider. Surely the proper release date for a ROSÉ would be WILLIAM’S birthday, no? 😈🤣

  14. Cassie says:

    Scraping the bottom of the barrel again aren’t they ?

    Meghan and Harry must get a good laugh out of some of the rubbish they come up with .

  15. sunnyside up says:

    Whether it overshadows the anniversary of Diana’s birth is entirely up to the media. This story actually tells me that it is the anniversary, I didn’t know that.

    • SarahCS says:

      You just know that any time the Sussexes announce a date for something in advance they are immediately checking calendars and archives.

      I can’t believe they would do this on (frantic searching) THE ANNIVERSARY OF PHILLIP SPILLING TEA ON A CORGI!

  16. Walking the Walk says:

    They are not working royals, they don’t need to check with them on their events/roll out dates anymore. Good lord.

  17. Becks1 says:

    So no one in the royal family ever does anything on July 1? Especially William and Kate? Give me a break.

    They just seize on any little thing they can to try to bring Meghan down and it has long stopped working. I would even say that the more they focus on these stupid things the more it helps Meghan, because more and more people who are casual royal watchers (or complete nonwatchers) are realizing how unhinged the british press is about her.

  18. Amy Bee says:

    If the British press didn’t want clashes on the tightly regulated royal calendar they should have told the Palace to accept Harry and Meghan’s half in proposal instead of rejecting it. Plus they didn’t seem to have a problem with the entire Royal Family working on Lili’s birthday 2 weeks ago.

  19. tamsin says:

    I love the idea that the wine will make its debut on the anniversary of Harry and Meghan meeting. I suspect that Harry and Meghan are sentimental about that, and he points out the connection of the date to his mother’s birthday, so doubly meaningful and a way to include Diana. If she were here, I bet she’d be tickled to have her daughter-in-law debut a wine on her birthday. It’s a great way to celebrate her. Fun fact that Diana was born on Canada’s birthday too.

    British media always acting like they own certain dates is so stupid and irrelevant.

    • Lover says:

      I think it’s a fitting tribute and birthday gift to Diana that they made the tabloids scream, cry and throw up over the release date. Cheers and bottoms up!

  20. HeatherC says:

    How are they supposed to know about the sacred royal calendar when a lot of their engagements are embargoed so no one can show up to protest ahead of time?

    Also, I think we all consider Diana someone we’d have liked to get to know.

    As for releasing the wine on Diana’s birthday….it’s the perfect date to release what sounds like a lovely summer wine (for those that drink wine).

    The royalists and anti-Meghan trolls cannot accept the Sussexes are not even sparing a passing thought while they wrap themselves up in their obsession.

    As has been said, “B!tch, you’re a fan.”

  21. SueBarbri33 says:

    Yes, the RF and their online minions have been cobbling together their anger over this ever since Meghan announced the July 1st date. I’ve watched it happen in real time. They are so strange.

  22. Maxine Branch says:

    Pretty sure Harry and Meghan discussed this date and if they chose it, I am good with it. Nothing but gutter rats continuing noise around all things Sussexes.

  23. B says:

    The rota know Meghan’s Rose is going to sell out. This pisses them off. Meghan was rich before she met Harry and is getting richer while they’re going broke. This ENRAGES them.

  24. Is that so? says:

    She should have just named the wine “As Ever Diana, Harry’s mum, with love.” And earn the noise.

  25. Jay says:

    Whatevs. If she released it the day before or even the week before, she’d be “overshadowing” Diana’s birthday. Can’t win with these people.

  26. Nerd says:

    Diana was divorced from that big eared mf who wanted to be a tampon to that ugly horse he made queen, despite the express wishes of his mother who wanted her title to be queen consort. That dysfunctional family were the main contributors to her ED, suicidal attempts and her mental health struggles that she suffered with for years prior to the divorce and her untimely death. They don’t get to claim ownership of her as a royal when they worked to torment her even more after the divorce and all the way to the day of her early demise. They essentially threw her away like she was trash and tried to make her feel as if she was less than them, so they don’t get to own who she was, especially over her youngest son and his little family who have made a point of always loving and honoring her, even in death. It sounds to me, that these people are just angry that Diana’s biracial DIL has a better connection to her than they could ever possibly imagine. Besides we all remember how the racist grandfather tried to steal the birthday of his only biracial grandson’s birthday and how everyone of them have had events on Harry, Meghan, Archie or Lilibet’s birthdays or the Sussexes wedding anniversary. Harry is Diana’s son. Meghan is her DIL. Archie and Lilibet are her youngest grandchildren. And the anniversary to when Harry and Meghan became a couple that would eventually create Harry’s happy family all started on Diana’s birthday. So all of these people can go F off.

    • Blogger says:

      What impresses me is people remember Archie’s birthday, not the King’s coronation date.

      Diana has not been forgotten especially when it comes to the Rottweiler’s wedding anniversary to Charles.

      The public sees through the shenanigans.

  27. paintybox says:

    As gaslighters, they are truly unparalleled, aren’t they? Their own historical mistreatment of Diana is sitting there emanating a smell like 20 game fields of horsesh*t. But oh, they can smell something off wafting in the air from CA.

  28. Maja says:

    If Harry and Meghan want to celebrate something from Diana’s life, they have every right to do so and don’t have to ask anyone’s permission. It’s Harry’s mum, Lily and Archie’s grandmother and Meghan’s mother-in-law. Diana is not a slave owned by London billionaires. The colonial era in which women were the property of their masters is over. This London family turns everything they can into money. Harry and Meghan are respectful, empathetic and caring in everything they do. Billionaires with inheritance rights and no taxes have never been like this.

  29. windyriver says:

    Just received my order of the As Ever crepes – pdq since it was just ordered on Friday. No word on the apricot spread, but it occurs to me to wonder if the weather is a factor. The midwest US and now the east coast have had brutal temps, 95-100 F. Possibly they’ve delayed shipping the spread as a result…

    • paintybox says:

      @ windyriver – I wondered the same thing about the preserves – I ordered them too and haven’t gotten the shipping notice although I already got tea & flower sprinkles a couple of days ago. Hoping the heat wave isn’t happening when the preserves are in transit – that wouldn’t be great.

  30. Royal Downfall Watcher says:

    Imagine marrying your stalker who then chooses to dress like your mother….

    But the press never comment on that do they? Instead its all Meghan Meghan Meghan Meghan….cause the left behind princess literally does nothing.

    Meghan is the Mirror Universe of the rest of them. She shows them what they COULD BE but REFUSE TO DO. Shame on them.

    And I am gonna set an alarm to get some of that rose!

  31. maisie says:

    so so soooo exhausted by this royal tote board. SMDH

    I’m sure there’s something on at least 362 days out of the year that they can cite something to pillory Meghan for existing.

  32. Nerd says:

    I’m not certain because I don’t live in the UK but didn’t Charles just announce his Netflix documentary on William’s birthday? I mean Meghan’s recent launch and notice about her rosé were done on June 20th PT time and Charles’s announcement was intentionally minutes within Meghan’s launch, which would mean that per UK time he announced his Netflix documentary on William’s birthday, if I’m not mistaken?

  33. QuiteContrary says:

    I’m sure the rosé will be packaged beautifully … the As Ever items I just received were! Unwrapping them almost felt like an event.

    I hope Harry and Meghan raise a glass of this rosé to Diana in their beautiful home, in the full knowledge that Diana would be thrilled to see them flourishing in the freedom she sought, but never was allowed.

  34. Blubb says:

    If there is one thing not on the Royal calendar it’s Diana’s birthday in life and in death.
    Her husband to be didn’t take much notice of her 20th just before the wedding, the 22nd was in Canada 1983, on her 29th she fetched him with his broken arm from hospital, willing to take care, but he only wanted Camilla.
    And her 30th was another marital fight, when he wanted a party with his friends and she said no. There was no big party in the end.
    And today they don’t even remember her on her son’s birthday.

  35. sardonic wow says:

    Or, and stick with me here, July 1 is the start of Q3. It’s like none of these people are familiar with simple *business* practices. What kind of crazy makes you ignore the most basic common sense? If it’s wasn’t that sad, I’d probably expire from second-hand cringe.

  36. Beverley says:

    The Firm acknowledges Diana’s birthday? Who are they trying to fool?
    I’d sooner believe that Diana’s death day is on the royals’ calendar.

  37. Libra says:

    Highgrove English sparkling rose (from the king himself) is star ring in wine week in England. No mention of Diana.

  38. L4Frimaire says:

    If AsEver has a release date for anything, they can’t delay it because there is too much demand. The brand is its own entity. Is she supposed to not have anything happen based on a royal calendar? Guess we can’t eat our jam those days or shop on the web. It’s not like the royals even care about Diana. These people and their ridiculous statements should be ignored.

  39. Sean says:

    What better date for H&M to launch a blush rosé than the birthday of the most famous blush the world has ever seen?
    Regarding the “Meghan likes a tipple “ disparagement coming from the camp of generational alcoholics, it is too absurd to do anything but flag it as the utter stupidity it represents.
    How many Arbiters are there on the royal beat, anyway? I recall an elderly gentleman who might have passed for a Victoria in the school dorms of his youth.

  40. tamsin says:

    Just curious- wonder how many bottles Meghan will have available? Of course, not in the US so won’t be able to join the crowd ordering. I think Meghan’s As ever drops are becoming like an olympic sport!

    • paintybox says:

      I’m so curious too. I googled for average small label wine drops and the answers are varied. I’d venture a guess of maybe 5k bottles? I also predict her wine is going to sell out in under 2 minutes, literally.

  41. Me at home says:

    Does anybody know what time on Tuesday it drops? I can’t find word on her website. I’ll be travelling so I’ll need to get the timing right! TIA

  42. MikeB says:

    July 1st is Canada Day and we aren’t in a tizzy because Meghan is releasing her wine.

  43. Nikki says:

    July 1st is also Canada Day, Canada’s birthday. Canada is the country that took them in and provided them with security in their time of need (it’s who we are). I think July 1st is very fitting.

  44. Paulie31 says:

    How dare she schedule this release for my niece’s 11th birthday?!? The audacity. The disrespect.

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