The advertisement selling Meghan Markle’s outfit from her visit to the Bondi terror attack site has been quietly removed after a wave of criticism over the decision to monetise her appearance at the scene of a massacre.
The Duchess of Sussex had been wearing a $2,000 ensemble when she met survivors and first responders at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where 15 people died in an antisemitic attack in December. Shortly after her visit, the clothes were posted on OneOff — an AI-powered fashion platform in which Meghan has invested and from which she earns a percentage of sales.
The original page, which featured Prince Harry alongside links to buy his wife’s $440 blue and white striped Matteau shirt, $139 white sailor jeans, $298 Freda Salvador trainers, $198 Brochu Walker sunglasses and $950 brown suede bag, has now been taken down.
The page that replaced it shows Meghan waving as she stepped from her Range Rover earlier the same day — the same outfit, but without Harry in the frame.
Why was the advert criticised?
Selling the duchess’s clothes from a visit to a terror attack memorial was widely condemned as a crass attempt to profit from tragedy, with royal watchers describing it as “the starkest example yet of Harry and Meghan’s efforts to commercialise their royal brand.”
Royal expert Richard Palmer said the move reflected badly on the Sussexes.
“This is perhaps the starkest example yet of Harry and Meghan’s efforts to commercialise their royal brand,” he said. “I think this will have alarm bells ringing at the palace and may ultimately prompt further discussion about whether there is a need to strip them of their royal titles, now the King has shown it can be done in effect with Andrew.
“The palace can say it’s nothing to do with the institution because Harry and Meghan aren’t publicly-funded members of it — but they are the King’s son and daughter-in-law and any suggestion of cashing in on royal status reflects badly on the monarchy.”
What is OneOff and how does Meghan earn from it?
OneOff is a fashion app powered by artificial intelligence, giving users the ability to browse and purchase looks worn by their favourite celebrities. Meghan is both an investor in the business and a verified creator on the platform, with the arrangement generating income for her each time a fan buys an item she has worn.
Retailers pay OneOff a commission of between 10 and 25 per cent on each sale, a portion of which flows through to the creator. The firm has said of its arrangement with Meghan: “She cares about fashion and was motivated to invest not only to expand her portfolio, but to help uplift the fashion designers she is a fan of.”
All outfits Meghan has worn during the Australian tour continue to be uploaded to OneOff almost immediately after each appearance — including the one she wore at Bondi on Friday morning.
What happened during the Bondi visit?
Visibly moved, Meghan took time to hear from those who had witnessed the attack at first hand.
She embraced Jessica Chapnik Kahn, who survived by shielding her five-year-old daughter after attending a Hanukkah party, and spoke with lifeguards and other first responders.
Separately, a Bondi sunbather drew widespread praise after footage captured her declining to move when Harry and Meghan arrived on the sand beside her.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
