‘Can’t understand’: Meghan Markle puzzled by public backlash to American Riviera Orchard after Kate’s standing ovation

Meghan Markle is reportedly baffled by public backlash to her new brand and is privately frustrated “people don’t admire her” like Princess Catherine.

Meghan Markle is privately frustrated by constant criticism of her public appearances and business ventures and doesn’t understand why she is not admired, an insider has claimed.

The Duchess of Sussex became a global celebrity after marrying Prince Harry in 2018 but the former working royals have struggled with navigating their public images since leaving official duties in 2020.

While Meghan, 42, was initially the subject of praise in her native United States, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have seen their approval ratings slip in both the US and the United Kingdom.

According to royal insider Tom Quinn, Meghan “cannot understand” the public backlash to her ventures, including tell-all interviews with Oprah Winfrey, a Netflix series and her American Riviera Orchard product line.

Meghan is reportedly puzzled by backlash to her ventures. Picture by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Project Healthy Minds.

“(Meghan) cannot understand why people don’t admire her work,” he told the Mirror newspaper.

“She still seems to be finding the backlash hard as she reportedly feels constantly criticised and as if she is ‘unfairly’ picked on.”

The Duchess of Sussex unveiled her latest business venture in March via Instagram and has soft launched a line of strawberry jams, which she sent out to 50 celebrity friends and influencers.

According to trademark filings, Meghan has earmarked plans to sell a range of products include homewares, cooking utensils, make up and even pet food under her new brand.

Kate received a standing ovation after making her appearance at the men’s final. Picture by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images.

Despite her grand plans, Markle is already concerned about the lacklustre response to her line on social media and criticism over her latest attempt to cash in on her royal title.

“Meghan was in tears when the brand launched and her new jam was widely mocked for being expensive and nothing special,” Mr Quinn claimed.

“She loves media attention and hates the fact that surveys suggest she and Harry are no longer of much interest to the American public.”

The Duchess of Sussex has a 31 per cent approval rating in the United Kingdom. Picture: Getty.

The update comes days after Meghan’s estranged sister-in-law Princess Catherine received a standing ovation from the entire arena at Wimbledon while making her entrance for the men’s singles final on Sunday.

Kate, who is currently on hiatus from public duties while receiving cancer treatment, is the most popular member of the British royal family in the UK with an approval rating of 71 per cent as of June 2024.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex has an approval rating of about 31 per cent and Harry’s approval is currently just 23 per cent with the British public.