Awards season in Hollywood is gearing up, but Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has already received an award of sorts – though perhaps not one she’ll be displaying proudly. A boutique in Los Angeles has bestowed upon her the title of “villain of the year,” and its owners have gone so far as to label her a “Montecito diva.”
Meghan finds herself among a collection of “holiday hypocrites” featured in a rather pointed Christmas window display at the high-end department store, Kitson.
The trendy store, situated on Robertson Boulevard between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, has identified Meghan as one of its “villains” for 2025, alongside figures like California Governor Gavin Newsom, George Clooney, and Katy Perry.
Kitson’s “Holiday Hypocrisy Window Display” has gained notoriety in Los Angeles since its inception in 2020. This year, Meghan’s inclusion features a mocked-up magazine cover where she and other public figures are depicted in a comical light, sporting Santa hats. In Meghan’s case, her hat bears the inscription “Montecito diva.”
The headlines on Meghan’s mock cover paint a less-than-flattering picture. One proclaims her and Harry as the “most unpopular kids in school” due to their alleged unpopularity among Americans. Another highlights the fact that Meghan’s As Ever jam is manufactured in a factory located 2,000 miles from her California home. Yet another alleges that she violated a “no dogs rule” at a Montecito farmer’s market by bringing a pet.
The display also references a recent Harper’s Bazaar feature, subtly mocking the manner in which she was announced, seemingly with royal fanfare, to a room containing only one person. Further criticism is directed at her choice to wear $82,000 worth of jewellery during her Netflix holiday special.
The window display doesn’t hold back, featuring a headline that accuses Meghan of hypocrisy for her alleged inability to “let go of her royal status.”
Sharing the spotlight in the shop’s windows is Meghan’s neighbour, Katy Perry. Perry’s cover primarily focuses on her relationship with Justin Trudeau, featuring a headline that criticizes her decision to date “the man who made a whole country hate him,” alluding to the end of his premiership in Canada earlier this year.
This isn’t the first instance of the store taking aim at the Royal Family. Following “Megxit,” Kitson encouraged shoppers to choose sides in the family feud.
Back in 2005, the store famously capitalized on the split between Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt by offering “Team Aniston” and “Team Jolie” shirts. In 2020, they revived the concept, offering “Team Harry & Meghan” and “Team William & Kate” t-shirts, allowing buyers to express their allegiance to their preferred royal couple.
Kitson owner Fraser Ross explained that the idea originated from customer requests for merchandise related to the young royals. He noted that customers would passionately debate their preferences, leading to the decision to bring back the “Team” shirts.
He added that the store’s large customer base provides a good indication of current popularity trends.
The shirts retailed for $38 each.
The original “Team Aniston” and “Team Jolie” shirts were a response to the highly publicized split between Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, fueled by Pitt’s relationship with Angelina Jolie, his co-star in “Mr & Mrs. Smith.” Celebrities like Paris and Nicky Hilton, Britney Spears, and Lindsay Lohan publicly declared their allegiances, further amplifying the media frenzy.
On the first day the Kate & William and Meghan & Harry shirts were available, one customer purchased eight of each, stating her intention to allow her party guests to decide which couple they preferred.
As of March, Team Kate & William held a firm lead in sales.
Ross stated that they were outselling Meghan & Harry by a ratio of two to one, mirroring the sales disparity between the Team Aniston and Team Jolie shirts. He added that the shirts were introduced shortly before “Megxit” was announced, resulting in relatively equal sales initially. However, the Cambridges surged ahead of the Sussexes in the aftermath of “Megxit.”
The window display and the sale of the T-shirts raise several questions:
- Monetizing the Monarchy: How is Meghan Markle’s luxurious shop battling criticism of monetizing the monarchy, featuring jaw-dropping prices and elite brand tie-ins?
- Reigniting Tensions?: Could Harry and Meghan’s fashionable display in Los Angeles reignite tensions with the Royal Family?
- “Victim Olympics”?: Has Justine Bateman labeled Meghan and Harry as “Victim Olympics” champions amid critique of their flashy lifestyle veiled in Netflix deals?
- Unflattering Monikers: Why have Prince Harry and Meghan Markle racked up a controversial collection of unflattering monikers?
- Mocking the Lifestyle Brand?: Were Prince William and Kate’s friends ridiculing Meghan over her rebranded lifestyle company As Ever?
