Kimai, a female-founded jewellery company, has hit back against accusations that was gifted earrings by them when they claim she really bought them.
, 42, recently came under for allegedly accepting £1,990 diamond earrings from the Dragon’s Den hopefuls. She was said to have been sent the jewellery in 2019 - when she was still a senior working member of the Royal Family.
It was previously reported that the artificial diamond brand gifted the Felicity earrings, which are sold individually for £995 each, to the former Suits star at her offices in Kensington Palace. But in a comment to The , the company rebuffed such claims and said Meghan Markle purchased the earrings from Kimai, revealing they were not gifted or a freebie.
While it’s not against royal protocol to accept gifts, it is common practice for senior royals, including and , to send the gifts back for fear of stoking outrage over ‘freebies’. However, Meghan was spotted wearing the earrings while visiting the Smart Works charity in London back in 2019, shortly after buying them.
Earlier this month, Kimai's founders Sidney Neuhaus and Jessica Warch appeared on Two show Dragons' Den, and they revealed Meghan wore their designs after sending her office regular emails. “We've launched without investment, and then two months after our launch we got to wear our pieces, which enabled us to grow the revenue significantly, and from there we raised $1.2 million,” they told the dragons.
When asked by Steven Bartlett how they got the Duchess of Sussex to wear the earrings, Jessica laughed: “Cold emails. We're big believers in cold emails!” He later invested £250,000 in their business, and said it was their link to Meghan that sealed the deal. “The moment you told me about hounding down Meghan Markle, you had me,” he quipped.
But just because Meghan didn't get these earrings as a gift, that doesn't mean she hasn't accepted freebies before. revealed his wife accepted free gifts that were sent to her at Kensington Palace, and would distribute them among her staff.
“She shared all the freebies she received, clothes and perfumes and make-up, with all the women in the office,” he wrote in his memoir Spare. However, this stirred up trouble for Meghan, as one assistant was fired after she “traded on her position with Meg to get freebies”, Harry shared.
Clothes and jewellery worn by Meghan and Kate Middleton are always quick to sell out, and many members of the pay for their own clothes in order to avoid being accused of keeping freebies donated by fashion brands. Harry speculated that Meghan and Kate’s frosty relationship was down to the believing that she could help the new addition to the monarchy with her fashion contacts. “But Meg had her own. They'd got off on the wrong foot, perhaps,” he wrote.
Follow Mirror Celebs on , , , , , and .
You may also like
Mumbai customs seize gold worth Rs 1.2 crore, two arrested
Japan's exports fall for first time in 10 months on China, US slowdown
Trent Alexander-Arnold has Steven Gerrard example to follow as Real Madrid declare interest
Liam Payne obituary: One Direction global megastar at 16 before solo artist fame and fatherhood joy
Donald Trump Claims He Is 'The Father Of IVF' At Women's Town Hall | WATCH
'We had a broken system even before Trump': Harris defends immigration record in tense Fox Interview
What Does Being Responsible Mean For A Teenager?
How To Curate Best Fall 2024 Looks Using Your Favourite Pair Of Jeans
Harry Styles' mum shares heartbreak as One Direction's Liam Payne dies aged 31
Shai Davidai's Old Video Surfaces After Ban From Columbia For Alleged Harassment | Watch
BJP had looted Jharkhand for 20 years: CM Hemant Soren
BTS' Jin Surprises J-hope With Huge Bouquet At Military Discharge Ceremony; RM, Suga, V, Jimin, Jungkook Give It A Miss
President Droupadi Murmu highlights similarities between cultures of Mauritania & India
Elon Musk commits $70 million to boost Donald Trump
Federal Judge Voids New Election Rules Passed By Trump-Backed Board In Georgia
MAFS star raises over £12k for families impacted by tragic Newcastle explosion
Watch Liam Payne sing at Niall Horan concert days before his tragic death in Argentina
"There is enough evidence for ED": BJP leader Shaina NC on MUDA land allotment scam
Where is India's forgotten war headed?
Princess Beatrice and Eugenie's 'secret weapon' who is also adored by Prince Harry