William & Kate’s Shady Nickname For Meghan’s Brand Proves Exactly How They Feel About Her
The issues between Prince William and Prince Harry are well-documented at this point. King Charles and Prince Harry are reportedly taking steps towards reconciliation, but no one’s suggesting the same is true of Prince William and his brother, too. In fact, the reported issues between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle only add another wrinkle to a feud that doesn’t seem like it’ll be resolved anytime soon.
Proof is in the recent report of how William and Kate’s friends refer to Markle’s brand, As Ever. A royal source told the Daily Mail that the rebrand of the company made friends of the couple give the brand a new nickname: “As If.”
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Reportedly, the meaning behind “as if” is “as if it will take off.” One reportedly said, “It’s caused quite a bit of laughter within the group. WhatsApp messages have been going back and forth. It’s all very budget and rushed. Embarrassing, really.” There’s no confirmation on whether this is a name William and Kate also use, but it’s far from the first not-so-nice nickname reported for Meghan Markle.
The royal staff allegedly referred to her as “Duchess Difficult,” due to her tendency to send an “incessant stream of ideas” as early as 5 a.m. There were also reports that her style of management was something “veteran royal aides just aren’t used to.” In many ways, this sounds like a culture clash as the UK and the US have very different ideas of what work-life balance means, with people in the US more used to working long days and often starting the day much earlier.
All of this comes after Kate Middleton’s longtime right-hand woman, Natasha Archer, departed her position and quickly unfollowed Meghan Markle on social media, as well as her close friends, something that was taken as a sign that the relationship between Middleton and Markle is as frosty as the relationship between their spouses seems to be at the moment. Archer also unfollowed the As Ever brand page, which has been at the center of so many recent reports of controversy with the royal family.
There have also been recent reports that William was always skeptical about Markle, ever since Prince Harry originally introduced her to the family. Royal biographer and commentator Phil Dampier told the Sun that Markle was more interested in fame and fortune. “She saw as a stepping stone getting married to Harry to new fame and fortune. And I think that’s what initially Prince William was concerned about.” Dampier also said this contributed to the issues between the brothers, “That’s why they fell out. And now we are where we are.”
King Charles and Prince Harry are taking steps towards fixing their relationship. But there’s no telling whether Prince William and Prince Harry, and by extension Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, can ever find common ground again. And reports like this one make it clear that, even if they should ever want to, there’s still a long road ahead— not just for them, but for everyone else in their lives.
