Meghan’s team reportedly didn’t set out to sabotage Kate. Plus, the very slimmed-down monarchy on the Buckingham Palace balcony, and lip-readers analyze the moving of royal mouths.

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Anger at Meghan Markle over Nacho Figueras’ big reveal of her newest American Riviera Orchard products just hours before the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton made her big return to public life at Trooping the Color is not justified, Meghan’s camp believe.

Meghan was criticized on social media and by friends of Prince William and Kate over the post by Harry’s polo-playing pal, promoting a new flavor of ARO jam (raspberry) and ARO dog biscuits.

Instagram / Nacho Figueras

Critics suspected that Meghan’s fingerprints are all over the affair. However, The Daily Beast now understands from a source that Meghan did not order up the post from Figueras, and in fact had no input over when or if he would post.

Of course, ceding exact control over context and timings is an inherent risk in a user-led social media campaign, especially when your cheerleaders are powerful celebrities in their own right who might not react well to having their posts micro-managed.

As one marketing expert told The Daily Beast, “While I am sure the gift packages came with notes requesting social media coverage, you can’t tell Nacho Figueras what to do, so I think it’s certain the timing of his post was his own idea. The larger point here is that the American Riviera Orchard campaign has been phenomenally successful and cost Meghan nothing. It is a text book social media campaign. The only problem is that there still seems to be nothing actually for sale, so what is it all for? I guess we will find out.”

Is the slimmed-down monarchy too skinny?

King Charles’ wish for a slimmed-down royal family has been granted him by the dramatic exits of two families from royal life; the Yorks and the Sussexes. Many, of course, including Princess Anne who said so publicly, now think the slimming down has gone too far.

From left to right: Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prince George, Prince William, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Lady Louise, and Princess Anne on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Chris J. Ratcliffe/Reuters

Even with Kate’s show stopping appearance yesterday, the lack of royal bodies on the balcony was notable. Participation seemed to have been restricted to those who qualify as working royals, their children, and some of the peripheral figures from the older generation who still carry out some royal duties on behalf of the king such as the Gloucesters and the Kents.

The full balcony line-up yesterday: Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prince George, Prince William, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Lady Louise, Princess Anne, and the Duke of Kent.

You only have to go back as far as 2019, the last pre-pandemic year, to be astonished by the difference a change of reign makes.

Trooping The Color, 2019 in London, England. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

In 2019 the balcony line out included, deep breath: Prince William, Prince Louis, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Charles, Camilla, Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence, Andrew, Beatrice, Eugenie, Prince Edward and Sophie, their daughter Louise and son James, Harry, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, James, Peter Philips, his then wife Autumn, their daughters Isla and Savannah Phillips, Lyla Gilman (a granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester) and Lady Helen Taylor (daughter of the Duke of Kent).

Go back to 2012, when Prince Philip was still alive, and you could almost hear the balcony groaning under the weight of major and minor royals waving to the crowds.

Trooping the Color 2012 Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Charles always thought it gave a bad impression of a gigantic crowd of freeloaders, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the public rather liked the annual glimpse of the chaotic extended family.

Charles’ critics have long suspected an additional factor at play: he just wasn’t particularly keen on sharing the limelight.

The very slimmed-down monarchy visible on the Buckingham Palace balcony Saturday may be in line with Charles’ vision, but the royal family has never seemed smaller, even with Kate there.