It Looks Like A Glimpse From Another Life.
Meghan Markle Is Laughing In A Golf Buggy, Driving Around The Grounds Of The Sussexes’ Montecito Home With Los Angeles Chocolatier Jonathan Grahm beside her.
Michael Bublé’s festive version of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” plays over the footage.
And Across The Screen Appears One Very Early Christmas Message:
“Christmas Planning In June.”
The Footage Was Actually Recorded Months Ago, While Meghan And Prince Harry Were Still Living In California.
But On October 1, Just Weeks After The Family Returned To The UK, Meghan suddenly posted the footage to her Instagram Story — at exactly the same time her lifestyle brand As Ever was unveiling its newest festive product.
And That Detail Has Made The Video Far More Interesting Than A Simple Behind-The-Scenes Christmas Clip.
FROM MONTECITO TO BRITAIN — AND BACK AGAIN
For Six Years, Montecito Was Home For Harry And Meghan After Their Decision To Step Back From Their Roles As Working Royals.
Their California estate became the backdrop to a very different chapter of their lives — complete with their children, their businesses, their Netflix projects and the lifestyle brand Meghan has continued to build.
Now The Family Is Back In Britain.
Yet Meghan’s Latest Commercial Launch Has Taken Viewers Straight Back To California.
The New As Ever Advent Calendar is inspired by the Montecito home and garden, with 24 handcrafted chocolates packaged in a keepsake design featuring imagery connected to the property. The limited-edition calendar costs £112 ($148) and was created in collaboration with Compartés.
Suddenly, That Old Golf-Buggy Video Makes Sense.
It Wasn’t Just A Random Clip From The Summer.
It Was Part Of The Build-Up.
“STAY TUNED…”
In The Footage, Meghan Appears Relaxed And Playful As She Drives Along A Path At The Property.
Grahm, whose Los Angeles chocolatier is collaborating with As Ever on the calendar, sits beside her.
Meghan Smiles Toward The Camera.
At One Point, She Says “Hang on” as the buggy moves along, while Grahm responds with “stay tuned.”
Then The Video Moves From The Golf Buggy To The Creative Process.
Viewers Are Shown Early Colour Sketches Of The Montecito House — The Very Image That Would eventually become part of the Advent Calendar design.
And Then Comes Another Unexpected Star.
Pula.
The Sussexes’ black Labrador appears carrying a soft toy shaped like an As Ever product.
The little detail immediately made the footage feel less like a conventional product advertisement and more like a carefully constructed glimpse into Meghan’s world — her home, her dog, her garden, her business and her idea of Christmas all rolled into one.
BUT THEN THE COMMENTS STARTED
Not Everyone Was Charmed.
Some Royal Fans Took To X To Criticise The Video, with comments ranging from accusations that the footage felt overly staged to jokes about the Montecito property and the forthcoming Advent Calendar.
One commenter described the clip as “cringe”, while another simply called it “super fake.”
Others questioned the decision to centre the festive product so heavily around the Sussexes’ California home, particularly after the family’s recent move back to Britain.
But The Reaction Was Far From Universal.
Some Supporters Were Delighted To See Meghan Looking Happy And Relaxed.
One wrote that she looked “radiant,” while another described her as living in “JOY.”
And That Split Reaction Is Perhaps The Most Interesting Part Of The Whole Story.
Because The Video Was Never Going To Be Seen In A Vacuum.
It Arrived Alongside A Major As Ever launch, after Meghan had spent weeks away from the public spotlight following the Sussexes’ return to the UK.
THE £112 BOX AT THE CENTRE OF IT ALL
The Advent Calendar Itself Is A Rather Personal Piece Of Branding.
Inside Are 24 Handcrafted Chocolates Inspired By California flavours, including strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and orange marmalade, as well as a chocolate featuring As Ever’s signature flower sprinkles and a dark chocolate ganache truffle.
The packaging is designed as a keepsake and draws on the Sussexes’ Montecito home and garden.
Each Countdown Number Is Even Hand-Painted In Edible Gold Using Meghan’s Own Penmanship, according to the product description.
It Is, In Other Words, Much More Than A Box Of Chocolates.
It Is A Piece Of The Montecito Chapter Packaged As A Christmas Product.
And That Is Why The June Footage Suddenly Feels Rather Significant.
A CHRISTMAS MEMORY FROM A HOME THEY LEFT BEHIND
There Is Something Almost Strange About Watching Meghan Laughing In The California Sunshine While Knowing What Happened Between The Recording Of The Video And Its Publication.
When Those Images Were Filmed, The Sussexes Were Still Living In Montecito.
When Meghan Posted Them, The Family Had Already Returned To Britain.
The House Was Still There.
The Memories Were Still There.
And Now A Piece Of That California Life Has Been Turned Into A Festive product and sent back out into the world.
Whether Viewers See It As Charming, Carefully Curated Or Something Else Entirely Depends Very Much On The Eye Of The Beholder.
But The Timing Is Impossible To Miss.
A CHRISTMAS SONG. A GOLF BUGGY. A LAUGHING MEGHAN. A MONTECITO HOUSE. AND A £112 ADVENT CALENDAR — ALL FROM A CALIFORNIA CHAPTER THAT, JUST WEEKS AGO, THE SUSSEXES LEFT BEHIND. 🎄👀
THE VIDEO MAY HAVE BEEN FILMED IN JUNE, BUT MEGHAN’S CALIFORNIA CHRISTMAS HAS SUDDENLY ARRIVED IN BRITAIN — AND THIS TIME, THERE’S A £112 PRICE TAG ATTACHED TO THE MEMORY.