Camilla Tominey went from “royal expert” to right-wing commentator at some point. She barely writes about the Windsors anymore, and she focuses instead on sulking about Labour. She was really mad about the British election and Keir Starmer. But she recently decided to dip her toe back into royal coverage. No, she’s not getting more briefings from Middleton Manor (those sources clammed up last year when the Middletons’ house of cards collapsed). Instead, Tominey has decided to mock the Duchess of Sussex for… investing in smaller, female-owned clothing and accessories brands like Cesta Collective. Meghan’s investment in Cesta made headlines last week when Meghan spoke to the New York Times about her new partnership. Tominey’s headline in the Telegraph: “Meghan wanted to change the world. Instead she’s changing your wardrobe; This latest revelation speaks to just how far the Sussexes have fallen.”
There are two types of women in this world: those who have “help” with their wardrobe and those who think having help with their wardrobe means receiving assistance in flat-pack assembly. The Duchess of Sussex has always been someone who has had the first kind, as evidenced by her many, many outfit changes in her pre-Harry career – and, now, by the four stylists who helped her into a red designer dress during filming of the formerly royal couple’s fly-on-the-wall Netflix documentary in which they opine on the horror of multimillion dollar lives.
Now, however, Meghan – ever the philanthropist – is giving back. According to the actress turned self-styled “feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity”, she is using her “global spotlight” to, er, sell clothes. Speaking to The New York Times, the 43-year-old said: “Times where I know there is a global spotlight, and attention will be given to each detail of what I may or may not be wearing, then I support designers that I have really great friendships with, and smaller, up-and-coming brands that haven’t gotten the attention that they should be getting. That’s one of the most powerful things that I’m able to do, and that’s simply wearing, like, an earring.” Wearing an earring is one of the most powerful things Meghan can do? Really?
Whatever happened to, as the couple once boasted on their now defunct sussex.com website: “Shaping the future through business and philanthropy”? Or even her short life as a member of the Royal family, apparently spent dedicated to public service?
Lest we forget, Meghan (“one of the most influential women in the world in rankings”) has seen her “advocacy work on resilience, equality, and compassion through action … recognised – alongside that of her husband, Prince Harry – with the NAACP President’s Award as well as the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award.”
Sadly, this latest revelation speaks to just how far the Sussexes have fallen. Meghan’s pretentions towards charity have been supplanted by more important concerns. Her new “advocacy work” is for herself and her famous friends. They wanted to change the world, instead they’re only changing your wardrobe.
You guys know why this upsets women like Tominey, right? Because they’ve spent the past thirteen years trying to convince everyone that Princess Kate’s button-covered cosplay is the height of aspirational fashion. When stylish, beautiful Meghan came into their lives, they spent years fighting off the growing realization that Kate is dull and her style is awful and no one under the age of 80 wants to wear buttony coatdresses or her Sister-Wife couture. Anyway, Tominey is now trying to make Meghan sound superficial, like “investing in female-owned businesses” isn’t part of a larger strategy, on Meghan’s part, to uplift and reinvest communities. Serena Williams created an entire VC fund to invest in Black-owned businesses and female-led companies for the same reason.
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