Meghan Markle sent a handwritten note and nearly $300 worth of As Ever products to a social media supporter who has spent years posting hostile commentary about Kate Middleton and Prince William. The fan, who goes by “The Notorious JTB” on X, unboxed the gift in a video posted June 1, showing off four scented candles, jars of honey, dried flower sprinkles, a leather bookmark, a curated book of matches, and a card written in Markle’s cursive.
The note read: “Dear J. T., Thank you for the anniversary wishes! (and treats) for you to enjoy. As ever, Meghan.” The card was dated May, referencing Markle and Prince Harry’s eighth wedding anniversary on May 19. JTB had posted a photo of the couple kissing at their reception that day, captioning it: “Eight years later and this wedding photo is still hot AF. The chemistry between Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is undeniable. You know these two are setting off smoke alarms.”
The fan has a lengthy record of trashing the royal family
JTB’s X account includes posts calling Kate Middleton “mediocre” and referring to the Prince and Princess of Wales as “Lazy Willy and Kitty.” One post about Middleton’s two-day tour of Italy said: “This video perfectly captures the mediocrity that is Kate Middleton. 20 years in and still no identity. Her fans and the media continue to prop her up.”
He has also made trips to Montecito, California, where Markle and Harry live, visiting her favorite bookstore and dining at restaurants she has mentioned in interviews. In December 2025, he documented the trip on social media.
Fellow Markle supporters in the “Sussex Squad” congratulated JTB in the comments. One user wrote: “I knew it was gonna happen. I predicted it, when I was chatting with a fellow Squaddie abt who, at the moment, in the Squad, which arch-defender of Meg/the Sussex family, was more deserving of an #AsEver giftbox. We both said you.”
Critics say the gesture rewards toxic behavior
The gift did not go unnoticed by people less enthusiastic about the Sussexes. Comments on JTB’s post called the package evidence that Markle is aware of, and possibly encouraging, some of her most aggressive online defenders. One critic wrote: “Further proof – as if we need it – That Markle, for all of her lectures about social media, sends gifts to most of her toxic fans.” Another wrote: “Thank you for exposing that Meghan indeed is aware of the bullies and harassers of the RF.”
Markle has spoken publicly about online harassment, particularly in the context of her own experience with British tabloids and social media abuse. She and Harry have both advocated for stricter regulation of digital platforms and have cited online toxicity as one reason for stepping back from royal duties. The optics of personally thanking a fan who regularly posts insults about her in-laws complicates that position.
The As Ever launch has leaned heavily on fan engagement
Markle’s As Ever brand, which launched in April 2025, has largely bypassed traditional advertising in favor of influencer seeding and direct engagement with supporters. The four candles JTB received retail for $64 each, bringing the gift box to roughly $256 before adding honey, matches, and the bookmark. That is not mass distribution. It is a targeted thank-you to someone Markle knows by name.
The question is whether this is brand-building or a strategic blind spot. Rewarding vocal supporters is standard practice in influencer marketing. But when those supporters are also publicly hostile to your estranged family, the gesture stops being about candles and starts being about allegiance. Markle has made it clear she is no longer bound by palace protocols. What remains unclear is whether she believes the support of people like JTB strengthens her position or undermines the narrative of dignity and distance she has tried to build.
Is thanking your loudest defenders worth it when those defenders are also your family’s loudest critics?
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