The Duchess of Sussex was seen yesterday in an Instagram video promoting her Woke coffee brand – her first public appearance since Harry’s bombshell memoir.
In a video posted to Clevr’s Instagram, founder Hannah Mendoza discussed how the brand had grown – and shared clips of Meghan Markle visiting the company and sipping one of the lattes.
Meghan, 41, has been keeping an unusually low profile this year compared to her husband Prince Harry, 38, who went on a whirlwind promotional tour for his memoir Spare in January.
In December 2020, she announced that she supports California-based “wellness brand” Clevr and took a quick step to promote her products with friend Oprah, sending her a gift basket featuring the company’s superfood brands .
It was her first investment after she and Harry gave up royal duties and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a personal life and seek “financial independence.” How much money Meghan has invested in the company is unclear.
The Duchess of Sussex, 41, gave her wake coffee brand a boost when she appeared in a video on her Instagram shared last night
In a video posted to Clevr’s Instagram account yesterday, founder Hannah Mendoza discussed how the brand had grown – and shared clips of Meghan paying a visit to the company and sipping one of the lattes
In the video, Meghan was relaxed in her Burberry Maythorne silk trench coat, which she wore during a royal tour of Australia in 2018.
She wore a white Ralph Lauren shirt with dark jeans and added a touch of glamor with stacks of gold jewelry on her arms.
The Duchess wore her £2,800 Logan Hollowell “Baby Queen” waterdrop emerald solitaire necklace with her Cartier Love bracelet and tank watch.
In the clip, Ms Mendoza discussed how she launched the brand in 2016, saying: “People fell in love with the drink and were dying to make it at home.
“Three years ago everything changed. None other than Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, had started drinking our lattes.
“Not only did she love the product, but she was extremely passionate about female founders and sustainable sourcing.”
“Meghan eventually became our first investor, advisor and biggest Clevr advocate.
“She even sent our turmeric latte to friends. A few days later, I open my phone and see Oprah herself preparing our super latte in our kitchen.
“Our small but mighty team wasn’t prepared for this and was sold out for two months.
In the video, Meghan looked relaxed in her Burberry Maythorne silk trench coat, which she wore during her royal tour of Australia in 2018, with a white shirt and jeans
“We grew our team, launched great new products and decided to step foot into retail.”
“We owe so much of this to women elevating women … we have big plans for the future.”
“This investment is in support of a passionate entrepreneur who prioritizes building community alongside her business,” said Meghan von Hannah, the brand’s founder and CEO.
“I’m proud to invest in Hannah’s commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients and creating a product that I personally love that takes a holistic approach to wellness.
“I believe in her and I believe in her company.”
: Oprah Winfrey has promoted her “neighbor” Meghan Markle’s “ethical” coffee brand in a variety of ways over the past few years
Helping hand: Oprah promoted the brand’s products on her Instagram page, which at the time had more than 19 million followers
The startup sells matcha, chai and coffee flavored latte powders that are made into a drink by adding hot or cold water.
In a statement, Hannah said: “Entrepreneurs need funding, but they also need consultants who care deeply about what they are building.
“I’m grateful to have found both in the Duchess of Sussex.
“Your passion for what we create is palpable and I couldn’t imagine a better matched partnership. We look forward to the road ahead.”
When Meghan first explored the product, she sent a gift box of vegan coffee to Oprah, who shared a video of herself unwrapping it on her Instagram account.
The post was reportedly worth at least $1 million, and experts told Web at the time that it was probably the most valuable piece of free publicity in history.
Meghan said she was “proud” to invest in the company and praised CEO Hannah Mendoza for her “commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients” (pictured, Hannah Mendoza).
‘On Christmas Day my neighbor “M” sent me… a basket full of goodies! (Yes the M). My new favorite drink for morning and evening. I wish I had @clevrblends sooner because I would have added it to my favorite things list. #HappyHolidays,” she wrote in the post.
She offered Meghan’s coffee company another promotion by adding her instant lattes to her list of favorite things from 2021.
“My neighbor Meghan (yes, that one) introduced me to this women-owned wellness brand,” she said on the listing.
Although Clevr Blends markets itself as an ethical brand, it sparked controversy in 2021 when The Mail on Sunday revealed the company had imported a large quantity of its ingredients from a Chinese supplier based in a brutal police state.
Human rights groups had urged Western companies to sever all business ties with China’s Xinjiang region over appalling abuses, including the widespread use of forced labor and the incarceration of a million Uyghur Muslims in re-education camps, which allege that women are being systematically raped.
Despite this, it was revealed in April 2021 that Clevr Blends had received nearly 19 tons of oat milk powder from a company based in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, before switching to a U.S. supplier earlier in the year.
The supplier — Xinjiang Haiyan International Trade — was headquartered within four miles of four suspected detention centers, including a possible high-security prison, and an alleged re-education center.
However, there is no evidence that Xinjiang Haiyan used forced labor and The Mail on Sunday reported that the oats received by Clevr Blends were not grown or processed in Xinjiang.
Nonetheless, in July this year, the US State Department issued an updated warning to American companies about “supply chain and investment links” in the region, urging all companies to end all existing relationships with suppliers in the region.
“Given the severity and scale of these abuses, including widespread, state-sponsored forced labor and intrusive surveillance, taking place amid ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, companies and individuals involved in supply chains, ventures and/or investments are not leaving, connected to Xinjiang could run a high risk of violating US law,” the warning said.
Meghan’s appearance in the clip comes after a quiet start to the year for the Duchess.
In January, the Duke appeared on a slew of shows including 60 Minutes and Good Morning America, as well as The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to promote the book.
But after its release, the couple’s popularity on both sides of the Atlantic took a hit.
Harry’s wife Meghan had reportedly expressed “gentle concerns” about Harry’s decision to release Spare and was concerned if it was the right move.
The 41-year-old is said to have expressed concerns that the book could cause a stir.
The royal couple are known for taking a united front, including during the inflammatory interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.
Harry was also in the audience of school children in New York as Meghan promoted her book The Bench.
But when Harry released his explosive memoir, which slammed his family and revealed he had killed 25 Taliban militants, Meghan was noticeably absent from promotions or interviews.
She reportedly stayed away after being accused of “trying to steal the spotlight” – but even the “media savvy” Meghan may have expressed mild concerns about whether the book was the right move.