Meghan’s Christmas welcome
Scots firm’s web traffic soars 5000% after Meghan uses their bag on first royal engagement
ACTRESS Meghan Markle will be the first royal fiancee to join the Queen for Christmas Day, it was announced yesterday.
The move is a change from the previous rule that only those already married into the family take part in the royal Christmas.
Meghan, 36, will join royals making the walk to church near Sandringham, the Queen’s Norfolk home.
She and fiance Prince Harry are expected to stay with William and Kate and their children in their country home on the estate, Anmer Hall.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “You can expect to see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and Ms Markle at Sandringham on Christmas Day.”
Former Suits star Meghan moved to London before she and Harry became engaged.
She is understood to be visiting her mother Doria in LA but will return for a lunch at Buckingham Palace next week.
She and Harry will wed at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle next May.
A HANDBAG made by a small Scots firm sold out in 11 minutes after photos showed Meghan Markle carrying one on her first royal engagement. Strathberry saw their website traffic soar by 5000 per cent after Prince Harry’s fiancee stepped out with their midi tote tricolour leather bag in Nottingham on December 1. The same burgundy, navy and vanilla handbag was subsequently reselling on eBay in the US for $2350 (£1760) – more than three times its retail price. The Edinburgh firm relaunched production the next week and the first pre-order batch of 400 sold out on their website in less than 24 hours.
A second batch of the £495 bags, which are handcrafted in Spain, will be available for pre-order soon but won’t be shipped until the end of February.
As part of their visit to Nottingham, Harry and Meghan lent their support to a World Aids Day charity fair hosted by the Terrence Higgins Trust. Strathberry are now auctioning the last midi tote from the original production run in aid of the trust. Details of the auction, which ends on Sunday, can be found at www. strathberry.com. A Strathberry spokesman said yesterday: “The international exposure the brand has received has been incredible.”