Meghan gives her woke coffee company a boost! Duchess makes surprise appearance in Instagram clip on visit to ‘wellness’ drinks brand she invested in
- Meghan Markle, 41, appeared in video about the Clevr coffee brand today
- Read more: Meghan ‘surprised and disappointed’ that Harry ‘had little money’
The Duchess of Sussex gave her woke coffee brand a boost as she appeared in a video on their Instagram which was shared last night.
Meghan Markle announced in December 2020 that she was backing the California-based ‘wellness brand’ – and quickly made a move to promote its products via her friend Oprah by sending her a gift basket filled with the company’s superfood brands.
It was her first investment after she and her husband, Prince Harry, stepped back from their royal duties and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a private life and seek ‘financial independence.’ It’s unclear how much money Meghan invested in the company.
In a video posted on the Clevr’s Instagram account yesterday, founder Hannah Mendoza discussed how the brand had grown – and shared clips as Meghan paid a visit to the company and drank one of the lattes.
Meghan has been keeping an unusually low profile this year compared to her husband, who went on a whirlwind publication tour for his memoir Spare in January.
The Duchess of Sussex, 41, gave her woke coffee brand a boost as she appeared in a video on their Instagram which was shared last night
In a video posted on the Clevr’s Instagram account yesterday, founder Hannah Mendoza discussed how the brand had grown – and shared clips as Meghan paid a visit to the company and drank one of the lattes
In the video, Meghan was relaxed in her Burberry ‘Maythorne’ silk trench coat, which she wore during her royal tour of Australia in 2018.
She donned a white Ralph Lauren shirt with a pair of dark jeans, adding a touch of glamour with stacks of gold jewellery on her arms.
The Duchess wore her Logan Hollowell ‘Baby Queen’ Water Drop Emerald Solitaire Necklace, £2,800, with her Cartier love bracelet and tank watch.
In the clip, Hannah discussed how she started the brand in 2016, saying: ‘People fell in love with the drink and really wanted to make them 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 ended up becoming our first investor, advisor and biggest Clevr advocate.
‘She even sent our tumeric latte to friends. A few days later, I open my phone to see Oprah herself making our superlatte in our kitchen.
‘Our small but mighty team was so not ready for this and ended up selling out for two months.
In the video, Meghan was 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 amazing new products and decided to dip our toe into retail.’
‘We owe so much of that to women uplifting women….we have big plans for the future.’
‘This investment is in support of a passionate female entrepreneur who prioritizes building community alongside her business,’ said Meghan of the brand’s founder and CEO, Hannah.
‘I’m proud to invest in Hannah’s commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients and creating a product that I personally love and has a holistic approach to wellness.
‘I believe in her and I believe in her company.’
Promotion: Oprah Winfrey has touted her ‘neighbor’ Meghan Markle’s ‘ethical’ coffee brand in a number of different ways over the last few years
Helping hand: Oprah promoted the brand’s products on her Instagram page, where she had more than 19 million followers at the time
The startup business sells latte powders in matcha, chai and coffee flavors, which are made into a drink by adding hot or cold water.
In a statement, Hannah said, ‘Entrepreneurs need funding, but they also need advisers who care deeply about what they are building.
‘I’m grateful to have found both in the Duchess of Sussex.
‘Her passion for what we’re creating is palpable, and I couldn’t imagine a more aligned partnership. We’re excited for the road ahead.’
When Meghan first got involved with the product, she sent a gift box full the vegan coffee to Oprah, who shared a video of herself unboxing it to her Instagram account.
The post was reportedly worth at least $1 million and experts told MailOnline at the time that it was likely 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 the first day of Christmas my neighbor “M” sent to me… A basket of deliciousness! (Yes that M). My new drink of choice for the morning and night. Wish I had @clevrblends sooner ’cause I would’ve added it to my Favorite Things list. #HappyHolidays,’ she wrote in the post.
She offered Meghan’s coffee company yet another promotion by including its instant lattes in her list of Favorite Things from 2021.
‘My neighbor Meghan (yes, that one) introduced me to this woman-led wellness brand,’ she said in the list.
However, despite marketing itself as an ethical brand, Clevr Blends sparked controversy in 2021 when The Mail on Sunday revealed that the company had imported a large amount of its ingredients from a Chinese supplier that is based in a brutal police state.
Human rights groups had urged Western companies to cut all business ties with China’s Xinjiang region because of appalling abuses, including the widespread use of forced labor and the detention of a million Uighur Muslims in re-education camps, where it is claimed women are systematically raped.
Despite this, it was revealed in April 2021 that Clevr Blends had received almost 19 tons of oat milk powder from a company based in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, before switching to a US-based supplier at the start of that year.
The supplier – Xinjiang Haiyan International Trade – had its head office within four miles of four suspected detention centers, including a possible maximum security prison, and an alleged re-education site.
However, there is no evidence to suggest that Xinjiang Haiyan has used forced labor and The Mail on Sunday reported that the oats received by Clevr Blends were neither grown nor processed in Xinjiang.
Still, the US Department of State issued an updated warning to American businesses about ‘supply chain and investment links’ in the region in July of this year, urging all companies to end any existing relations with suppliers in the area.
‘Given the severity and extent of these abuses, including widespread, state-sponsored forced labor and intrusive surveillance taking place amid ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, businesses and individuals that do not exit supply chains, ventures, and/or investments connected to Xinjiang could run a high risk of violating U.S. law,’ the warning states.
Meghan’s appearance in the clip comes after a quiet start to the year for the Duchess.
In January the duke appeared on a whole host of shows including 60 Minutes and Good Morning America as well as The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to promote the book.
But following its release the couple’s popularity was hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
Harry’s wife Meghan had reportedly raised ‘gentle concerns’ about Harry’s decision to release Spare and was worried if it was the right move.
The 41-year-old is said to have expressed worries that the book could ruffle feathers.
The royal couple are known for putting on a united front, including during the incendiary interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.
Harry was also in the audience with schoolchildren in New York when Meghan promoted her book The Bench.
But as Harry released his explosive memoir, which slams his family and reveals that he killed 25 Taliban fighters, Meghan has been notably absent from any promotion or interviews.
She allegedly stayed away because she would have been accused of ‘trying to steal the limelight’ – but also ‘media-savvy’ Meghan may have raised gentle concerns about whether the book was the right move.
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