Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, appeared in a post by Clevr Blends, a wellness brand the royal invested in, on social media earlier this year. It marked her first moment in the spotlight since the publication of her husband Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare, her return in the form of a video paying tribute to her role in the brand’s growth.
Meghan invested in Clevr, which makes instant ‘superlattes’, in late 2020. And following the brand’s social media post, the Duchess has been praised for her “uplifting” appearance as well as for making “a difference” in her role as a public figure.
Christine Ross and Christina Garibaldi, hosts of the Royally Us podcast, discussed Meghan’s appearance earlier this month.
Ms Ross explained Clevr was one of the Duchess’s “first investments she made post-royal life”.
The brand makes ‘wellness’ coffee, which is said to help with energy, stress and sleep, a product that Meghan “personally” loves.
Speaking of the royal’s appearance in the video, Ms Garibaldi said: “I think it was really interesting to hear from the founder what kind of impact this can have on a brand. We talk about the ‘Meghan effect’ and the ‘Kate effect’ — the economic phenomenon the royals bring with them whenever they support a brand, or wear an outfit, those sorts of things.
Ms Mendoza added: “Meghan ended up becoming our first investor, advisor and biggest advocate.”
She went on to reveal that shortly after beginning to work with the Duchess, Clevr got its second celebrity customer.
In December 2020, Meghan sent a gift to her friend Oprah Winfrey, of which the legendary talk show host posted an Instagram video, clarifying she had received the gift basket from “my neighbour M,” before adding: “Yes that M,” alongside a crown emoji.
The video showed Oprah frothing up one of Clevr’s turmeric lattes. Ms Mendoza said: “She even sent our turmeric latte to friends. And a few days later, I open my phone to see Oprah herself making our Golden SuperLatte in her own kitchen. No big deal. We lost it.”
Oprah became such a fan of the beverage, she gave it a coveted spot on her 2021 Oprah’s Favorite Things list.
“Our small but mighty team was 100% not ready for this and ended up selling out for two months,” Ms Mendoza explained before adding their millions of sales since have largely been due “to the power of women uplifting women”.
In a press release from 2021 announcing her backing of the brand, Meghan spoke of her desire to back female-led businesses.
She said: “This investment is in support of a passionate female entrepreneur who prioritises building community alongside her business. 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.”
Clevr, which now has 67,000 followers on Instagram, now not only sells its products online but also through mainstream retailers.
Ms Ross recalled the brand “almost instantly” being talked about by “A-List celebrities” following the announcement of Meghan’s support. “It really does show having the backing of a Royal Family member — or ex-member — does make a difference.”
The Duchess’s investment — the size of which was not revealed — came to light at the end of 2020, just months after she and Harry had stepped down as full-time working royals and relocated to California.
Ms Mendoza had previously paid tribute to Meghan for her important contribution to the company. In an interview with Fortune in 2021, she said: “Having the Duchess as a mentor and an adviser has been amazing. She’s so smart, she’s so passionate, and she has such a good heart. Having her as an adviser has been one of the most incredible things to come out of all of this.”
