Meghan Markle, Prince Harry’s friend slammed for promoting her products on heels of Kate Middleton’s return

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s friend, polo player Nacho Figueras, has come under fire from the public for posting about the Duchess of Sussex’s products as Kate Middleton returned to the public eye.

On Friday night, Figueras shared a picture of a pot of jam from Markle’s budding lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, on his Instagram stories, along with a photo of a jar of dog biscuits, according to People magazine. While posted on Friday evening in the U.S., where Figueras appears to be based on location tags on recent posts, with the time difference, they showed up in feeds for U.K. followers in the early hours of Saturday before the Trooping the Color ceremony.

Middleton had announced on Friday that she would be in attendance for the ceremony, the public celebration honoring King Charles III’s birthday, as she continues her cancer treatment. Middleton posted on Friday with an update on her health and her plans to join the event, writing, “I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet.”

The timing of Middleton’s announcement followed by Figueras’ post caused outrage among fans, though it is unknown if it was intentional or not. “We won’t forget what you did Nacho @nachofigueras Attempting to upstage Catherine POW whilst she’s battling cancer is the lowest of the low & demonstrates a lack of class & integrity,” wrote one fan on X.

“That was a very nasty symbolic message you sent at 2am in the morning to Catherine [Princess of Wales], on behalf of the malignant narcissist. Not good optics for someone who claims to be a caring charitable man. Not good optics at all,” said another. “Why did you let her use you to attack a woman fighting cancer?” someone wrote on an Instagram post from Figueras showing a photo of himself and his wife, Delfina Blaquier, in an elevator.

Others were kinder to Figueras, pointing out a photo of Markle’s products wasn’t as distracting as some claimed. “Explain how posting a picture of jam and biscuits is an attempt to upstage Kate? I will repeatedly ask you until you do,” a person shared to X.

Another noted the timing could simply have been coincidental, posting, “Does anyone think that Nacho Figueras rings up [Kensington Palace] to ask, ‘Is Kate coming out today?’ before he posts to his social media? Seriously? Should anyone in the entire world have to check their schedules and calendars just in case the Wales family members might possibly do something?”