Meghan Markle had ‘As Ever’ website boom after U.K. return announced
Traffic to Meghan Markle’s online shop soared in the week after the Duchess and Prince Harry announced they were returning to Britain, partially reversing months of declining web traffic.
As Ever is one of Meghan’s biggest ongoing commercial projects, and through it she sells honey, jams, tea, wine and other goods.
News broke that the couple was moving to Britain in the evening on August 19, and visitors to the site rose sharply in the days that followed. Between August 22 and 28, 71,000 people visited the site, her biggest weekly total since January. The spike made August the site’s strongest month since March.
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Why It Matters
The data suggests As Ever’s web traffic remains closely tied to Meghan’s public profile and media visibility.
Visits to the site had been dropping steadily in 2026, so if the strong performance continues into September, that may give Meghan some insight into how to increase her customer base ahead of a key period for consumer brands in the lead-up to Thanksgiving and Christmas.
As Ever’s August Traffic Boost
Visits to asever.com on August 18, the day before the news broke, were recorded by Similarweb at 3,092, but more than doubled to 6,574 on the day the first stories suggested the couple would move to Britain. Visits peaked at 16,089 on August 22 and for the rest of the month were consistently above the average for the first 18 days of the month.
The company currently only ships within America, and its U.S. audience almost doubled in August compared with the previous month, making up more than 40 percent of total audience.
In total, there were 182,707 visits to the site over the course of the month compared to 126,655 in July.
As Ever’s Difficult Year for Web Traffic
As Ever spent much of 2026 grappling with a steady decline in website traffic, raising questions about whether the business could maintain the momentum generated by its highly publicized launch in 2025.
According to Similarweb data analyzed by Newsweek, monthly visits fell from 268,200 in January to 126,655 in July, meaning traffic had more than halved within seven months. From January to July, visits declined in every month except March.
The trend was notable because website traffic is one of the few publicly available indicators of the brand’s performance. As Ever has never released sales, revenue, or profit figures, making it difficult to independently assess commercial success.
Meghan and Harry’s Return to Britain
News that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were returning to Britain broke in the British press on August 19, with no on-the-record statement from the couple themselves or their spokesperson.
Reports stated that the Sussexes planned to relocate from California to a private, non-royal residence outside London. Later reporting suggested they are in the Cotswolds.
It was confirmed to Newsweek that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have school places in Britain, signaling the relocation is more than a temporary stay.
Major questions still remain, including whether the couple will be given police protection by RAVEC, a committee of the U.K. Home Office that takes such decisions.
Newspapers, broadcasters and commentators have been debating the implications of the move, including whether Harry might repair his relationship with Charles, what the implications are for Prince William and what the long term impact on the Monarchy will be.
Tensions With Buckingham Palace
Harry and Meghan initially kept a low profile, with no public statement from them or their team confirming their reasons for moving home.
However, by Monday the Lord Chamberlain, Lord Benyon, acting on the King’s instructions, issued formal guidance to senior figures across government, the military and the lord-lieutenancies following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to Britain.
The letter reiterated that the Sussexes remain non-working royals, that their HRH styles remain in abeyance and that their charitable activities are undertaken in a private capacity rather than on behalf of the Crown. It also described them as being “akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.”
Newsweek has been told the Sussexes were surprised by the release of the letter, having been given an hour’s advanced warning. They also wanted the palace to change a line in the memo. According to The Sun, they also wanted the wording changed from “private citizens” to “public figures.”
Harry had been in a meeting, and by the time his team got hold of him, the letter had already been distributed.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Daniel Orton and Gray R. Thomas
