Meghan Markle and Prince Harry immersed themselves in numerous businesses and charitable initiatives ever since they stepped back from their roles as working members of the British Royal Family. It all kicked off with a Netflix deal and later branched out into their venture capital pursuits. While they are recognized for championing small businesses, not everyone is aware that even before their marriage, the couple played a part in boosting the brand value of a lesser-known footwear business. 

Apparently, amidst the dating speculations, the world was not only fixated on the lovebirds but was also keeping tabs on Meghan Markle’s fashion choices.

Meghan Markle unintentionally promoted a small business with Prince Harry 

During the days when rumors of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dating were swirling, and their pictures flooded the internet, fans could not help but take note of Meghan Markle’s perfectly fitting slippers. These slippers were sent to the Duchess by the owners of Birdies in 2016. Birdies is a San Francisco-based footwear brand owned by Bianca Gates and Marisa Sharkey. In an interview with TODAY, Gates and Sharkey shared how having important customers like Markle helped them raise $10 million in funding. 

The major boost came in after she was photographed wearing her Birdies in the Redwood forest, shortly after announcing her pregnancy in October 2018, Birdies ended up having a 30,000-person waitlist. In the blink of an eye, these slippers became a trend, elevating Birdies’ business to the next level. Markle has always been supportive of women-led businesses. And this has been evident since her initial foray into venture capital with a Latte brand. 

Recently, the Duchess of Sussex stretched her limits by appearing as an extra in a commercial for the brand, proving that she will do anything for a company she believes in.

Meghan Markle’s brief return to acting 

Meghan Markle made a quiet reappearance by acting in a video for the instant latte company Clevr Blends. This was an investment she made in 2020. The video, hosted by Clevr cofounder Hannah Mendoza, took viewers on a tour of Clevr HQ. Making a cheeky reference to the team’s Britney Spears obsession since 2019, the video gave fans a sneak peek of Markle rolling up her sleeves with the fulfillment crew. 

Towards the end, Markle humorously missed a fist bump, leaving everyone in stitches before the video wrapped up. The Latte brand spilled the fun on social media, captioning it, “Damn, you’re keeping us BUSY right now! Had to call in some reinforcements”. The exact amount Markle invested in the company is still a mystery. However, her backing of these small, women-led businesses is pure Duchess elegance. 

What do you think about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s unintended promotion of Birdies? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!