The ring features a large central diamond flanked by two smaller gemstones from Princess Diana's personal collection.
However, Meghan's delicate ring isn't the only thing causing a stir. Her alleged ties to the jeweler Birks are now facing backlash. The controversy began a few months ago when rumors surfaced online that Birks, the high-end Canadian jeweler, had secretly paid Meghan a substantial PR fee to publicly wear and endorse their rings after she married into the royal family.
While Kensington Palace denied these claims, conspiracy theories swirled that Meghan had made a lucrative behind-the-scenes deal. After all, any product endorsed by a royal becomes hugely desirable overnight. Consequently, customers began boycotting Birks and flooding their social media with accusations of exploiting Meghan to promote overpriced jewelry at the expense of Diana's memory. Sales plummeted by over 20% as the backlash grew. Birks' CEO reiterated that no money had changed hands, but the damage was already done. Some speculated that Meghan's lavish lifestyle proved she was only in the royal family for fame and wealth, not duty.
Things escalated when an anonymous insider leaked documents purportedly showing a $500,000 wire transfer from Birks to one of Meghan's personal holding companies on the day her engagement was announced. Prominent royal commentators criticized Meghan, suggesting she had brought this upon herself with her flashy Hollywood ways and lack of discretion. Discretion, they argued, is essential for royals to maintain public impartiality and avoid rumors of financial conflicts.
While Meghan mostly stayed silent as the attacks grew more personal and ugly, she refused to go down without a fight. In an unprecedented move, she sued Birks for defamation and intentionally interfering with her reputation by allowing rumors to spread without firmly denying them. At a heated press conference, her lawyers presented evidence they claimed disproved the alleged wire transfer at the center of the s---dal. They accused Birks of laziness and not thoroughly debunking falsehoods to capitalize on free publicity from conspiracy theorists at Meghan's expense. Her lawyers demanded a public apology, retraction of implicit endorsements from Birks, and millions in damages to repair her image after the vicious lies.
Birks' CEO hit back hard in a fiery interview, denying all of Meghan's claims and refusing to apologize or retract anything. He called her lawsuit a thinly veiled shakedown and insisted that they had nothing to hide or prove because no money had changed hands. He questioned why Meghan would make such dramatic accusations if she had nothing to gain, hinting at ulterior motives. In an unexpected twist, shocking internal Birks documents leaked online that seemed to contradict their public claims.
The files included an email from their head of PR explicitly thanking Meghan for the tremendous boost in sales and brand exposure since her engagement was announced. The email suggested that a small token of appreciation might be in order, hinting at the alleged payoff. Birks' CEO denied the authenticity of the emails even as they spread virally. With mounting evidence against them, Birks' credibility crumbled. The CEO's steadfast denials couldn't prevent the company's stock from nosediving by 20% as customers abandoned ship.
In a dramatic turn of events just days before the highly anticipated trial, Birks suddenly caved. In a hastily arranged press conference, their CEO issued a full apology, admitting that the leaked emails were real and that certain financial arrangements may have been misconstrued. While stopping short of confirming direct payments, he acknowledged that Birks should have more forcefully denied false claims to respect Meghan's reputation.
It was as close to a surrender as Meghan was likely to get without a public trial dragging her name through the mud. In a classy statement, Meghan accepted the apology, expressing her desire to move on and for reckless rumors to be challenged. While some argued that she didn't explicitly admit to benefiting directly, many saw this as vindication after being vilified for so long. The stunning turnaround showed that while money and influence can spread lies far, sometimes the truth catches up.
