An online dispute over the Duchess of Sussex’s £112 Advent calendar has drawn two Church of England priests into an extended exchange with some of the Duchess’s supporters, the Daily Mail reports. Newspapers in Britain say the dispute led both clergy to restrict access to their X accounts after receiving hostile replies.
The calendar, sold through Meghan’s As Ever lifestyle brand in partnership with Los Angeles chocolatier Compartés, contains 24 chocolates and is advertised at £112 in the United Kingdom and $148 in the United States.
The Revd Daniel French, an Anglican priest and university chaplain, responded to publicity for the product by drawing attention to a £5.99 Advent calendar from the Meaningful Chocolate Company.
In the post, French wrote: “For £5.99 you can pre-order a Christian Advent Calendar with Fairtrade chocolate from the Meaningful Chocolate Company.” He added that a donation is made to the Leprosy Mission and that the calendar includes a booklet on the meaning of Christmas.
The comparison was subsequently characterized by some reports as criticism of the Duchess’s product and its price, while other reports emphasized French’s recommendation of an alternative with an explicitly Christian theme and charitable component.
The Revd Chris Phillips, vicar of All Saints, Benhilton, in Sutton, south London, publicly supported French. Phillips later wrote that he had “encountered the Sussex Squad” on X, a description used by some supporters and critics of the Duchess to refer to her particularly active online following.
According to the Daily Mail, Telegraph, and subsequent reports, French and Phillips received critical and abusive responses. The *Telegraph* reported that one priest was called “Satan spawn” after the promotion of the £5.99 charitable alternative.
Phillips made his X account private and blocked several users, according to GB News and Page Six. Reports differ on the precise sequence of account changes, though several outlets state that French also restricted his profile during the exchange; GB News later reported that French’s account had again become publicly accessible.
## Reports take story forward
The Daily Mail first reported the dispute under the headline, “Meghan’s Sussex Squad fans ‘terrorise’ British priests”. Its use of “terrorise” is the newspaper’s characterization of the reported online abuse, rather than an established legal description.