Americans left confused by Meghan Markle’s ‘British’ recipe on Memorial Day

Online reaction was divided, with some users questioning the Memorial Day link

Americans have criticised Meghan Markle after her lifestyle brand, As Ever, shared a scone recipe over Memorial Day weekend.

Memorial Day, a federal holiday held on the last Monday in May, is the United States’ annual day to mourn and honour its deceased service men and women.

The brand’s Instagram account posted a video on Saturday showing freshly baked scones topped with cream and raspberry spread, alongside the caption: “Memorial weekend plans. Baking warm scones topped with our Strawberry or Raspberry Spread, Orange Blossom Honey, and Flower Sprinkles.”

The recipe included flour, cold butter, coconut sugar or regular sugar, an egg, heavy cream, baking powder, salt, raw cream and the As Ever Strawberry Spread, Orange Blossom Honey and Flower Sprinkles.

The post prompted criticism from some American social media users, who questioned why the Duchess of Sussex had chosen a traditionally British baked item during the US holiday weekend.

One royal watcher wrote on X: “Riddle me this – what do scones have to do with Memorial Day Weekend? Answer: not a thing. Why is Meghan Markle posting a recipe for scones – a British food – for a US holiday?

“Not only that but posting the recipe using the metric system?”

Another said: “No one in America is eating scones on memorial day. Get out of here!”

Meghan Markle revealed her ‘Memorial Day plans’ on social media

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A third commented: “We don’t eat scones in America. Doesn’t look anything like real scones. Though I have enjoyed some. Meghan titled it ‘Memorial Day Weekend Plans’ on her As Ever Instagram. The UK does not celebrate Memorial Day. It is their Spring Bank holiday. She posted a Scone recipe in weight per gram. We do not measure in grams.”

Another wrote: “Tell me, what does scones have to do with Memorial Day? Absolutely nothing.”

However, other social media users defended Meghan and the post.

One supporter wrote: “Americans eat pastries, jam, strawberries, whipped cream, brunch spreads, all of it. Memorial Day weekend is not legally limited to BBQ. I make scones a lot for brunch menus.

Meghan Markle revealed how to make her scones topped with As Ever spread

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“And using grams in a baking recipe is completely normal makes baking much easier and accurate.”

The same commenter added: “Also, shoots and promotional content are usually done weeks in advance, so the idea she rushed to make scones because of an interview two days earlier makes zero sense. The math simply isn’t mathing.”

The post came roughly 24 hours after Prince William spoke about scone etiquette during an interview with Heart FM presenters Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden.

During the interview, the Prince of Wales revealed that Queen Elizabeth II preferred cream before jam on a scone.

Memorial Day, a federal holiday held on the last Monday in May, is the United States’ annual day to mourn and honour its deceased service men and women

 | GETTY

William said: “I love that I’m the authority on scones. I can only tell you what I learned from my grandmother, and she would definitely, she would have the cream on first.”

The As Ever video also showed cream being spread onto the scones before the raspberry topping was added.

The debate over whether cream or jam should go first on a scone has long divided opinion in Britain, particularly between Devon and Cornwall.

Devonians traditionally place cream first, whilst those in Cornwall insist jam should form the base layer.