Meghan Markle has gifted close friend Oprah Winfrey an enormous hamper of coffee from a ‘woman-led, mission driven wellness company’ where she invested an undisclosed sum.
The Duke, 36, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, are currently living a stone’s throw from the media mogul in their dream $14 million mansion in Montecito with their eighteen-month-old son Archie.
Oprah showed off the contents of the hamper from Californian based Clevr in an Instagram video yesterday, captioning the post with a crown emoji and writing: ‘On the first day of Christmas my neighbor ‘M’ sent to me…A basket of deliciousness! (Yes that M).’
According to Fortune, the Duchess has decided to invest in the brand as she begins to build a portfolio of startup investments.
While it is not known how much Meghan invested in the company, in a statement she expressed her support for the brand’s founder and CEO Hannah Mendoza, saying: ‘This investment is in support of a passionate female entrepreneur who prioritizes building community alongside her business.
Meghan Markle, 39, gifted close friend Oprah Winfrey, 66, an enormous hamper of coffee from a ‘woman-led, mission driven wellness company’ to mark the first day of Christmas this week
‘I’m proud to invest in Hannah’s commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients and creating a product that I personally love and has a holistic approach to wellness. I believe in her and I believe in her company.’
Oprah has proven herself to be a generous friend to the Duke and Duchess, having previously given their son Archie a set of ‘100 essential stories’ featuring the personalised stickers.
She shared a video online showing her unboxing the products and adding a plug for the Clevr Blends brand.
She posted: ‘My new drink of choice for the morning and night.
The Duchess of Sussex is currently living just a stone’s throw from the media mogul’s mansion at her own $14 million home in Montecito
‘Wish I had @clevrblends sooner cause I would’ve added it to my Favorite Things list. #HappyHolidays.’
The affectionate nickname ‘M’ is similar to the one the Duchess uses for her husband Prince Harry, whom she often calls ‘H’.
Meanwhile the brand Clevr Blends is described online as ‘a woman-led, mission driven wellness company’ founded in California.
The Duchess reached out to the Clevr team after trying the company’s oat-milk latte product.
Posting a clip unboxing the hamper on Instagram, Oprah used the nickname ‘M’ and added a crown emoji
The Duchess said she was ‘proud’ to invest in the company and praised CEO Hannah Mendoza for her ‘commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients’ (pictured, Hannah Mendoza)
The Southern California-based business is headquartered near Montecito, where Meghan and Prince Harry are currently living.
On it’s website, the company describes ‘providing ongoing support to organizations fighting for the wellbeing of our community’ and added: ‘We are currently collaborating with El Centro SB – a queer, BIPOC lead group that focuses on regional mutual aid and community resilience – to uplift their emerging food justice projects.’
Oprah has grown close with both Prince Harry and Meghan over the past few years, as well as being friends with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland.
Reports surfaced earlier this year that Oprah had helped advise Meghan and Prince Harry on leaving their posts as senior members of the Royal Family, but she denied the claim.
During the clip, Oprah showed off the contents of the hamper from ‘women-led’ Californian based brand Clovr and referred to her neighbour ‘M’
It was confirmed in September that Prince Harry had teamed with Oprah on a new Apple TV Plus streaming service series focusing on mental health.
The media mogul also attended the royal wedding in May 2018 as a guest of the couple.
The gift comes as Meghan praised the ‘quiet heroes’ of the coronavirus pandemic who have supported communities in a clip recorded for CNN in her first public appearance since revealing she suffered a miscarriage.
Meghan said last night: ‘We saw communities standing up and taking action. When kids’ lunch programs came to a halt, we saw our neighbors make sure that those children received the nutrition they need.’
Media mogul Oprah has grown close to both Meghan and Prince Harry, 36, and attended their wedding in May 2018 (pictured)
She added that ‘we as a community showed up’ to deliver food needed by vulnerable people, adding that ‘we also saw the power of the human spirit’ and that ‘we have the power to remind someone else that there is hope’.
It was the first time the Duchess has been seen since she wrote an article for the New York Times last month, revealing she lost her child in July, and described the ‘unbearable grief’ it caused her and 36-year-old Harry.
She did not address her own loss in the CNN clip, but told how 2020 had been ‘a year that has been universally challenging for everyone,’ before praising those who rose to the occasion and fed hungry neighbors going through tough times.
Meghan, who was wearing Catherine Zoraida earrings and a Cartier bracelet, had been speaking as part of the CNN Heroes series which praises those making a difference in communities.