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Former Ilkley curate locks down social media after Meghan advent calendar row

The dispute over a £5.99 Christian alternative and Meghan Markle’s £112 calendar led both priests to lock down their X accounts after online abuse.

  • Anglican priest Reverend Daniel French sparked an online row by criticizing Meghan Markle's $148 luxury Advent calendar, suggesting shoppers consider a £5.99 Christian-themed alternative from the Meaningful Chocolate Company instead.
  • The comparison triggered thousands of hostile replies, with critics branding French "evil" and a "spawn of Satan," while Father Chris Phillips, a vicar at All Saints Benhilton in Sutton, publicly backed French.
  • Phillips faced backlash from the "Sussex Squad," a community supporting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, after one user asked if he was "trolling a woman." Phillips explained he was contrasting products to highlight Christmas's meaning.
  • Following the intense online exchanges, both French and Phillips restricted their X accounts, making their profiles private to existing followers only.
  • There is no evidence Meghan or Prince Harry encouraged the targeting of either priest, as the "Sussex Squad" functions as an informal fan community rather than an organized group.
Insights by Ground AI

17 Articles

Right

Meghan's luxury advent calendar makes a big fuss! Two British clergymen made fun of the Duchess of Sussex's 130-pound product with a wink of their eyes. As a result, fans of Prince Harry's wife completely freaked out and scolded the priests massively on the net. One of them finally blocked his X account because of the "terror."

·Vienna, Austria
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Lean Left

AN EXPENSIVE Advent calendar has sparked an online controversy.

·Zagreb, Croatia
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Lean Left

Two British priests have been slammed on social media after criticizing a luxury Christmas calendar being sold by Meghan Markle. According to Page Six, citing the Daily Mail, the backlash came from a section of the Duchess of Sussex’s followers, known as the “Sussex Squad.” Meghan is selling the holiday calendar through her lifestyle brand As Ever. The box contains 24 chocolates and costs £112, or roughly $148. The product was developed in colla…

Center

A priest is called "Satan's Brut" after proposing chocolate for £5.99 in favor of a charity as an alternative to the duchess's festive offer.

·Syke, Germany
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Bias Distribution

  • 46% of the sources lean Left
46% Left

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The Telegraph broke the news in London, United Kingdom on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
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