Meghan Markle’s charity-event jewelry sparks debate over authenticity amid Montecito image

Meghan Markle's appearance at Kevin Costner's One805LIVE! charity concert over the weekend drew renewed scrutiny of how the duchess positions herself in the public eye. At the event in Santa Barbara's Montecito area, Markle wore a navy Carolina Herrera halter dress paired with jewelry valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, including Princess Diana's Cartier Tank Française watch ($24,000), a Jennifer Meyer tennis bracelet ($5,000), a Cartier Love bracelet ($7,000) and her diamond engagement ring from Prince Harry (about $160,000).

Experts say the jewelry signals an upper-class status that may clash with Markle's effort to come across as relatable. "Wearing that kind of expensive jewelry communicates, 'I am in the upper class,'" Ryan McCormick, managing partner at Goldman McCormick PR, told the Daily Mail. "There are two conflicting messages here, and that’s one of the reasons why it could be challenging for some members of the public to emotionally connect with her." The expert noted the pieces are worth multiple times the average annual salary of most people, making it harder for the duchess to be seen as "one of us."

During an April interview with the New York Times, Markle, 44, responded to accusations that her high-class lifestyle comes off as unrelatable. "Don't they know my life hasn't always been like this?" she said, gesturing toward her Montecito estate. Critics, including author Julia Moskin, noted she sometimes seemed bothered by claims she’s out of touch. On the set of her Netflix series, "With Love, Meghan," she has worn prohibitively expensive clothing—such as a silk dress by Ulla Johnson ($1,000), a $3,000 Carolina Herrera dress and a $600 CO blouse—before the show linked several wardrobe items to her ShopMy store, though the site has since been removed.

A royal commentator told the Daily Mail that Markle's wardrobe may be about fitting into her Montecito neighborhood, which also includes high-profile residents like Oprah Winfrey and Gwyneth Paltrow. "Her habit of wearing hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry feels less like a play for an audience and more like a way of 'keeping up with the Joneses' in Santa Barbara," Kinsey Schofield said. "I simply think she’s competing with her very famous and very rich neighbors."

A representative for Markle did not immediately respond to comment requests. Markle and Prince Harry, who married in 2018, stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and relocated to Montecito, where they raise Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in a $14 million mansion. In March, Markle described her Montecito life to People magazine, noting that she and her friends—stay-at-home moms and working women—enjoy dinners and girls’ nights out, expanding their network beyond child-focused meetups to Pilates and social events.

The Santa Barbara enclave has drawn wide attention as the couple’s post-royal life has evolved, with some observers arguing that Markle’s public image remains a point of contention among fans and critics alike. While supporters say she uses her platform to support charitable causes, detractors argue that the public-facing wardrobe decisions can complicate how relatable she appears to broad audiences.