Buckingham Palace has unveiled its 2026 advent calendars, with the King’s chocolate-filled version priced £100 less than Meghan Markle’s luxury offering.
Weighing 95g and available through the Royal Collection Trust website, the calendar is designed to “capture the magic of the festive season” across three royal residences, including Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The Palace calendar contains 24 chocolates, just like the Duchess of Sussex’s As Ever version, but costs considerably less than the £112 “Montecito-inspired” product from Meghan’s lifestyle brand.
Meghan’s limited-edition Christmas calendar is available only in the US and comes pre-filled with chocolates made by Los Angeles gourmet chocolatier Compartés.
Its design features a sketch of the £11 million California mansion where Meghan and Prince Harry lived for six years, alongside countdown numbers hand-painted in Meghan’s own handwriting with edible gold lustre.
The selection includes strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and orange marmalade flavours, as well as a special chocolate decorated with Meghan’s own flower sprinkles.
The Palace has also introduced an unfilled advent calendar, with prices starting from £25.
Due to launch later this month, the white calendar depicts Buckingham Palace in winter and can be personalised, allowing customers to decide what sits behind each of the 24 countdown doors.
Items to fill the calendar are sold separately, including £5 Buckingham Palace chocolate coins, £7 Balmoral honey, a £12 hand cream and a £43 bag charm.
Meghan Markle’s £112 chocolate advent calendar is £100 more expensive than Buckingham Palace’s £12 version
Like the Duchess of Sussex’s “Holiday Advent Calendar”, the Palace version contains 24 chocolates but costs far less than As Ever’s “Montecito-inspired” offering
The royal chocolate calendar features a lavishly decorated Christmas tree topped with a crown, two Union flags and ceremonial guardsmen who “stand watch at these iconic locations”.
On September 28, the Royal Collection Trust confirmed that its Christmas Shop will return to the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace on November 13.
A post shared on the gift shop’s official Instagram account on October 2 teased several new products, including “festive treats, thoughtful gifts, and decorations inspired by royal tradition”.
Two days later, Meghan suggested that As Ever customers could expect “a few surprises in store” after the brand launched its first advent calendar.
The accompanying image showed the Duchess stirring a copper saucepan in a stylish kitchen featuring a stainless steel cooker, oak cupboards and delicate ceramic dishes.
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“The season of giving is almost here, and we have a few surprises in store,” the caption read, without revealing further details to the account’s 887,000 followers.
New additions to the Buckingham Palace Shop this season include hand-finished Christmas tree decorations, among them a corgi wearing a crown as a tribute to the late Queen, along with new hampers.
Priced at £70, the Sweet Treat Hamper contains “a tempting selection of Buckingham Palace favourites”, including chocolate chip shortbread cookies, clotted cream fudge and hot chocolate.
The Royal Collection Trust has also introduced its Royal Festive Pantry range, featuring fine foods such as mince pies, festive preserves and hot chocolate.
Meghan’s new advent calendar has been created in collaboration with Compartes’ creative director Jonathan Grahm.
A press release declared ‘every detail was considered with care, including countdown numbers hand-painted in Meghan’s own penmanship using edible gold lustre’.
The Palace has also unveiled a new unfilled advent calendar, with prices starting at £25
Flavours include strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and orange marmalade, plus what is described as a ‘special chocolate finished with Meghan’s own flower sprinkles’.
Compartés’s dark chocolate ganache truffle also features in the calendar, with Meghan’s writing said to turn ‘each day’s reveal into a small, personal moment’.
The product is priced at $148 (£112) and is available to pre-order in the US on As Ever’s website, with delivery from early next month.
Meghan’s business described this as the ‘latest chapter in an ongoing collaboration between the two brands’, after the $12 (£9) As Ever x Compartés chocolate bars.
Ahead of the product launch, Meghan shared a video of her and Mr Grahm zooming around an unidentified estate on a golf cart on her Instagram Stories.
The duchess, who was behind the wheel, could be heard saying ‘Hang on!’ as Mr Grahm added ‘Stay tuned!’ and they enjoyed a laugh together.
The clip was set to Michael Bublé’s hit Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) and captioned ‘Christmas planning in June’.
Meghan also included early prints of the box’s artwork and footage of her beloved black Labrador Pula carrying an As Ever plushie toy in her mouth while the duchess lovingly stroked her head.
READ MORE: Is this Meghan’s new kitchen? Duchess showcases luxurious farmhouse-inspired room in As Ever promo with oak cabinets, stainless steel cooker and marble surfaces
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