Meghan plugs her As Ever range with a scone recipe

On Friday, Prince William intervened in the scone wars, claiming his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, preferred her cream teas ‘the Devonian way’ – cream first, then jam on the treats – as opposed to the Cornish tradition of jam then cream. Just hours later, Meghan Markle joined the debate, and whilst she might not be on good enough speaking terms to share Afternoon Tea with most of her royal relatives, the Duchess of Sussex showed she at least agrees with them when it comes to scones. On her lifestyle brand As Ever’s Instagram account, a clip was shared over the weekend illustrating a sliced scone before a dollop of cream was added first. The sweet treat was finished with a spoonful of Meghan’s raspberry spread, honey and flower sprinkles.

The video was shared to mark ‘Memorial Day weekend plans’ – but fans were left questioning the timing of the post. ‘Why is Meghan posting a recipe for scones – a British food – for a US holiday?’ one person said on X, while others claimed the Duchess was ‘copying’ William. However, Meghan previously mentioned scones on her As Ever website, with a description for her Orange Marmalade reading: ‘Golden and fragrant, with a lively zest that lingers and a refined sweetness – our rendition of a teatime classic. Spoon it over warm scones, swirl it into yogurt, or enjoy it simply on toast.’ Elsewhere, some royal fans also took issue with the scone itself in Meghan’s Instagram clip, suggesting it was too ‘crunchy’ and shouldn’t have included honey.

In an interview with Heart FM’s breakfast show on Friday, Prince William was offered some scones and asked which way he preferred them. The royal said: ‘I love that I’m the authority on the scones. I can only tell you what I learned from my grandmother, and she would definitely, she would have the cream on first.’ But he added, diplomatically: ‘It tastes delicious either way.’ However, Prince William’s revelation – which came, slightly awkwardly, during a trip to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in his role as Duke of Cornwall – is sure to ignite debate, since many believed the late monarch preferred the latter.

That’s certainly what her former chef claimed and is how they have always served them up at Buckingham Palace garden parties, where no-one, not even Her Late Majesty, complained. While the origins of the rivalry are debatable, Cornish aficionados believe their own clotted cream should be the crowning glory of the sweet treat, while devoted Devonians believe the cream acts as butter to stop the jam sliding off. The prince also told the show, which was broadcast live from St Mary in the Isles of Scilly, of his pride at the way in which his wife has come through her cancer battle, describing her as an ‘amazing mum and wife’. He revealed Catherine came back ‘buzzing’ from her recent work trip to Italy, the first solo foreign visit she has undertaken for four years since she was diagnosed and underwent treatment.

‘She’s an amazing mum and an amazing wife, and literally our family couldn’t cope without her so she’s been absolutely stunning,’ he said. William, 43, also spoke of the ‘chaos’ of school runs with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis as their elder brother, Prince George, is already boarding at school in Berkshire. Louis, in particular, has a habit of leaving fingerprints from his jam sandwiches in the car. Speaking to his family on show, he said: ‘Charlotte and Louis, because George is boarding, Charlotte and Louis if you’re listening, make sure you’re on time please, make sure you’re not fighting over who listens to what, this morning.’

He also waxed lyrical about the Isles of Scilly, where he would frequently holiday with his parents as a young boy. Speaking about their family holidays, he described it as a ‘place like no other. It’s kind of a different world down here, it’s beautiful’. He now holidays on Tresco, another of the islands in the archipelago 28 miles from the coast of Cornwall, with his own family.