Leprosy charity sales soar after Sussex Squad attacks British priest over £6 Advent calendar

From the Newshound archive · first published 8 October 2026 · last updated 9 October 2026.

The Leprosy Mission has been inundated with hundreds of orders for its £6 Fairtrade chocolate Advent calendar after Meghan Markle's online followers turned on the Anglican priest who drew attention to it. The Reverend Daniel French, a London university chaplain, had done nothing more than flag the charity calendar to his followers as a low-cost alternative to Meghan's £112 As Ever gourmet chocolate version — a product the duchess promoted while dressed in clothing and jewellery reported to be worth £75,000.

The Leprosy Mission's chief executive Amanda Norman said buyers are now choosing to support 'people affected by leprosy, rather than waste money on expensive celebrity Advent calendars'.

Journalist Antonia Hoyle says she too faced days of abuse on Instagram — told she was 'teeming with loser energy' and called a 'bitch' — simply for writing a lighthearted piece questioning Meghan's portrayal of countryside life.