Hey all,
I absolutely swear that I read this somewhere a few years ago. SOMEONE who was pretty well titled… I want to say an earl, or an earl’s son, maybe… was selling china called “The Windsor Collection” (or a similar name) on… QVC? I KNOW this happened… but who was it? What was the situation? Somebody here has to know! 
Fergie? Duchess of York.
http://www.digitalspy.com/celebrity/news/a192175/duchess-of-york-to-host-qvc-show.html
Several articles about her pitching such a show/line of products but i don’t know that it ever came to fruition.
Sweet Jesus, save us all…
Anyway. Unless I’m going nuts-- which isn’t unlikely around Christmas… I just KNOW that there was also someone else. The pitching of the product actually did happen, too. I can almost think of who it was…
Is Fergie still the DoY or did she lose her title in the divorce?
Prince Michael of Kent, perhaps?
The wiki page is rather vague about what his “commercial interests” are, but he does work in the private sector.
It’s possible that it was Prince Michael… but I still think it was someone else… I SWEAR I didn’t make this up! Interesting question about Fergie, btw. I think I read about what happened with her title, but I couldn’t tell you the answer now. And I definitely remember her doing commercials for Weight Watchers.
Kept it:
Over here she is considered as something of a comedy figure.
There are several “Royal” pottery manufacturers. Royal Doulton, Royal Albert, Royal Stafford, to name a few.
It has always been controversial here when a member of the royals goes into “trade”, especially if they are seen to be using their connections to feather their own nests.
Imagine Malia Obama featuring in an advert for some fashion product?
That would be kind of a “meh” over here. This is the country where a (failed) presidential candidate and former long-time senator hocked Viagra and Pepsi.
#8: IIRC “Royal” in a business name means that the Palace considers them of high enough quality & rep to do business with, not that any Royal is involved with the business.
Is the Duchess of York a British* peer*?
I thought it was just that a Monarch (or high-ranking member of the Royal Family) had considered them worthy of being acknowledged in that way at some point in history? (Obviously if the business is still around today it’s because they’re making quality stuff, but as I understand it, “Royal” in front of its name doesn’t necessarily mean they’re on the list of current suppliers to the Palace).
It’s worth mearing there is a form of Royal “celebrity endorsement” of sorts: A Royal Warrant of Appoinment (eg “By Appointment to HRH The Duke of Blackadder, Purveyors of Cunning Schemes and Enhanced Codpieces”).
The list of businesses with a Royal Warrant is an interestingly diverse one, ranging from bespoke tailors the average person has never heard of because they cater to exclusive clientele to high-end marques like Aston Martin to unremarkable everyday products like mustards and sauces through to some fairly surprising companies like Samsung.
No, and regardless of which common meaning of the term “peer” you have in mind. If you mean a holder of one of the historical titles of the British nobility, then her ex-husband is a peer, but she never was. If you mean a member of the House of Lords, then he isn’t either. The House of Lords mostly consists of appointed, non-hereditary Life Peers.