They've been friends since 2014, but some royal fans have now questioned the Duchess of Sussex's closeness to Serena Williams after the tennis star's 'disastrous' As Ever promotion on Instagram.

Serena, 44, was among the lucky few to receive a PR parcel filled with Meghan's Mother's Day edit over the weekend, which included candles inspired by her children and a £42 box of chocolates.

But instead of posting a glowing, high-effort product shot, the athlete shared a bizarre, 'casual' attempt at promotion, showing the chocolates displaced and partially crushed in the box, or as she put it, 'botched' – before adding that she 'doesn't like chocolate'.

The post was worlds away from the usual snaps shared by celebrities to promote their friends' businesses – and when Meghan sent round her first PR packages, Kris Jenner and Chrissy Teigen shared a stunning setup to showcase the products.

Serena's post appeared to involve a much lower effort, with fans branding the post 'poorly done'. One wrote: 'I'm not sure if Serena just tossed the box around before filming, but the end result felt like a very poorly done promotion.'

In the clip, Serena said as she showcased the crushed treats: 'Anyway, the chocolate was beautiful. It was delicious. I don't like chocolate, but I have been killing them. So good.'

Commenting on Meghan's calligraphy, she said: 'Her penmanship has always been amazing from the 100 years I seem to have known her.'

And when looking at the No.506 candle, which features scents of Ginger, Cashmere and Neroli, Serena said she 'can't pronounce' the last ingredient – and it was much the same for the second candle, which included Santal – 'another word I can't pronounce'.

She concluded the post by saying, presumably directed at Meghan: 'I love candles, thank you, I love you.' 

One commenter wrote: 'It actually makes you wonder – why would you make your friend's product look bad while trying to promote it?' 

A second wrote: 'Serena has been Markled'. A third joked: 'I don't like chocolate... It was delicious... Uhhhhhh.'

A fourth wrote: 'What a beautiful box...and inside a complete mess.'

Another disagreed, saying: 'She did say she liked Meghan's penmanship, and that she doesn't like chocolate, but she had devoured those ones. I don't think it was intentional.'

Meghan met Serena briefly in 2010, and again in 2014, explaining on her now defunct blog The Tig that the pair 'hit it off immediately'.

The duchess invited the sportswoman to her wedding to Prince Harry and her star-studded baby shower when pregnant with Archie in New York City in February 2019.

Serena previously advised Meghan to 'stop being so nice' and also praised her 'class and poise' in the famous Oprah interview.

According to Mark Hodgkinson in Serena: A Graphic Biography of the Greatest Tennis Champion, the women's friendship quickly evolved through frequent phone calls and texts.

After becoming Prince Harry's girlfriend and then a duchess, Meghan leaned on Serena for mentoring on how to handle the paparazzi and the international media.

Serena advised her to 'stop being so nice', according to the author.

And when Meghan learned she was pregnant shortly after Serena's little girl was born, she offered her parenting advice.

In 2021, Williams revealed: 'We have known each other for a long time, but we really are relying on each other a lot recently.'

She added that watching Meghan marry Prince Harry in May 2018 was particularly special.

Serena said: 'It was really exciting to see so much African-American culture in the wedding and I was really happy that Meghan wanted to incorporate that into it. It was just a whole cultural shift and change.

'It was seeing how far African-Americans have come. I thought it was an incredibly inspiring and beautiful and really motivating thing. I was so proud of her and so happy for her.'

Meanwhile, in 2021, Serena praised Meghan, saying she is the 'epitome of class and strength' following her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.

She spoke to Behnaz Ghahramani, the chief marketing officer at Stuart Weitzman, for the debut episode of the brand's Shine Series, where she discussed her long-term friendship with the duchess.

She described Meghan as 'the strongest person I know'.

It comes after the Duchess appears to be taking a different stance at promoting her latest collection – and sending it to a select few, unlike when she released her first As Ever jam collection, and sent it to numerous A-listers.

While Meghan's A-list friends, including Kris Jenner, Chrissy Teigen and Zoe Saldana, received the Duchess's PR parcels the first time around, it seems a select few with smaller followings are receiving the Mother's Day Edit.

Among those who got the latest parcel is Meghan's best friend, Kelly McKee Zajfen, who hailed the Duchess as the 'best mama' to her 43,000 followers.

Meghan's close friend and Pilates instructor, Heather Dorak, who has 12,000 followers, and Today show editor, Adrianna Barrionuevo Brach, who has almost 7,000 followers, also received a parcel. 

A select number of medium-level American influencers, including Carly (@mycityapartment), who has more than 460,000 followers, and Kristina Zias, with nearly 350,000 followers on Instagram, were also on the list. 

The marketing materials for the two candles mention Archie and Lilibet's royal titles, as Meghan unveiled Signature Candle No.506, named after her son's birthdate of May 6, and Signature Candle No.604, in homage to Princess Lilibet's June 4 birthday.

Carly shared a photo of the £115 box from As Ever, including gourmet chocolates, on her Instagram Stories and tagged Meghan's lifestyle brand.

The box included a handwritten letter from Meghan, who said: 'I developed the scents over the last year so that every note melded together to take me right back to a special memory with them.'

'I can light the candle, close my eyes and I'm right there,' Meghan's message read. 'The memorable moments of motherhood.'

The box also included chocolates from Los Angeles brand Compartes, as Meghan wrote 'Enjoy every bite'.

'Thank you for welcoming As Ever into your home, and for allowing us to not just be a part of your moments, but to be part of your memories,' the letter read.

The scented candle for Prince Archie features 'ginger, neroli, and cashmere', and promises to bring a 'warm, comforting scent' for a 'soft familiar ease into the room'.

Meanwhile, the candle inspired by her daughter Lilibet, four, is made with 'amber, water lily and santal', encompassing a 'light, floral scent' which will bring 'a sense of brightness and openness to the home'.

The products are part of As Ever's tilt towards more 'expanded fragrance and apothecary offerings', Meghan told Town & Country.

'The goal for As Ever has always been finding ways we can bring beauty and ease to your life – as a host, as a guest, as a friend, as a mom,' she said.

'In whatever way you show up, I want As Ever to make it feel special. It began with a pot of jam, and a collection for your kitchen and now we are excited that the collection will soon expand into other parts of your home. It's a very special time and I'm proud of what we are creating.'