Searches for ‘Hermès blanket’ increase by 500% after Harry and Meghan trailer

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Google searches for “Hermès blanket” have skyrocketed ever since the throw blanket was featured in the trailer for the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s upcoming docuseries, Harry and Meghan.

Earlier this week, Netflix released the full trailer for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s highly-anticipated documentary Harry and Meghan. Due for release on 8 December, the six-part series shares “the other side” of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s story after stepping down as senior members of the royal family in 2020.

In the trailer, Prince Harry is heard suggesting that there were stories “planted” against Meghan, as the clip cuts to a tearful Meghan sitting in a chair with her head in her hands. Draped on the back of the chair is a beige and white throw blanket with the letter “H” woven on its front.

The blanket seen in the trailer is actually the Hermès “Avalon” Blanket, which the luxury fashion label debuted in 1988, according to Women’s Wear Daily. The outlet also reports that, following the trailer, there was a 500 per cent Google search increase for the term “Hermès blanket” and an 850 per cent increase for “Hermès blanket price”.

The 90 per cent merino wool, 10 per cent cashmere blanket is priced at a whopping $1,625 on the Hermès website. The French design house also sells the “Avalon III” blanket, which measures 53-inches by 67-inches, in three colours: Écru and gris clair, écru and red, or écru and navy blue. Meanwhile, the Avalon Tangram blanket retails for $4,750, the Avalon Jump’h costs $1,650, and the Avalon Spring is worth $3,500.

The Avalon blanket’s geometric design was influenced by the classic stable blankets used to cover horses. In 2017, Hermès introduced a new Avalon throw blanket that was made entirely of cashmere.

While sitting in her chair with the Hermès blanket on full display, Meghan Markle can also be seen dressed casually in a red pajama top from Bonne Nuit ($250) under a beige and red Marin Sweater ($295) from the same brand.

Elsewhere in the trailer, Prince Harry explained how there is a “hierarchy” in the royal family, which has a pattern of the “pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution”.

Then, Meghan is seen wiping away tears as she recalled: “I realised, ‘they’re never going to protect you’.”

“I was terrified. I didn’t want history to repeat itself,” Harry said.

Netflix will release volume one of Harry and Meghan on Thursday 8 December, followed by volume two on Thursday 15 December.