The organic blanket seen in the use of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, the son of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, is made in an Indian factory where workers work a hefty 48 hours a week for just 45 cents an hour, the Daily Mail has claimed.
Meghan, being the eco-friendly person she is, recently wrapped the little prince in an Erawan Cotton Dohar, an Indian traditional summer blanket.
Archie was seen in his ‘organic blanket’ while the Duchess of Sussex was watching Harry play polo.
The blanket is marketed by Malabar Baby, a Hong Kong-based organic clothes and accessories brand offering all-organic baby products for eco-friendly parents.
The breaking revelation about the shawl was made after the Daily Mail visited Bagru, a town located an hour away from Jaipur in the Rajasthan province of India. The factory which manufactures stuff for the Malabar Baby range goes by the name of Nayika and is located in Bagru.
Aruna Regar is a worker from Nayika, who helps add the finishing touches to the organic blankets.
And the compensation of Aruna for making ‘the royal blanket’ is six thousand Indian rupees (or $85) a month, which translates to 45 cents an hour for a 48-hour workweek.
The minimum wage for a skilled textile worker in Jaipur is 31.125 INR an hour, which comes around at just 40 cents.
When asked, Aruna revealed she had no idea about who Harry, Archie or Meghan were, but said she knew there’s a queen in the United Kingdom. The poor lady, probably in her early 50’s, fainted with shock upon knowing the price Malar Baby charged the Duchess for the blanket.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Aruna said: “The blanket almost costs what I earn in two weeks and that’s difficult for me to believe. We struggle to make ends meet and life is very difficult for us. Our conditions in the factory are good and we are not treated badly.
“But our biggest problem is the money that we earn, it’s a pittance. I’m very happy that such an important person is using my blanket because it means there will be more orders for the company and continued work for us.”
The Regar family, consisting of Aruna, her husband, their two sons and their wives, and two grandchildren, lives in a half-built home having just two rooms.
Their electricity connection keeps tripping, leaving the family stranded with darkness and the heat of Rajasthan. The 600,000 INR ($8,500) required to complete the house is far out of reach for the poor Regars.
“You can see how we live. It is a basic existence. We work all the hours that God sends because we have to,” the woman said. “We do not understand things about saving the planet or what is or is not organic. For us it is all about work and survival.”
Meghan and Harry, who are known for their philanthropy and social activism, would surely be disturbed after learning the conditions the Regars live in.
Aruna’s husband Gopal, who also works at Nayika Textile, told the Daily Mail: “Even though by Indian standards my salary is just above average as a family, if you combine our income, we are poor and things are very hard. We do not know about the world of the rich and famous who buy the things we make.
“We do not even know which countries it is being sent to. My job is very demanding and requires a lot of skill but it is not very well paid. Sadly, it is all I know, this is the only thing that I’ve done all my life.”
Gopal was delighted and proud upon seeing the blanket, he helped make, wrapped around the royal infant.
He said: “I do not know who these people are but we had heard that somebody very famous was using our dohar.
“This must be them. Perhaps they might want to come and visit me one day to see how I made it? I might be poor but I feel very proud that royal people are using this blanket.”
For Nayika, the scene of the royal baby wrapped in their blanket has been a pretty good business opportunity as the orders for this stuff have sky-rocketed.
As of now, two thousand more blankets are under production in the factory.
The organic blanket, being marketed on Malar Baby website, is described as ‘simple but chic,’ and the seller claims that it makes ‘cuddle time lots of fun at home or on the go.’
Speaking to the Daily Mail, the manager of the factory said there’s been four times increase in the orders of the particular blanket after its association with the British royalty.
The manager said: “Meghan and Archie have been the best advertisement for this product and it has become a global hit. We make all the Malabar Baby range and ensure that this is done to a very high standard.
“We were very shocked to learn of the royal approval for our product. We told all the workers about it but I don’t think they really understood the significance of this. But we are delighted that the Royal family of Great Britain are using something that we have made. It is a true honor.”
When asked about the worker wages, he replied: “These are industry standard rates. We do not set them. Our workers enjoy good conditions, much better than you’ll find at other factories. We pay them the correct rate and treat them well.”