Meghan Markle fans have jumped to her defence after a business owner branded her "villain of the year" in a scathing attack.

Supporters of the Duchess of Sussex have reportedly rang Kitson department store to express their fury, after its owner, Fraser Ross, put her in a "holiday hypocrites" gallery in the window in Los Angeles, California.

In the picture, Meghan, 44, is wearing a Santa hat with "Montecito Diva" emblazoned across it. The Duchess of Sussex is featured alongside other "villains" including California governor Gavin Newsom, George Clooney and Katy Perry.

But Meghan's supporters are irate, including one who has called Kitson multiple times in one day this week to talk to Mr Ross. The business owner said: "One called the store 20 times to say we 'weren’t nice'. She was deranged."

Mr Ross, though, has doubled down on his decision to include the Duchess of Sussex in the mix. He said: "Two months ago we asked our followers who should be on the windows and Meghan’s name [repeatedly] came up and they stated reasons."

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Meghan's fans expressed their sympathy for the star this month after her father was rushed to hospital and needed surgery. She eventually reached out to Thomas, the former TV lighting director, amid growing support from her following.

And her following has continued to show support amid Meghan's latest challenges, despite Mr Ross' insistence her place on the gallery is justified. He told the Daily Mail: "We have been getting harassed by Meghan Markle fans. We told them we do this every year and she won one of the spots. Hopefully a retail store can knock some sense into Meghan because her "yes people" are making people dislike her more."

The business owner said customers cited their disdain for Meghan and Prince Harry's criticism of the Royal Family as reasons to include her on the gallery, which also features George Clooney and Katy Perry.

After Harry and Meghan quit their royal duties in 2020 and relocated to America, Kitson, which is in Robertson Blvd, started offering up 'Team Harry & Meghan' and 'Team William & Kate' t-shirts so buyers could back their favourite royal couple.

And the shop has taken fire at the Duchess of Sussex again as disparaging headlines plastered alongside the former actress criticise her decision "not to let go of her royal status".

The scathing headline beside Katy Perry condemns her decision to date "the man who made a whole country hate him" — a nod to the end of her new partner Justin Trudeau's premiership in Canada this year.