Meghan Markle has soft launched her highly anticipated lifestyle brand set to place her shoulder to shoulder with Hollywood's influencing elite, such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Martha Stewart.
On March 14, at around 1:00 p.m. ET, an Instagram account for "American Riviera Orchard" posted a photo grid launching the brand, with the biography tagline "by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex."
Speculation that Meghan would launch some kind of lifestyle commercial venture has circulated since she split from the monarchy with Prince Harry in 2020 and moved to the U.S. with their young family.
The former actress ran a successful lifestyle blog, The Tig, before her marriage to Harry which featured self-authored posts on fashion, food and travel.
Representatives for Meghan have confirmed her involvement with American Riviera Orchard, according to The New York Times, but would not elaborate further on its plans or outlook.
Here, Newsweek looks at everything we know about Meghan's American Riviera Orchard, so far.
Name
Meghan's new lifestyle brand is named "American Riviera Orchard."
Though the thought process behind the name and how it links to the services the brand will offer are as yet unknown, there is a clear link to Meghan and her status as a California resident within it.
Beneath the name on the brand's social media page and website is the location "Montecito."
This exclusive celebrity-loved enclave in the township of Santa Barbara, north of Los Angeles, is where Meghan and Harry made their home following their move to the States in 2020.
The area is famed for its beauty and views out onto the Pacific coastline. The "American Riviera" portion of Meghan's brand's name is likely a reference linking her new home to the stretches of European coastlines known as "rivieras" in France and Italy.
Branding
American Rivera Orchard has been launched with a subtle brand identity consistent through its Instagram page, website and 16-second teaser trailer.
The name is visually represented using stylized calligraphy which many fans will recognize as being similar to Meghan's own penmanship, which she has been both praised and criticized for over her years in the public eye.
The gold embroidered lettering against a white linen weave background gives the instant impression of luxury, hinting at the type of products and content that the brand could be looking to produce.
Above the name and "Montecito" location, the branding also features an embroidered-effect monogram with the initials "A" and "R" clearly visible.
Visually, the illusion of an "M" and "H" can also be interpreted in the monogram, perhaps being an intentional tribute to Meghan and Harry's life partnership.
Alongside the branding, a 16-second short film sets the aesthetic tone for the commercial venture.
Shot in a soft focus and underscored by the 1960 song "I Wish You Love" by Nancy Wilson, the video features clips of a figure (apparently Meghan) arranging flowers and posing in a ballgown.
Trademark and Purpose
American Riviera Orchard's Instagram page was created in January 2024.
On February 2, a trademark application for the name was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office by the company Mama Knows Best, LLC. Two further applications connected with American Riviera Orchard have been filed by the company so far.
Mama Knows Best, LLC is registered at the same address in Beverly Hills as Harry and Meghan's Archewell Organization. Both are organized in Delaware.
The trademarks have been registered to use the name for the purpose of a number of lifestyle related goods and services both for retail-store and e-commerce, these include: flatware; cookbooks; household linens; jellies, jams, nut butters and spreads; gift wrap; stationary; candles; yoga mats and pet food.
No further information on the brand and its future has yet been given.
Newsweek approached representatives of Meghan Markle via email for comment.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
