Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's BFF allegedly appeared like a loving couple sharing a short embrace. The Duchess of Sussex was photographed on April 13 with her arms around the dashing Argentine polo player—and best friend of her husband, Prince Harry—Nacho Figueras at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge in Palm Beach. The trio were in Florida to film Harry's upcoming behind-the-scenes Netflix documentary on the sport.
As soon as the photographs surfaced, speculation arose, with some claiming that the California native, who had recently launched the American Riviera Orchard lifestyle brand, was a touch too intimate with the 47-year-old married guy. Or at least a little too handsy for a duchess, even though Nacho's wife, Delfina, was seen close.
"It raised some eyebrows at the polo match to see how cozy she got with Nacho. People couldn't help but notice,” an unnamed source told Star Magazine.
The entertainment news outlet added that touchy-feelyness has gotten the 42-year-old former “Suits” star in trouble before.
"Back when Meghan and Harry were living in England it was a big talking point how handsy they were. Some believed it was bad form for royals to be behaving like this in public and rather unseemly. (Harry's brother, Prince William, and his wife, Princess Kate, on the other hand, strictly follow royal protocol, barely even touching in public.) The criticism has left the mom of two baffled,” the tipster stated.
"Meghan has always been physically affectionate, she's very expressive," the informant shared, adding that the embrace was "purely platonic" and appropriate. "Harry and Meghan are very close with Nacho and his family. He's been a real rock of support and is someone they trust implicitly,” it went on.
Business Times has reached out to both Meghan Markle andd Nacho Figueras for comments.
Meanwhile, experts warn that if Meghan Markle's lifestyle company American Riviera Orchard takes off, she may need to hire a "small army" of employees to compete with its major rivals.
They anticipate the Duchess of Sussex will be swamped by initial demand for a wide range of products, including high-end meals, cookware, cutlery, pet and gardening supplies, stationery, candles, and home décor items like cushions, curtains, fine linens, and picture frames, Express UK reported.
Many of her new company's functions, such as distribution and technical support, are expected to be outsourced to existing organizations; nevertheless, experts think she will also require a strong core staff to compete on the same level as established competitors Martha Stewart and Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop.
Goop, which today has a net value of about £200 million, employs 297 full-time employees, whereas Martha Stewart's Omnimedia company employs 406, including a "home team" of 30 who operate from the farm where she also resides in Bedford, New York.
"She was bound to start off as the underdog in a fiercely competitive marketplace. But being so heavily out-gunned in terms of staff could be an immediate problem for her. Given her celebrity status, there’s bound to be an immediate rush of curious customers. But if she’s going to keep those customers, she needs a proper commercial infrastructure behind her…..and I don’t see any evidence of that,” LA-based media financial analyst Mike Raia said.
Meghan, 42, hired two new employees last week, although both will work on her and Prince Harry's communications team and are unlikely to have any role at American Riviera Orchard, whose official workforce level has yet to be published.
It has been reported that she has sought assistance with the virtual store from streaming giant Netflix, for whom she is developing a cuisine series that would tie in with many of the culinary products she hopes to sell, including her now-famous strawberry jam.
According to an industry insider, she is currently exploring the potential of a "commercial partnership" with Netflix, which would involve developing items based on the show.
This would be a new direction for the entertainment conglomerate, with whom Meghan and Harry have a five-year, $100 million production pact that expires in less than a year.
"If Netflix agrees to any commercial deal, the likelihood is that they will want hands-on control and are more than likely to want one of their own people as CEO of American Riviera Orchard,” the source furthered.
"The truth is that Meghan might be out of her depth alone at the helm of a burgeoning new company. It makes sense to turn to Netflix because she probably needs all the help she can get,” Media finance expert Raia stated.
