Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is seeking support from the British royal family for her new lifestyle venture, American Riviera Orchard. With aspirations to sell bespoke jams, dog treats, and other luxury items, Meghan reportedly hopes to gain the endorsement of King Charles and his nieces, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice. "Meghan is looking for support wherever she can get it," an insider told OK! Magazine. "Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice are at the top of her list, but she is shooting even higher and would love to get King Charles to give his stamp of approval."
The endeavor comes amidst whispers of potential rivalry between Meghan's new business and the established luxury organic goods from King Charles' Highgrove estate, which has been selling products like jams and honey for years. However, former BBC Royal reporter Jennie Bond dismisses any notion of competition.
"I absolutely refuse to buy into suggestions of a petty rivalry between Meghan's products and the release of new products from the Highgrove estate," Bond told OK! Magazine. "Highgrove has been coming up with new products for years now. The marketing might have become more sophisticated over time, but there has always been publicity about the organic produce from the farm and gardens."
Meghan's move into the gourmet food market has set royal circles abuzz, particularly as it diverges from the much-anticipated tell-all book that many expected from her. Emma Clifton, a journalist at Australian Women's Weekly, suggests that this new direction might be a relief for the royal family. "Considering how much anticipation there was for Meghan's supposed 'tell-all-novel,' her pivot into domestic goddess should surely mean there are a few sighs of relief around the palace...for now," Clifton noted.
Celebrity PR expert Waylon Tate also commented on Meghan's unique branding strategy. "What I've seen so far, although she's been pretty clandestine about it, is that it's Meghan and it's Meghan alone," Tate told Australian Women's Weekly. "This is the emancipation of Meghan. It's her saying, 'I'm a smart, savvy businesswoman. And here's an introduction to my family on my terms.'"
Despite these positive spins, the path forward is not without challenges. Social media reactions to American Riviera Orchard have been mixed. Critics have not been shy about voicing their skepticism, particularly regarding Meghan's rumored plans to release a rosé wine. "Imagine going from having one of the largest & most influential platforms handed to you, where you could do an incredible amount of good...to selling cheap wine as a cash grab," one critic wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Further complicating matters, Meghan's friend Nacho Figueras promoted the business on social media during a time that coincided with Kate Middleton's return to public engagements, an act some royal watchers deemed insensitive due to Middleton's ongoing cancer battle. "While I am sure the gift packages came with notes requesting social media coverage, you can't tell Nacho Figueras what to do," a source told OK!. "The larger point here is that the American Riviera Orchard campaign has been phenomenally successful and cost Meghan nothing."
However, the absence of actual products for sale has left some questioning the campaign's purpose. Meghan returned to Instagram in March to tease the platform's launch, but it has yet to hit retailers. "The one fly in the ointment is Meghan's new internet brand, American Riviera Orchard. Meghan was in tears when the brand launched and her new jam was widely mocked for being expensive and nothing special," royal author Tom Quinn told a publication. "She has reached the point now where she thinks that anything and everything she does will be unfairly criticized."
Despite these hurdles, Meghan remains hopeful. She is reportedly pushing Prince Harry to reach out to any royal family members still willing to support them. "She wants Harry to reach out to anyone in the family that he's still got access to," the insider revealed to GB News. "She still believes that there is a lot more support for them inside the royal family than people let on, and thinks it would be foolish not to ask for help."
