Meghan Markle's newly rebranded lifestyle venture, As Ever, has encountered unexpected resistance from business owners and civic officials as it moves forward under its new name. Just weeks after Markle, 43, scrapped her initial American Riviera Orchard project due to trademark issues, small business owners in the U.S. and a Spanish town have raised concerns over potential branding conflicts.
An Arizona-based photographer and a New Jersey clothing company are among those who already operate businesses under the As Ever name. Jen, the owner of As Ever Photography, which has been in operation for more than 12 years, took to social media to express her frustration over Markle's adoption of the name.
"When one of the most famous people in the world starts using your biz name of 12+ years (that you named in honor of your grandmother), seems like they could throw me a lil bone?" she wrote on Instagram, tagging Meghan Markle and Netflix, which is involved in Markle's upcoming projects.
Jen later clarified that she wasn't interested in attacking Markle personally but was simply expressing frustration over the rebrand. "I had a bit of fun posting about Meghan Markle using my biz name, but I am in no way interested in hatemongering against her," she wrote, after disabling comments due to an influx of negativity surrounding the situation.
Beyond the U.S., Markle's brand is also facing a potential legal challenge in Spain. Officials in Porreres, a small town in Mallorca, have accused the Duchess of Sussex of copying elements of the town's coat of arms for As Ever's logo. The emblem features a palm tree flanked by two birds, an image strikingly similar to that used in Markle's branding.
Francisca Mora, the mayor of Porreres, told local newspaper Ara Balears that the town was considering legal action. "I don't know if she visited some agritourism sites and saw the coat of arms, because the photo on her website is taken from Mallorca," Mora said. She described the similarity as "surreal" and said that while the town was enjoying international recognition from the situation, they would request Markle remove the logo.
"We don't want our coat of arms to be perverted because it belongs exclusively to Porreres," Mora told The Sun. She added that the only difference between Markle's logo and the town's coat of arms is the species of birds depicted-with Porreres' historians debating whether they are swallows or pigeons, whereas As Ever features hummingbirds.
Markle has not publicly commented on the growing disputes. However, the situation raises questions about whether As Ever could face another forced rebrand. The Duchess's lifestyle venture has already struggled with trademark roadblocks since its inception, and with business owners and municipal authorities objecting, its long-term viability under the current name remains uncertain.
The controversy comes just two weeks before the launch of Markle's new Netflix series, "With Love, Meghan", which is expected to showcase aspects of her personal life, philanthropic work, and business endeavors. The series is a major component of Markle's latest effort to establish a strong public brand presence following her departure from royal duties.
