Meghan Markle is back. After the rumour mill gained momentum in February as hers and Prince Harry’s joined website soft-launched its re-brand, earlier this month the former Duchess of Sussex officially announced her return to the lifestyle realm with the announcement of her brand, American Riviera Orchard.
The Instagram page for American Riviera Orchard simply reads, 'by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex' and 'Established 2024'. The brand's quiet luxury-inflected branding boasts an almost royal-esque logo with 'Montecito' - the neighbourhood where she and Prince Harry relocated to after stepping down as senior royals in 2020 - written under it.
In a sepia-filtered video released to accompany the brand's launch, which was soundtracked by Nancy Wilson's 'I Wish You Love', Markle can be faintly seen moving around a kitchen filled with copper pans. The song is a subtle nod to Prince Harry too, as the song that concluded their Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, was Wilson's '(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am.'
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It is believed that the name American Riviera Orchard takes inspiration from Markle's new home in California's wealthy enclave of Santa Barbara, which is often referred to as the 'American Riviera' owing to its winding landscapes, temperate climate and fresh and high-quality food and wine offering. In less than 24 hours, the lifestyle brand had amassed an Instagram following of 329,000.
According to Page Six, American Riviera Orchard will focus on home, garden, food, and general lifestyle content and will eventually branch into selling a variety of home goods, such as cookbooks, foods, and kitchenware. A trademark application obtained by the American publication further revealed that American Riviera Orchard will sell an array of home goods, including cookbooks, jams and spreads and tableware staples such as cutlery, table linens and glassware.
A second, international registration application includes stationery, textiles, string bags, yoga gear and a range of pet-related items such as leashes, collars, feeding mats and bird seed.
Various news outlets, including Page Six have reported that the brand has also filed trademark applications to sell beauty products across makeup and skincare, as well as haircare and fragrance – including 'fragrance sachets' and, specifically, 'lavender sachets'.
Other items of particular interest are 'beach umbrellas' and 'wine carrying cases'. Quite frankly, the list hints at a lifestyle that we are very much willing to buy into.
'She’s been working on this for over a year and it’s all the things that are close to her heart — all the things she’s passionate about,' a source told the outlet.
As of April 2024, the first product from Markle's lifestyle brand has been unveiled: a jar of strawberry jam. The product has reportedly been sent to 50 influencers and friends, including Argentine socialite Delfina Blaquier, who posted two images of the product on her Instagram stories. 'Strawberry jam makes me happy 🍓 And I ❤️ your jam @americanrivieraorchard' ran a caption above the jar, which featured the American Riviera Orchard Montecito logo, as well as what appears to be a handwritten '10 of 50'.
Of course, this isn't Markle's first foray into the lifestyle space. Prior to her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, the former Suits actor operated The Tig, a lifestyle blog she once described as a 'conversation between girlfriends'. The Tig was created in 2014 before it was shuttered in 2017 as the news broke about hers and Prince Harry's relationship. It was reported in 2022 that Markle had applied to trademark The Tig, which led many to speculate her return to lifestyle-related content.
After parting ways with Spotify in 2023, Markle also recently inked a podcast deal with female-founded company, Lemonada Media, which it is believed will also distribute her old Spotify podcast Archetypes.
‘I’m proud to now be able to share that I am joining the brilliant team at Lemonada to continue my love of podcasting,’ Markle said in a statement. ‘Being able to support a female founded company with a roster of thought provoking and highly entertaining podcasts is a fantastic way to kick off 2024. Our plan to re-release Archetypes so that more people can now have access to it, as well as launching a dynamic new podcast are well in the works. I’m so eager to be able to share it soon and am overjoyed to be joining the Lemonada family.’
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Naomi May is a freelance writer and editor with an emphasis on popular culture, lifestyle and politics. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard as its Fashion and Beauty Writer, working across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Acting News Editor at ELLE UK and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others.
