The Duchess of Sussex announced her new business venture in a surprise post on Instagram.
Meghan Markle made an appearance to celebrate the launch of American Riviera Orchard, her lifestyle brand, on Thursday, March 14. A video of the 42-year-old duchess collecting flowers and cooking in a kitchen was posted to the brand’s Instagram Story, with the song “I Wish You Love” by Nancy Wilson playing in the background.
The new Instagram page’s profile simply says: “By Meghan, Duchess of Sussex” and “Founded in 2024.” Along with the social media launch, American Riviera Orchard’s website simply displays the brand’s logo that reads “Montecito.” Montecito is the area where she and her husband Prince Harry moved after leaving the royal family in 2020.
Meghan’s American Riviera Orchard would prioritize home, garden, culinary, and overall lifestyle content, per a Page Six report. It is also said that the company will offer a range of household products, including food items, cookbooks, and kitchenware.
The company name “American Riviera Orchard” is probably a reference to her new residence in Santa Barbara, California. According to Travel and Leisure, Santa Barbara has long been referred to as the “American Riviera” due to its beautiful scenery, mild climate, and “robust food and wine culture.”
Meghan has ventured into the lifestyle industry previously. The former Suits star operated The Tig, a lifestyle site she started in 2014 and shut down in 2017, before being married to Prince Harry in a royal wedding in 2018. In addition to writing on fashion and beauty, Meghan has previously referred to the site as a digital “conversation between girlfriends” and a platform for publishing inspirational pieces for young women. There were rumors of a rebranding back in 2022 when it was revealed that Meghan had recently applied to trademark The Tig.
Meghan has revived her personal account on Instagram following her accession to the royal family, and this is her first public post since then. When an unverified Instagram account with the handle @meghan suddenly gained thousands of followers over night last year, there were rumours that the duchess was preparing to make a comeback to the platform. Her comeback to the site was hinted at in an August 2022 interview with The Cut. What secret would you like to know? Journalist Allison P. Davis learned from Meghan. “I’m getting back… on Instagram.”
But the mother of two has long decried social media for its “toxicity,” most recently during a keynote panel on International Women’s Day at the South by South West (SXSW) festival in Texas. “I keep my distance from it,” she declared the previous week.
Sussex.com, Meghan and Harry’s new website, was subtly relaunched in February. The homepage of the website is titled “The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” and at the bottom of the page are links to the Sussex Royal website, Archewell Productions, and the Archewell Foundation. According to reports, the new website would provide more intimate details about the activities of the duke and duchess.
The opening of Meghan Markle’s American Riviera Orchard comes amid intense controversy surrounding the royal family after the Crown Princess of Wales admitted to editing a family photo shared on Mother’s Day in the UK. The photos were later taken down by several agencies due to the altered nature, and Duchess Kate issued a public apology.