‘The King and Prince William now face a serious problem’ – Why Meghan’s new lifestyle brand is a ticking timebomb for the Royal Family, writes TOM BOWER
But the bizarrely named American Riviera Orchard is better described as a timebomb for the Royal Family.
Despite the homely talk of cutlery, recipes and upmarket jam, this has the appearance of blatant cashing in – an initiative by the former actress to secure a financial safety net for when the Sussexes’ earnings from Netflix and Spotify evaporate.
Meghan Markle launches long-awaited luxury lifestyle brand
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Meghan has announced her own lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, which will operate from her Tuscan-style cream palazzo in Montecito in California
Makeup, lavender sachets, yoga mats and even dog shampoo are also on the menu from Montecito as MailOnline revealed last night.
Harry and Meghan once pleaded that they sought no more than privacy in North America. They promised the late Queen that they would not commercialise their royal titles.
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But ever since landing in California in 2021, they have been boasting about their status – and exploiting it.
When American Riviera Orchard was launched on Instagram earlier this month, the venture was labelled ‘by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’.
Of course.
The direction of travel has been obvious ever since Meghan and Harry tied the knot at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in 2018.
Back then, there was enormous public backing for the glamorous, unstuffy American who promised to add a bit modernity and spontaneity to the British monarchy.
There was nothing off-the-cuff about the invitation list, though.
Few were fooled as they watched the guests arrive at the chapel.
Most were Hollywood agents, directors and celebrities – some of whom Meghan hardly knew. All were invited to witness her victory on joining the firm.
This was the first step in establishing Meghan Inc., a dream she has been loath to relinquish – and which the Royal Family should rightly fear.
‘Everything Meghan does is carefully curated and forensically planned,’ comments Gina Nelthorpe-Cowne, her former commercial agent.
There have been bumps along the way. To her seeming alarm, the British media reserved the right to be critical of her conduct from time to time, although not at first.
To her astonishment, Meghan discovered that Harry, then fourth in line to the throne, lived in a two-bedroom cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace, did not command an army of servants or have a limitless fortune. He did not even possess a private jet.
For a while, it seemed these were privations she was prepared to tolerate.
But the rules about exploiting royal titles turned out to be inconveniently restrictive.
It was only a matter of time before Meghan resurrected The Tig, her lucrative website which, until her engagement to Harry in 2017, peddled lifestyle choices – and promoted luxury fashion labels – to a million followers.
Now her lifestyle brand is back, it seems, this time adorned with regal bells.
True, Meghan is not the first royal to tread this path.
There was ridicule when Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, used her title to make money from ventures including slimming tips, posh teas and a £50 juicer.
But Fergie did not traduce the British monarchy via interviews and books. Nor was she attempting to establish a rival royal family across the water.
I’m glad the Queen didn’t survive to witness her grandson’s explosive memoir, Spare, about the Royal Family.
Or see Harry allow his wife’s exploitation of his kith and kin.
When Kate, whom Meghan has maligned, is suffering serious health issues, the timing of the American Riviera Orchard announcement seemed particularly tasteless even before the Princess of Wales’s shock cancer diagnosis.
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Makeup, lavender sachets, dog shampoo and yoga mats are also on the menu from Montecito
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View gallery
Now Meghan’s proposed lifestyle brand is adorned with regal bells
It also appears that the project has been rushed. Meghan has not yet appointed a chief executive to manage the business, as the Mail revealed yesterday.
In her haste to get it launched, did she forget the basic foundations of a successful operation – talented staff?
The King and Prince William now face a serious problem – and a woman whose personal drive and hungry ambition seem to know no bounds.
‘She wanted to rule the world,’ says Nelthorpe-Cowne of their time working together, words King Charles should remember.
Until now, he has been too accommodating.
It is unfortunate that the King agreed to give royal titles to the Sussex children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Now, after the launch of Meghan’s lifestyle brand, he probably regrets it.
The clue is in a recent decision to sharply reduce the formal biographies of Harry and Meghan on the Buckingham Palace website. The next step must be to remove their titles.
For Charles, that will be difficult. But, as the King and Kate recover from their illnesses and rebuild the institution, it is a necessary step – to protect the sanctity of Britain’s most precious brand, the Royal Family itself.
Tom Bower is the author of Revenge – Meghan, Harry And the War Between The Windsors. Published by Simon and Schuster
