Experts say it is no coincidence that Meghan Markle launched a new lifestyle brand in the context of Prince William and Princess Kate’s crisis.
|Meghan launches lifestyle brand
On March 14, Meghan Markle launched the lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard. She also introduced to the public the official website and Instagram of her “new brainchild”. There is no specific information about American Riviera Orchard other than the logo and a short video recording the Duchess of Sussex’s activities in the $14 million villa in Montecito, California, USA.
The short video shows Meghan cooking in the kitchen, then changes to the hallway and the beauty born in 1981 wearing a black evening dress stands in the distance. The video color looks like movies from the last century, looking classic and mysterious.
Meghan shares a video introducing the American Riviera Orchard brand.
According to Page Six , Meghan is returning to the time before becoming a royal bride in 2018, rebuilding her image through an expanded version of her previous lifestyle blog, The Tig. . An insider said American Riviera Orchard focuses on homes, gardens, cuisine and general lifestyle items.
“She’s been doing this for over a year. It’s all about what’s close to her heart – what she’s passionate about,” the source told Page Six Style .
The trademark application obtained by Page Six reveals American Riviera Orchard will sell a variety of household goods, including edible items like jellies, jams, spreads, as well as tableware staples such as cutlery, tablecloths and cups. Cookbooks are also mentioned in the profile.
Meghan Markle’s launch of a new brand is not a surprise. In February, Page Six ‘s exclusive source revealed that the former Suits star plans to launch a lifestyle/cuisine show with Netflix. American Riviera Orchard fits this plan perfectly.
However, the problem that makes experts wonder is why Meghan chose this time to announce a new project. Hours after Meghan debuted American Riviera Orchard, William and Harry spoke together at the Diana Legacy Awards at the Science Museum in London (UK). The event marked a rare joint appearance for King Charles’s two sons, although one was present in person, the other via video call. In addition, at this time, the Prince and Princess of Wales were engulfed in a crisis of loss of public confidence.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliam told MailOnline : “In my view, the Sussexes don’t do anything by accident and timing is often of the essence… They can’t predict what will happen but according to In a sense, they can calculate the time when releasing information will definitely be beneficial. They don’t do anything by accident.”
Meanwhile, New York Post writer Johnny Oleksinski said that Meghan easily attracts attention thanks to the royal family’s current confusing situation. This is not necessarily bad for Princess Kate because her sister-in-law’s new move can help her reduce public pressure.
Experts say that Meghan was calculated when announcing the new project in the context of Princess Kate’s crisis. Photo: Getty Images.
Will Meghan succeed?
Despite receiving great initial attention, Oleksinski believes that Meghan’s ambition to compete with lifestyle gurus such as Joanna Gaines, Gwyneth Paltrow, Martha Stewart… is unlikely to succeed. The reason is that Harry and Meghan have lost their welcome in Hollywood. Vanity, inexperience, talent and laziness can cost them. The proof is that they have not achieved any memorable achievements after 4 years in Hollywood.
The first is losing a $20 million contract with Spotify. The $100 million deal with Netflix only returned a few forgettable documentaries. Harry & Meghan created a buzz, but only thanks to the audience’s initial interest in the conflict in the royal family. Even the lifestyle blog The Tig achieved some success but was not big enough to hold Meghan back. She did not hesitate to erase her dedication after marrying into the royal family. Up to now, does anyone in the audience remember The Tig? Meghan’s acting career is also limited to the movie Suits .
Oleksinski mocked Meghan for publicly condemning the royal family, but the new American Riviera Orchard brand logo is boldly royal, with stylized yellow writing.
Meghan’s new brand logo is commented to have a royal style. Photo: IG.
Maureen Callahan of the Daily Mail also had a similar opinion. Popular culture commentators point out that American Riviera Orchard is written in the flowing style typical of British aristocracy, above is the royal insignia and all is embroidered with gold thread.
According to Callahan, this shows that what the late Queen Elizabeth II feared is finally happening. Meghan commodified the royal family, using it to sell homewares and cookbooks.
“There has never been a greater crisis than now. As the king retreats from public duties, with the monarchy struggling amid Kate’s prolonged absence, Meghan registers an American trademark to sell tablecloths, napkins, wine decanters, jams and jellies ”, Callahan wrote.
Callahan doesn’t believe Meghan can succeed with her new project: “The driving force of any famous lifestyle brand is pride. This is based on the founder’s confidence that most other women want to be her. But who wants to be Meghan Markle?”