Topline
The first branded item from Meghan Markle’s shrouded-in-secrecy lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, was shared by L.A. fashion designer Tracy Robbins one month after the Duchess of Sussex soft launched the venture on Instagram, overshadowed by a scandal at Kensington Palace.
Key Facts
Robbins posted a photo to Instagram of a jar of jam bearing the American Riviera Orchard name and logo nestled into a bowl of lemons alongside a caption ending, “Thank you M!”—seemingly a reference to the duchess.
The label also included a handwritten batch number “17 of 50,” suggesting the item was part of a limited release.
Argentinian socialite Delfina Blaquier also posted a photo of her jar—No. 10 of 50—shared alongside a strawberry emoji.
The jam is the first clue about what the brand might offer after it launched last month with a nine-picture post on Instagram and a short video that saw Markle arranging flowers, baking and walking down a stone walkway while wearing a floor-length black gown.
Key Background
American Riviera Orchard is the latest in a series of business ventures launched by Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, since they left London and stepped away from their royal duties in 2020. They moved to California in June 2020 and have since started a charity organization and a production company using the name Archewell, a reference to their eldest son, Prince Archie of Sussex. Through Archewell Productions, they signed a $100 million deal with Netflix and a $20 million deal with Spotify, the latter of which fell apart after the couple reportedly failed to meet “productivity benchmarks.” The couple has made three shows with Netflix, including an explosive documentary about their departure from England, and last week announced two more, a lifestyle show and sports series.
Tangent
The launch of American Riviera Orchard came amid intense scrutiny at Kensington Palace, home of Prince Harry’s brother, William, and his wife Kate Middleton. At the time of the brand announcement, the palace was under fire for releasing edited photos of Middleton, next in line to be Queen of England, amid a months-long hiatus from her public duties. One week later, Middleton announced to the public she’d been undergoing treatment for an unspecified type of cancer. The princess has not been seen in public since but her husband, Prince William, will resume his royal duties on Thursday with a visit to west London and Surrey.
