Meghan Markle is very pleased by American Riviera Orchard’s strong start

Meghan Markle’s venture into the world of lifestyle brands with American Riviera Orchard has begun on a high note, according to exclusive sources.

"The rollout for American Riviera Orchard is already off to a strong start. The website has over 100,000 who have signed up to hear about the first products launched," a source reports. "Meghan is very pleased with the early interest it has gained."

The Duchess of Sussex, quietly introduced the brand's launch in March through an official Instagram account, marking her foray into business after closing her personal social media pages ahead of marrying Prince Harry in 2018. Meghan filed trademarks for American Riviera Orchard to sell items such as cutlery, cookbooks, and jarred foods, which were accepted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

"[She] is so excited to see how people enjoy her products and use them in their everyday lives," the insider adds.

American Riviera Orchard made its debut with strawberry jam, personally shared by Meghan with a range of her celebrity friends. Among them, Abigail Spencer, Meghan’s former Suits co-star and close friend, expressed her delight on Instagram in April, saying, "This jam is my jam. A delicious taste of what’s to come indeed. Love you so M."

Each jar features the brand's signature label, adorned with 'American Riviera Orchard' in elegant cursive beneath a gilded logo, with the flavor type handwritten by Meghan herself using her calligraphy skills.

Meghan embarked on this new career path after stepping down as a senior working royal alongside Harry in 2020, relocating with their children, 5-year-old son Prince Archie and 3-year-old daughter Princess Lilibet, to California. Their endeavors also include a multi-year partnership with Netflix to develop various projects, including documentaries and scripted content through their company, Archewell Productions.

“They have a couple of unscripted things they’re working on with Brandon,” said Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, during a press event in January. "And they actually have, like, a bunch of development. All very early development, with a movie, a TV show and a couple of unscripted shows. But yeah, the movie’s great."

Archewell Productions has already released the six-part docuseries "Harry & Meghan'' in December 2022, focusing on the couple’s decision to depart from royal duties, and "Heart of Invictus," a documentary about Harry’s Invictus Games, premiered in August 2023. Currently, they are working on an adaptation of Carley Fortune’s romance novel "Meet Me at the Lake," a docuseries about polo, and a cooking show featuring Meghan.

Meghan also hosts the podcast "Archetypes," with its first season airing on Spotify and the second season scheduled for release through Lemonada Media.

"[She] wants to do mostly philanthropic-type content," another source previously told Us in February. "She considers herself too academic for entertainment-only. She doesn’t want the podcast to be celebrity-driven, though she’ll have some stars on."