Meghan Markle renames 'American Riviera Orchard' to 'As Ever' with a subtle dig at the royal family

Meghan Markle debuts ‘As Ever,’ sparking speculation over a possible royal reference.

Meghan Markle unveiled the rebranding of her American Riviera Orchard in a new Instagram video, which some believe includes a subtle reference to the Royal Family.  

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, has renamed her luxury lifestyle brand As Ever and introduced a website featuring a cover image of her holding hands with her three-year-old daughter, Lilibet, in the California sunshine.  

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (@meghan)

The launch comes just two weeks ahead of her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, which was originally set to premiere in January but was postponed due to the LA wildfires.  

Hoping to turn this into a new revenue stream, the brand will offer food products, including "fruit preserves," which Meghan described today, adding, "I think we're all clear at this point that jam is my jam."  

American Riviera Orchard first emerged last year when Meghan sent limited-edition jam jars to some of her famous friends, encouraging them to share the products on social media. However, the brand struggled to gain momentum.  

As Ever was introduced through a close-up Instagram video filmed in the Sussexes’ Montecito garden, where Meghan referenced the trademark dispute that led to the rejection of her American Riviera Orchard application by the US trademark office. The video includes a brief moment featuring Prince Harry, who hands Meghan the phone and says, "It's recording."  

"Last year, I had thought, 'American Riviera,' that sounds like such a great name. It's my neighborhood; it's a nickname for Santa Barbara, but it limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area," she explained.  

In what some interpret as a subtle remark about the sacrifices she made after marrying Prince Harry, Meghan mentioned that she had not been able to share her love for food and home-related projects for "years" following the closure of her lifestyle blog, The Tig.  

"As Ever essentially means as it's always been, and if you've followed me since 2014 with The Tig, you know I've always loved cooking and crafting and gardening — this is what I do," she said.  

"And I haven't been able to share it with you in the same way for the past few years, but now I can, so as things are starting to trickle out there, I wanted you to hear it from me first."  

Patent filings discovered by MailOnline indicate that As Ever will also offer a range of home goods, including tablecloths, napkins, skincare, and haircare products, along with throws, blankets, bedspreads, and household scents such as candles and diffusers.  

Additionally, the brand will feature gardening tools such as trowels, spades, and pruning shears, while home essentials will include cutlery and kitchen knives.