American Riviera Orchard. Is this the What Three Words address – the newfangled app that uses three words to identify almost every inch of the planet – for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s magnificent Montecito mansion?
I have checked and unfortunately it is not. But it IS the name of the Duchess’s new lifestyle brand, which launched on Thursday with a stylish Instagram feed, complete with regal-looking crest and swirling calligraphy.
Blushing pink and white flowers and a whimsical soundtrack accompany an atmospheric soft-focus shot of the duchess hard at work in a white tank top (always practical, our duchess) in her elegant earth-toned kitchen, before we get a final glimpse of her effortless look regal in a full-length gown. As you do. Move over Nigella Lawson, there’s a new Domestic Goddess in town.
The name is somewhat confusing. It sounds like the kind of quirky moniker a pop star would give their child: Blue Ivy (Beyonce), Daisy Dove Bloom (Katy Perry), Bluebell Madonna (Gerri Halliwell) But whatever. It’s Meghan’s baby, she can call it whatever she wants.
Meghan launched US Riviera Orchard – her new lifestyle brand – on Thursday
Because for once, I don’t think it’s a bad idea on her part. It’s definitely one of her better ventures of late. Ever since the Duchess left Britain, she and Prince Harry have seemingly been unable to move on, obsessed with exacting revenge on the people back home.
They have become a pair of trolls, too preoccupied with what they have left behind to see what lies ahead, too busy moping about the past to begin building any kind of future.
This new venture feels like a welcome departure from that distinctly negative and highly toxic mindset, a return to the old Meghan Markle, the one we all pretty much liked, the sassy, ​​stylish, independent woman with killer heels and a career of her own.
Before she met the prince, she had her own lifestyle blog, The Tig, and the truth is, she was pretty good at it. She certainly seemed much happier doing it than she ever was as a working royal.
So why not? Why not go back to her roots and pick up where she left off, just with a few more strings to her bow, not least the twirling title and princely accessories? It’s a lot more fun than her rather dry, sanctimonious podcasts, and it’s certainly a lot less boring, for all concerned, than endlessly moaning about micro-aggressions.
Also, someone has to pay for the expensive lifestyle in California, and since Prince Harry’s precise skills don’t seem to be ready yet, someone has to keep the family in private jets. With an associated cooking show on Netflix and a number of commercial spin-offs, this could finally be the new payday the Sussexes have been waiting for.
The launch featured a stylish Instagram reel, complete with royal-looking emblem and swirling calligraphy
I’m sure audiences will enjoy it, especially when they discover they can also buy their very own slice of the Sussex lifestyle. “Meghan will be making and selling products such as jam,” we’re told. ‘And at some point there will be a book and blog etc.’ I would expect nothing less. All jam, no Jerusalem. It’s what she always wanted.
There are, of course, questions about taking advantage of her royal title. And it’s true that there will inevitably be aspects of such a commercial endeavor that will feel a little grubby in that regard. But we must not make the best the enemy of the good, and I would much rather she acted on her royal connections by shredding cabbage than the reputation of the royals at home.
But if it succeeds, she has neither the time, desire nor need for it anymore, and that can only be for the good. She finally wants to be relevant in her own right—and that’s really all she’s ever wanted.
Let’s face it, this was always where Meghan was going to end up. She was never cut out for royal life: too selfless, too restrictive, too unpaid for a hothouse flower like her.
This way she finally gets to be the star of her own show, doing something she enjoys – ie. telling people how to be more like her – and funding more of the luxury lifestyle she loves.
Good luck to her, I say.