King Charles’ home at Highgrove also sells high end, organic products such as jams and honey, and there have been suggestions of a Royal rivalry between the two brands
Meghan Markle’s foray into the world of homeware sales, featuring items like bespoke jams and dog treats, has been stirring up quite the buzz lately.
Following murmurs that Meghan is seeking King Charles’ endorsement for her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard, an insider spilled to OK! Magazine’s US edition that the Duchess of Sussex is “looking for support wherever she can get it.” They added: “Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice are at the top of her list, but she is shooting even higher and would love to get King Charles to give his stamp of approval.”
This intrigue emerges amid whispers of a possible competitive edge between the Royals, who have a history of marketing similar home and gift items, and Meghan’s new venture. With King Charles’ own Highgrove residence offering premium organic delights such as jams and honey, the notion of any friction seems beneath Royal concern, according to former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond.
The King’s Highgrove Estate has long sold homeware products (
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Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
Meghan Markle is going her own way (
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Getty Images)
Jennie said: “I absolutely refuse to buy into suggestions of a petty rivalry between Meghan’s products and the release of new products from the Highgrove estate,” She added, “Highgrove has been coming up with new products for years now. The marketing might have become more sophisticated over time, but there has always been publicity about the organic produce from the farm and gardens.
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“I really don’t think that Charles or his marketing people would sink so low as to try to deliberately compete with or scupper Meghan and her team. Why would Charles want to make things worse than they already are? So I think it’s a load of old nonsense and would be beneath him.”
Both the King and Meghan sell similar homeware products (
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Getty Images)DON’T MISS
Meghan Markle’s foray into the artisan jam market with her American Riviera Orchard lifestyle brand has set Royal tongues wagging, with insiders expressing a collective sigh of relief, say experts. The Duchess of Sussex’s latest business move is seen as a refreshing change from the much-anticipated “tell-all” book that had been expected by Royal enthusiasts.
Emma Clifton, a journalist at Australian Women’s Weekly, suggested that this pivot towards a more homely enterprise could be seen as good news for the Royals. She said: “Considering how much anticipation there was for Meghan’s supposed ‘tell-all-novel’, her pivot into domestic goddess should surely mean there are a few sighs of relief around the palace…for now.
Celebrity PR guru Waylon Tate spoke to Australian Women’s Weekly about Meghan’s distinct approach to branding her new venture.
“What I’ve seen so far, although she’s been pretty clandestine about it – everything surrounding this new brand, is that it’s Meghan and it’s Meghan alone. You can even see it on Instagram. It’s not Meghan and Harry – it’s by Meghan,” said Tate. “This is the emancipation of Meghan. It’s her saying, ‘I’m a smart, savvy businesswoman. And here’s an introduction to my family on my terms’.”
