The Duchess of Sussex shared the ‘secret’ that her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard would now be called As Ever – though eagle-eyed fans spotted hints that the change was coming

Meghan Markle has revealed that her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard has been renamed As Ever – though the change wasn’t entirely a surprise.

In an Instagram video, Meghan, 43, told her followers that she was ditching the American Riviera Orchard brand name in favour of As Ever, and that its launch would tie in with the release of her highly-anticipated show With Love, Meghan. But while she admitted that she was “shocked” that she’d managed to keep the change a “secret for so long”, for some the change in title had long been hinted at.

However, eagle-eyed fans have spotted that the Duchess of Sussex appeared to hint at the name change prior to making the big announcement. Following the launch of her Instagram account at the beginning of the year, Meghan has used a very specific sign-off in all but two of her posts.

Fans spotted a sign that Meghan had hinted at the new name change ( 
Image:
Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images)
Since joining the social media site, Meghan has given fans a peek inside her life. In two months, she has shared seven posts on her grid including a video promoting her new Netflix show as well as a sweet Valentine’s Day tribute to her husband Prince Harry.

Alongside the posts, Meghan has become known for her lengthy captions. When it comes to signing off her posts, the Duchess of Sussex has ended the captions with “As ever, Meghan” five times out of seven. Besides being an endearing way to round off things, it just so happens to be the new name of her brand, As Ever, too.

Following the big reveal, fans took to social media to share that they’d spotted that Meghan had been hinting at the name for months.“When launching a new brand, memorability is key. ‘As Ever’ really works because she’s been using it consistently and will continue to do so, making it a recognisable part of her identity with the way she signs off her post. The roll out started in January in many ways!,” wrote one on X.

Meanwhile, another pointed out that Meghan has been using the sign off for years and had even signed off episodes of her Archetypes podcast, which ran from August to October 2022, with “As ever, I’m Meghan”.

They commented: “Meghan has been using the phrase “As ever” like ‘for ever’, to sign off. E.g., on all her Archetypes podcast episodes (As ever, Meghan), and going back in history, on her “The Tig” and IG posts. There is no one so consistent as Duchess Meghan.”

Meghan has used “as ever” as a sign off over the years, including on her recent Instagram posts ( 
Image:
As Ever)
As well as appearing to drop hints about the new brand name in plain sight, Meghan has opened up on the meaning behind the choice of As Ever. Having previously created the lifestyle blog The Tig prior to tying the knot to Prince Harry, she noted that the project would be an “extension” of things that have long been her passions.

“’As ever’ means ‘as it’s always been’ or some even say ‘in the same way as always’. If you’ve followed along since my days of creating The Tig, you’ll know this couldn’t be truer for me,” she wrote in the caption of her announcement post.

“This new chapter is an extension of what has always been my love language, beautifully weaving together everything I cherish — food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the every day.

“I will keep sharing behind the scenes tidbits with you here as we ramp up to launch, and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on everything we’ve been creating. Sending lots of love… As ever, Meghan.”

Besides opening up on the change in name, Meghan gave fans a further taste of what they could expect from the brand. When American Riviera Orchard was launched last year, jars of jam were sent to different famous faces – though that’s just one of the things that people can expect from As Ever.

“I’ve always loved cooking, crafting and gardening. This is what I do and I haven’t been able to share it with you in the same way for the past few years but now I can,” she said.

“Of course there will be fruit preserve. I think we’re are all clear at this point that jam is my jam. There’s so many more products that I loved [and] use in my home. It’s time to share it with you. So I can’t wait for you guys to see it. Thanks guys.”