Prince William and Kate Middleton’s friends have reportedly given Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle brand a rather scathing two-word nickname.
The Duchess of Sussex has recently rebranded her business, American Riviera Orchard, to ‘As Ever’, stating that the change was made to broaden the range of products beyond Santa Barbara.
In an Instagram update, Meghan shared that the brand would continue to focus on “everything I cherish” – which includes gardening, entertainment, and food, the Express reports.
Despite the expansion, she assured that fruit preserves will remain a central product, playfully noting “everyone knows jam’s my jam”.
According to Bella magazine, this rebranding has elicited some mockery from the circle of friends of the Prince and Princess of Wales, who have allegedly nicknamed the venture “As If,” suggesting skepticism about its success.
One supposed friend commented: “It’s caused quite a bit of laughter within the group. WhatsApp messages have been going back and forth. It’s all very budget and rushed. Embarrassing, really.”
Meghan had announced the rebranding just before the launch of her Netflix series, ‘With Love, Meghan’, which will premiere on March 4.
The show, which prominently features Santa Barbara and Montecito, was initially slated for a January release but faced delays due to the LA wildfires.
An insider mentioned that Meghan is “trying very hard to get things right” but acknowledged she has encountered “setbacks” with both her brand and TV show. They also mentioned that the negative buzz around the show “didn’t help”.
The former Suits actress is set to launch a lifestyle brand later this year, complete with an extensive homeware and gardening range. She revealed that the brand’s name pays homage to her past endeavours, particularly her time running the lifestyle blog The Tig.
Speaking to her followers, Meghan expressed her surprise at keeping the project under wraps: “Cats out of the bag, I’m shocked we’ve managed to keep this a secret for so long.”
She continued: “In two weeks my show is coming out, which I’m so excited for and also my business, which I think there has been a lot of curiosity about. Last year, I thought, you know, American Riviera, that sounds like such a great name – it’s my neighbourhood, it’s a nickname for Santa Barbara – but it limited me to things that were manufactured and grown in this area.”
She then shared how Netflix became involved not only with her show but also with her business venture: “Then Netflix came on, not just as my partner in the show, but as my partner in my business, which was huge.
“So I thought about it, and I’ve been waiting for a moment to share a name that I had secured in 2022, and this is the moment, it’s called As Ever.”
Meghan explained the significance of the name: “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 and I haven’t been able to share it in the same way for the past few years but now I can.”
Last year, Meghan sent out 50 jars of jam from her American Riviera Orchard to celebrity friends such as Kris Jenner, Mindy Kaling, and Chrissy Teigen.