Meghan Markle is reportedly having a “lot of trouble” finding support for her new lifestyle brand, ‘American Riviera Orchard,’ due to her “demanding” nature, according to a royal commentator.
Meghan announced her lifestyle brand in March this year, though details about the company remain sparse. The brand is said to focus on garden, home, and general lifestyle content.
Royal biographer Angela Levin, speaking to British news channel GBN America, said the Duchess of Sussex is at a “stalemate” with the venture, struggling to find a CEO and a chef.
Levin mentioned that Meghan is “very upset” about the difficulties facing American Riviera Orchard and is unhappy with the brand’s reception.
“It is not moving forward. She has had a lot of trouble finding a CEO to run it for her and she is having a lot of trouble finding a chef. Some of them have visited to see how it is, but they say she is so meticulous about everything,” the royal commentator said.
“She’s so demanding and they don’t really want that. These chefs have good jobs and are not just learning the trade,” Levin added.
Levin also told GBN America that the brand is at a stalemate, but Meghan has 150 items planned and has applied for a global patent.
“Some of the products [she will be selling] include fabric gift wraps, cocktail napkins, meditation mats, pillows for household pets, a wide range of items from A to Z. We’ll have to see how she progresses. I think she’s finding it much more difficult than she anticipated,” she said.
Levin added that Meghan likely thought her brand would be an instant hit and everyone would love it, reflecting her self-perception, but it’s proving to be hard work.
In May, Meghan sent 50 jars of strawberry jam, each with a handwritten number from 1 to 50, to influencers and her famous friends, including Chrissy Teigen and Suits co-star Abigail Spencer.
“The jam was a bit of a laughing stock; she sent it to about fifty friends, and only a few replied,” Levin told GBN America. “Everyone said that she is in a jam.”
Reportedly, the strawberry jam aligns with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s latest Netflix plans. The Duchess is set to launch a Netflix show celebrating cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship.
The couple signed a five-year production deal with Netflix in 2020, reportedly worth $100 million.
According to People Magazine, Meghan will likely officially launch American Riviera Orchard later this spring.
“Meghan finds the name American Riviera Orchard perfect. It feels authentic to her. She can’t wait for the website to launch. She is excited about her latest personal venture,” the report quoted.
