Meghan Markle is desperate to ‘one up’ Kate & is STILL cashing in Royals to flog ‘American Riviera Orchard’, expert says
Watch our exclusive interview with royal expert Angela Levin
MEGHAN Markle has been slammed for “desperately” trying to “one up” Princess Kate.
Meghan last night unveiled her new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard in an Instagram post at 5pm – just two hours before William was set to speak at the Diana Legacy Awards.
Royal author Angela Levin has today accused Meghan of having a “I can do anything much better than you” attitude towards her sister-in-law, who’s still recovering from serious abdominal surgery.
In a blistering attack on Meghan’s latest venture, Angela told how she was “beyond appalled” by the timing of the announcement.
Just moments after William left the stage at the Diana awards, the Sussex’ made a second announcement to reveal the winner of their $100,000 Digital Civil Rights Award.
And later that night Prince Harry appeared over a video link to chat to award winners.
In his video chat with youngsters, Harry said: “Thank you, very much, for inspiring so many others.
“And at the same time protecting my mother’s legacy – I really appreciate that.
“And, again, well done on this fantastic group of individuals.”
It’s all very carefully planned. I don’t think it was a mistake. Meghan’s got them at a time when there’s a lot of illness and she’s taking advantage
Angela Levin
Angela has accused Meghan of choosing the timing of her latest announcements to take “the very limited spotlight Harry has”.
She said: “She’s making sure she’s telling people ‘I’m in charge’. To have the competition with your wife to get a bit of spotlight I think is just cruel.
“It’s all very carefully planned. I don’t think it was a mistake. She’s got them at a time when there’s a lot of illness and she’s taking advantage.”
Angela added Meghan was “very jealous” of Kate and “always implied nasty things”.
She said: “She’s clever like that but we know what she really means. Or someone is nasty for them. Even Harry in Spare was nasty about her.
“Years ago he said she was the sister he’d always wanted and then suddenly she was boring and a part-timer.
“People don’t change like that and actually Kate’s done more work and taken on more responsibility. Meghan has a ‘I can do anything much better than you’ attitude.”
Harry and Meghan's business flops
- Meghan had her upcoming animated series Pearl chucked out by Netflix while in the development stage.
- Then 42-year-old was said to have been “uncharacteristically quiet”, following the loss of her £18million Spotify deal in June last year.
- While Spare initially sold a staggering number of copies demand soon dwindled and a year on its popularity has plummeted with major retailers slashing prices in half.
- Meanwhile, their Netflix documentary also took a hit and the duke and duchess are believed to have been paid only half of their reported £78million contract.
- The pair were poked fun at by comedian Jo Koy at the Golden Globes for “being paid millions by Netflix for doing nothing”.
- Harry’s series, Heart of Invictus, shedding light on the Olympic-style games he started for wounded ex-service competitors also flopped.
- Archewell figures in December last year revealed a hole in the accounts after it received almost £9million less in donations than in a previous year.
Meghan and Harry have now been accused of profiting off their titles through the lifestyle brand, which is said to include links to buy products.
A mysterious new Instagram account for ‘American Riviera Orchard’ appeared online on March 14, 2024.
The page’s biography says the brand is “by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex” and visitors are linked to a website where they can join a mailing list.
And industry insiders told the site will focus on home, food, garden and lifestyle goods.
The source said: “She’s been working on this for over a year and it’s all the things that are close to her heart — all the things she’s passionate about.”
FRESH MOVE
Another insider told the Mail: “It’s a lifestyle and cooking brand called American Riviera Orchard.
“The brand is meant to coincide with the launch of a new cookery show for Netflix.
“Meghan will be making, and selling, products such as jams. And at some point there will be a book and blog etc.”
The fresh move comes after the Queen banned the couple from using ‘SussexRoyal’ after they stepped away from royal duty four years ago.
The Queen ordered the Sussexes to mothball it in the January 2020 exit settlement, when Meghan and Harry stopped being senior members of the royal family.
Angela has now accused the couple of “blatantly” using their titles for profit.
She added: “I’m shocked Harry still wants their titles and to sell products like this. They knew from the start it wasn’t on.
“Did they lie to the Queen? Everything’s carefully planned. They want to keep their titles and a new website.
“They’ve shown they’re not interested in the monarchy. They want all the good stuff, the money and protection, and they outsmart the royal family.”
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said Meghan may have launched the new brand in a bid to keep the couple’s Netflix contract.
Fitzwilliams told The Sun: “Obviously this is another opportunity for them to point out that there’s a link to Netflix with Meghan’s new project
“Now, that’s particularly significant. They’re very nervous about the Netflix contract, which expires next year.
“It’s worth $100million and is absolutely pivotal for them because they lost Spotify.
“This link to Netflix is very important and clearly, of course, they’ve released this to point out that they, the Sussexes, are still going strong as they see it.
“It’s a very sensitive day, of course, to do that. But I mean you have an extraordinary situation here over the last few days.
“There’s no doubt at all that the Sussex is making use of the material they have to do a bit of oneupmanship. It’s obvious.
“Today, they’re pointing out that they’re still in the running and links with Netflix are strong and Meghan is back on Instagram – that is the message.”
THE TIG 2.0
Before getting engaged to Prince Harry, the Suits actress had her lifestyle blog The Tig but this was closed down when she got engaged in 2017.
The Tig, named after her favourite wine Tignanello, was seen as something as a rival to Gwyneth Paltrow‘s £200million Goop, which offers similar wellness and “conscious living” content.
She previously described it as a “passion project” which “evolved into an amazing community of inspiration, support, fun and frivolity”.
Since stepping down as senior royals, the couple has produced a podcast, Netflix documentary and memoir, as well as several high-profile interviews between them.
These are said to have made them millions of dollars.
Speaking in the docuseries Harry & Meghan, the mum-of-two said of the blog: “It wasn’t just a hobby, it became a really successful business.
“I’ve never really been the type of person to do only one thing. I guess that’s how my website was born.
“There was fashion, tons of food, and travel – all the things that I loved.”
Rumours emerged in March last year that Meghan was going to relaunch the blog.
I’ve never been the type of person to only do one thing
Meghan
Meghan also ventured into the world of children’s books with the launch of The Bench in June 2021.
Inside Meghan’s 34-page book The Bench, the illustrations give a fresh glimpse into the Sussexes’ “authentic” life at their LA home – featuring their then-newborn daughter.
The publication was a commercial success with it becoming a number one bestseller on Amazon’s chart.
Meghan dedicated her book to the “man and boy who make my heart go pump-pump” in a sweet note for her husband Prince Harry and son Archie.
The mum was “inspired” to write the book after originally creating a poem for Harry’s first Father’s Day.
The royal couple have also been reported to be planning an Oprah-style media empire after registering a series of new entertainment businesses.
A leading royal commentator says the couple “want to earn loads more money” after they filed 11 companies in tax haven Delaware – seven of which are linked to showbiz ventures.
They appear to have names which are meaningful to the couple, with one – Cloverdale Inc – bearing the same name as the street that the Duchess lived on with her mother in Los Angeles when she was young.
Both Cloverdale and a second company, Riversoul Productions Inc, are set up explicitly in the “entertainment” industry, and join companies Hampshire LLC, Bridgemont LLC and IPHW LLC.
The couple are already using the name Archewell Productions for their Netflix and Spotify deals.
On Thursday night William gave a speech to mark the Diana Legacy Award’s 25th anniversary.
Taking to the stage to AC/DC’s song Thunderstruck, he told the audience that he and his wife, the Princess of Wales, have sought to focus on Diana’s legacy through their work.
Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 when William was 15 and Harry was 12.
“This evening’s Legacy Award is particularly special as it marks the 25th anniversary year of The Diana Award, a charity set up to reflect my mother’s belief that young people can change the world,” he said.
“I know that she would have been honoured to see a charity in her name doing such inspirational work to uplift young people from all corners of the globe.”
He said that his mother taught him that “everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life”.
“She taught me that everyone has the potential to give something back; that everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life,” he said.
“That legacy is something that both Catherine and I have sought to focus on through our work, as have the 50,000 young people who have received a Diana Award over the past 25 years.
“I am so proud to see this belief of my mother’s manifested in the amazing young people receiving the Legacy Award tonight.”
William also addressed his walk-on song choice saying “I like AC/DC, that’s George’s song.”
The social media accounts for the Prince and Princess of Wales also posted a flurry of pictures and videos from the event.
They wrote: “Celebrating 25 years of The @DianaAward – one of the most prestigious accolades for young people committed to social action.”
William's heartfelt tribute to Diana in full
I’m delighted to be here today to recognise the transformational achievements of twenty exceptional young people from across the world.
Each and every one of their stories – which you will hear shortly – are testament to their character, passion and determination to make a lasting and meaningful difference to the lives of others.
The paths taken by these young people have not always been easy. Many have overcome adversity and prejudice, but they are driven by courage, compassion and commitment – qualities shared by my mother.
Their stories remind us of the importance of organisations like The Diana Award. I’ve seen on many occasions over the years how this charity empowers and mobilises young people to take action and make the changes they want to see in their communities and the world around them.
Over the next two years, The Diana Award, alongside many of their partners here today, will equip these young people with the skills to have an even bigger impact. I am excited to see what they can do together.
This evening’s Legacy Award is particularly special as it marks the 25th anniversary year of The Diana Award – a charity set up to reflect my mother’s belief that young people can change the world.
I know that she would have been honoured to see a charity in her name doing such inspirational work to uplift young people from all corners of the globe.
She taught me that everyone has the potential to give something back; that everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life.
That legacy is something that both Catherine and I have sought to focus on through our work, as have the 50,000 young people who have received a Diana Award over the past 25 years.
I am so proud to see this belief of my mother’s manifested in the amazing young people receiving the Legacy Award tonight.
Thank you.
