Meghan Markle is making waves with her latest venture into the homeware market, offering up posh jams and dog treats that have everyone talking.
Rumours are swirling that Meghan is keen on securing King Charles' nod for her lifestyle label American Riviera Orchard, with a source revealing to OK! Magazine's US edition: "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."
Amidst the buzz, there's talk of a potential Royal rivalry as the Royals have traditionally marketed similar items, but Meghan's brand is the new kid on the block. However, former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond dismisses any notion of squabbles over organic spreads and sweets.
Veteran royal commentator Jennie has made it clear, telling OK!: "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," and further clarifying, "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.
"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."
Meghan Markle's venture into the artisan jam market with her American Riviera Orchard lifestyle brand has got the Royal circles buzzing, with insiders expressing a collective sigh of relief, according to experts. The Duchess of Sussex's latest business endeavour is seen as a refreshing departure from the much-anticipated "tell-all" book that had been eagerly awaited by Royal enthusiasts.
Emma Clifton, a journalist at Australian Women's Weekly, suggested that this shift towards a more domestic enterprise could be viewed 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 expert Waylon Tate spoke to Australian Women's Weekly about Meghan's unique approach to branding her new venture.
Tate said: "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. 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'."