Meghan Markle Subtly Hints at Career Pivot With Return to Instagram
AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 08: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks onstage during the Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen panel during the 2024 SXSW Conference and Festival at Austin Convention Center on March 08, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images)
Meghan Markle is launching a new brand, as she returned to Instagram with a fresh account, logo, and video.
The social media page for American Riviera Orchard surfaced on Thursday afternoon, March 14, and is said to be an extension of her old lifestyle blog, The Tig, according to intel Page Six received. The insider added that the endeavor will focus on "home, garden, food, and general lifestyle."
The bio on the Instagram page simply reads, "By Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Established 2024," while a website is also linked for the new project.
An official trademark application also reveals that American Riviera Orchard will sell a wide range of home goods, including edible goodies like jellies, jams and spreads. Tableware staples such as cutlery, table linens and drinkware are also listed, as well as cookbooks.
In a video shared via the account's Story, Markle can be seen cooking in a rustic style kitchen, while a woman's hands arrange pink and white flowers. The clip is set to the tune of "I Wish You Love" by Nancy Wilson.
The chosen name is likely a nod to Santa Barbara, Calif., where she and her family reside, as the area has been known as the "American Riviera" for more than 100 years "because of its temperate climate and lush landscapes, as well as its robust food and wine culture," according to Travel & Leisure.
The launch aligns nicely with the Montecito-based royal's previously reported next move, a lifestyle/food show with Netflix before her contract with the streamer ends in 2025.
However, some have noticed this comes at an interesting time, as a cloud of confusion surrounds her husband Prince Harry's estranged brother, Prince William's, wife, Kate Middleton, who was admitted to the hospital for abdominal surgery in January, but has remained completely under the radar since.
The situation is so perplexing that the internet has dubbed the mystery around her whereabouts #KateGate, with social media users running amuck with all sorts of theories about the true nature of her condition.
But from the looks of it, despite what's going on with the Princess of Wales, it seems all is well with the Duchess of Sussex.
