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Meghan Markle attempted to explain her rebranding, but some experts aren’t buying it.
Earlier this year, the Duchess of Sussex announced on social media that her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, was being renamed As Ever. On Tuesday’s episode of her podcast, “Confessions of a Female Founder with Meghan,” the duchess shed new light on why she changed names, noting that American Riviera Orchard “became this word salad,” adding, “I don’t love that so much.”
Notably, the 43-year-old didn’t address her trademark blunders which, according to the experts, could have made the duchess more relatable in a podcast about launching a successful business.
MEGHAN MARKLE ADMITS TO MAKING ‘MISTAKES’ IN LAUNCHING AS EVER LIFESTYLE BRAND
Meghan Markle recently spoke out in her podcast, “Confessions of a Female Founder with Meghan.” (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME)
“Her reasoning has been more excuse than clear explanation,” Doug Eldridge, a branding expert and the founder of Achilles PR, claimed to Fox News Digital. “Her statements don’t ring authentic candor. Sometimes the hard thing and the right thing are the same thing. Unfortunately, Meghan keeps choosing what she believes is the ‘easy thing.’ Thus far, it hasn’t worked.”
“[Her trademark issues are] sloppy work by her team,” he claimed. “Meghan has a lot of holes to sew up, and until she does, she’ll continue to return to shore with nothing to bring to market.”
The As Ever brand features a fruit spread, wildflower honey and other goods. (Netflix)
Last September, the mother of two suffered a professional setback when the U.S. patent and trademark office refused the application for American Riviera Orchard, The Telegraph reported.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, speaks onstage during the 2025 TIME100 Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 23, 2025, in New York City. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME)
According to the outlet, the office warned that businesses could not trademark geographical locations, noting that American Riviera was a “common nickname” for Santa Barbara, where the former American actress resides. The addition of the word “Orchard” made “little difference.”
The outlet also warned that the descriptions of the duchess’ products could fit into multiple trademark categories.
Meghan Markle had a lifestyle blog, The Tig, before she married Prince Harry. (Diego Cuevas/Getty Images)
At the time, Meghan’s team said the pushback was “routine and expected.” However, her issues didn’t end there.
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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the Time100 Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Midtown on April 23, 2025, in New York City. (TheStewartofNY/GC Images/Getty Images)
Food and gift retailer Harry & David filed a protest against American Riviera Orchard in October, the New York Post reported. According to the outlet, they claimed that the name was too similar to their “Royal Riviera” product line.
According to reports, American Riviera Orchard was supposed to represent Montecito, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle call home. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)
In November, the outlet reported that the “Suits” alum’s legal team requested a three-month extension in an attempt to secure a trademark. The U.K.’s Independent reported that the duchess attempted to trademark the brand over the summer. However, it was rejected due to issues with how it was filed.
In February, Meghan announced on Instagram that she was renaming her brand to As Ever.
“The trademark issues and name change derive from her lack of preparedness and expertise in this arena,” British royals expert Hilary Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital.
“[There’s also a] strategic misalignment with the marketplace. The United States Patent and Trademark Office refuses trademarks that are primarily geographically descriptive, which is rather obvious. This is not a complex issue at all.”
Fordwich believes that even Meghan’s biggest supporters are “somewhat weary with every misstep she makes that is amplified.”
Meghan Markle’s As Ever products quickly sold out online. (As Ever)
“She should be more cautious, consistent and, above all, authentic to avoid being just another celebrity-turned-entrepreneur,” she warned. “She is not coming from a place of authenticity.”
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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are seen on April 23, 2025, in New York City. (Raymond Hall/GC Images/Getty Images)
In her podcast, Meghan said she secured the name As Ever in 2022. She said “everything started to evolve” in 2023, especially when she partnered with Netflix on both the brand and her lifestyle series, “With Love, Meghan,” which showcased some of her products.
“It was just so interesting because, you remember, I said, ‘I like “American Riviera” as an umbrella and then to be able to have verticals beneath it and maybe have the “Orchard” really small,’” she said.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attends the CHLA Gala, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Alberto Rodriguez/Variety via Getty Images)
While the name “American Riviera Orchard” was first announced in March 2024, Meghan said it quickly “became this word salad.”
Some of Meghan Markle’s As Ever products were featured in her Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan.” (Jake Rosenberg/Netflix © 2025)
“I said, ‘OK, well, let’s go back to the thing that I’ve always loved. Let’s use the name that I had protected for a reason that had been sort of under wraps,’” she said.
“We were able to focus in the quiet and put our heads down and build on something that no one was sniffing around to even see about. It was just really, really helpful to have that quiet period.”
Meghan Markle has a podcast with Lemonada Media in which she discusses what it’s like to launch a business as a woman. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
But As Ever faced a whole set of new woes.
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American Riviera Orchard was renamed to As Ever. (American Riviera Orchard Instagram)
Francisca “Xisca” Mora, the mayor of the Mallorcan town of Porreres in Spain, claimed to local outlets that the Duchess of Sussex’s brand logo for As Ever was “an exact copy” of their historic coat of arms.
“I would like to clarify that the Porreres Town Hall, which I represent, has no intention of taking legal action against Ms. Meghan Markle,” Mora told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We consider it to be an unfortunate coincidence.”
The logo for As Ever was personal for both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. (Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
“The only thing we ask for is respect for our historical and cultural heritage, such as the emblem of Porreres — an image that identifies us as a town and is part of our local culture,” she added.
Francisca “Xisca” Mora, the mayor of the Mallorcan town of Porreres in Spain, claimed to local outlets that the Duchess of Sussex’s brand logo is “an exact copy” of their historic coat of arms. (Isaac Buj/Europa Press via Getty Images)
At the time, Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for the duchess for comment.
Fox News Digital learned that the logo was a nod to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s home in California where they are raising their two young children. Meghan was also born in California. It’s also understood that it was designed to create a personal emblem and that global searches for registered trademarks were conducted.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Following Meghan’s announcement of As Ever, a New York City-based clothing line, also called As Ever, had to address the confusion over their names on social media.
WATCH: MEGHAN MARKLE WILL NEVER WIN OVER UK PUBLIC AGAIN, AUTHOR CLAIMS
“I want to say thank you to all the old friends who know and love our small family brand As Ever, and also say hi to all those that have just become aware we exist,” founder Mark Kolski wrote on Instagram.
“In the last 36 hours there has been an outpouring of support and concern regarding recent events around our namesake brand,” the statement read. “We are aware. We are not affiliated.”
In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to California, Meghan’s home state. (Toby Melville/Getty Images)
“We are grateful for all the customers coast to coast and worldwide that have supported our venture. We will continue As Ever,” the statement concluded.
The Netflix series “With Love, Meghan,” premiered on March 4. (Jake Rosenberg/Netflix © 2025)
“Mistakes happen, but … outside the vision and the early stages of execution is the culpability and accountability to stand in the breach and take responsibility when things go sideways, whether to shareholders or the public,” Eldridge explained.
“Give credit and kudos to your team, but reserve the blame for yourself,” he advised. “Starting a podcast focused solely on the trials and tribulations of being a ‘female founder’ while still avoiding the actual hard things that fall on the shoulders of every founder, rings hollow to viewers and listeners.
When Meghan Markle’s Netflix series premiered, the Duchess of Sussex was accused by critics of being inauthentic. (Netflix)
“The lack of authenticity and self-awareness has plagued Meghan in every endeavor. The issues surrounding her brand launch – and various attempts to rebrand – only serve to further that impression.”
MEGHAN MARKLE ACCUSED OF COPYING SPANISH COAT OF ARMS IN ‘COMEDY OF ERRORS’ REBRAND
New episodes of “With Love, Meghan” will premiere in the fall. (Netflix)
In a video announcing the rebranding, Meghan mentioned she had secured the name As Ever in 2022.
Fox News Digital understands that As Ever, which is supposed to be an extension of Meghan’s past lifestyle blog The Tig, will not be designing clothing.
Meghan Markle shared she was able to work on As Ever privately. (Ben Stansall/Pool via AP)
“Last year, I had thought, ‘American Riviera, that sounds like such a great name.’ It’s my neighborhood; it’s a nickname for Santa Barbara, but it limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area,” she explained in her Instagram video announcing the rebranding in February.
The As Ever lifestyle brand has Netflix as a partner. (Lukas Schulze/Getty Images for Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023)
“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, and it’s called As Ever.”
“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,” she said. “And I haven’t been able to share it with you in the same way for the past few years, but now I can, so as things are starting to trickle out there, I wanted you to hear it from me first.”
Meghan Markle told People magazine she plans to expand As Ever to home decor. (Netflix)
In a People magazine cover story, Meghan admitted that “there are tons of twists and turns – even with the name. I was figuring it out in real time.”
MEGHAN MARKLE DROPS RITZY LIFESTYLE BRAND NAME AFTER DELAYING NETFLIX SERIES
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reside in California with their two young children. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)
“I appreciate everyone who gave me the grace to make mistakes and figure it out and also to be forgiving with myself through that,” she shared. “It’s a learning curve.”
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