Meghan Markle’s lifestyle relaunch left the public “irritated” because the Sussexes “just want everyone to like them so badly,” according to .
The former Real Housewives of New York City star was addressing Meghan’s apparent branding troubles in a video.
The Duchess of Sussex soft-launched American Riviera Orchard in March 2024, when she sent celebrity friends samples of her jam.
Almost a year later, she used her account to announce a new name, As Ever, and new website with a promise of more to come in the spring.
However, she has already been beset by problems including around a New York fashion brand with the same name and suggestions the logo is similar to a coat of arms for a Spanish town.
Why It Matters
Frankel’s latest take on Meghan comes on the back of a in which she criticized the direction the duchess has taken from a marketing perspective. She was previously a runner-up in The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, has a lifestyle brand, her low-calorie Skinnygirl Cocktails, and does philanthropy work through her BStrong initiative. That leaves her well-placed to understand the challenges and opportunities of Meghan’s current position.
What to Know
Meghan Markle/Instagram
Frankel’s TikTok video went viral after it was liked 13,800 times and viewed 326,000 times, having been posted with the message: “For the record that trailer looked beautiful.”
“Since the two of them left the monarchy they’ve never been able to really get their footing because there’s an identity issue,” said Frankel in the TikTok video. “Like, who she used to be, pre-royal, to who she wants to be, post-royal, what his role was as a royal to what his role is now as a post-royal.
“I think it’s not a branding issue, I think it’s an identity and an authenticity issue but it’s hard for people to be authentic when they’re not really sure on their own who they are or what it is.”
Meghan’s As Ever lifestyle business ties in with her show With Love, Meghan, which was originally due to be released in January but has been postponed to March.
A trailer for the series showed her cooking with A-list friends including Mindy Kaling and collecting honey straight from beehives.
“Meghan Markle can’t win for losing,” Frankel said. “So you guys were irritated that that trailer for her show was perfect, like Martha Stewart real simple perfect.
“And then you were irritated that she was super all natural describing her new brand coming out where the name has changed from I guess American Orchard to As Ever and I think the reason she can’t win for losing is that there is a lack of identity and understanding as to exactly who she is to the audience.
“Like, first we’re in Montecito and it’s all perfect which would have been fine, commit to the bit, because they do live in, I think, a $23 million house in Montecito and it is pretty pristine so commit to that bit.
“But I think because of a reaction from you guys, now its more natural and just delivering really unfiltered fresh out of bed content and that is turning people off because they’re like, ‘what happened to the perfect content?'”
Meghan and bought their home for $14.7 million in June 2020 but it has since increased in value to around $29.6 million, according to a Zillow estimate.
What People Are Saying
Meghan announced her brand change in an Instagram video captioned: “Some of you may have heard whispers about what I’ve been creating. In two weeks, my series on @netflix launches—but there’s something else I’ve been working on.
“I’m thrilled to introduce you to As Ever—a brand that I created and have poured my heart into. ‘As ever’ means ‘as it’s always been’ or some even say ‘in the same way as always’.
“If you’ve followed along since my days of creating The Tig, you’ll know this couldn’t be truer for me.”
Frankel said on TikTok: “Even in product, I never let what a partner or a retailer tells me I have to do dictate what I have to do.
“What I want to do is inside and that’s what I think the problem is. They just want everyone to like them so badly and to be accepted and to figure out who they are and what their identity is that they’re flailing and it never lands with you guys.
“You guys are too emotionally intelligent and too good at branding marketing and just understanding the human psyche. No one can get anything past you guys.”
What Happens Next
Meghan hinted the full launch of her new brand may not be far away when she posted on Instagram: “You’re warmly invited: As ever, coming Spring 2025.”
Williams Brown is chief royal correspondent for Regalrumination.com, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly , at and read his stories on Regalrumination.com’s .
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