She sparked global interest in March with the launch of her new brand, American Riviera Orchard, unveiling the name and branding online with a stylish teaser video that seemed to suggest she was modelling herself as the next lifestyle guru and celebrity homemaker.

But Meghan Markle’s apparent hopes to make a big and lasting splash with her latest venture were inevitably dashed that same month when Meghan’s sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, announced she was battling cancer. Initially, royal fans assumed the upsetting news would put the kibosh on Meghan’s brand for the foreseeable.

Nevertheless – despite keeping the actual remit of her company still shrouded in mystery – Meghan pressed on, sending out an exclusive batch of jams to 50 of her most high-profile friends, and apparently relying on them to stoke public interest by posting it on their Instagrams.

Kate Middleton ©Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Still, there’s only so much subtle product placement that Meghan can do, and – according to insiders – she’s now ready to take things to the next level. Last week, as Kate made her long-awaited return to public life with an Instagram video, saying she had “good and bad days” before attending Trooping the Colour the following day, across the pond it seemed like Meghan was giving another hint of her own plans for the future.

The Duchess herself didn’t post anything, but close friend Nacho Figueras, an Argentine polo player and one of the Sussexes’ most ardent supporters, posted a picture of handmade dog biscuits, in a jar that looked incredibly similar to Meghan’s range of jam jars – leading many to believe that the dog biscuits are her next offering.

Nacho Figueras, Delfina Blaquier, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex ©Jason Koerner/Getty Images for Sentebale

We’re told the aspiring lifestyle queen is gearing up to finally sell products on her website (which remains a banner page allowing visitors to sign up to a wait list for more information), with her jams, dog biscuits and also ros wine apparently all on the menu. But, as every lifestyle influencer knows, endorsement is everything, and, having relied on celebrities like Kris Jenner, Mindy Kaling and Kris Jenner for her initial jam plugs, our insider tells us she’s now aiming for loftier heights. That means calling in the one group of people you’d think she’d never consider asking for a favour or two: the royal family.
“Meghan is looking for support wherever she can get it,” says an insider close to the mother-of-two, who first debuted American Riviera Orchard three months ago with a stylish teaser video, which saw her cooking, arranging flowers, and floating through her and Prince Harry’s Montecito mansion in a ball gown.

Prince Harry with Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice ©Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images

“Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice are at the top of her list, but she’s shooting even higher and would love to get King Charles to give his stamp of approval. Despite all the drama, Meghan doesn’t see why they shouldn’t be able to drum up some support and backing. She wants Harry to reach out to anyone in the family that he’s still got access to. She still believes that there is a lot more support for them inside the royal family than people let on, and thinks it would be foolish not to ask for help.”
By all accounts, it would be a ballsy move for the Sussexes to ask the King for support, considering the bad blood that has festered since they stepped down as senior royals in 2020. Despite initially parting on fairly friendly terms, Harry and Meghan’s continued accusations against the royals inevitably drew a wedge between both factions, with insiders reporting that Harry and his brother William’s fractured relationship is now beyond repair.

In recent months, there has been some attempt to mend fences, especially in light of the the King’s cancer diagnosis earlier this year, but that has amounted to little more than a fleeting visit to see him as the news went public. Earlier this month, we reported that King Charles was filled with “great sadness” over his distant relationship with Harry and Meghan’s children, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, who have mainly connected with their grandfather via FaceTime.

King Charles and Prince Harry ©David Rose – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Nevertheless, while there is some hope that an impasse may be reached, it would be a massive stretch to ask the King to endorse Meghan’s brand. Not only is there strict royal protocol when it comes to receiving and promoting products, but Meghan’s already made it clear that she wants little to do with the institution moving forwards. Still, she’s hoping that – with Harry’s help – she might find a way back in.

And even if the King is unreceptive, there are still some lower-level members of the royal family who might just be willing. Harry’s cousins, Beatrice and Eugenie, have long remained close to the formerly royal couple. Meanwhile, their mother, Sarah Ferguson, has also publicly supported them, saying in a recent interview, “Harry is a much-loved nephew and I wish him and Meghan all the best.” So, we’re told, Meghan sees no reason why the more commercially-minded members of Harry’s family can’t do their bit to help support American Riviera Orchard…that’s where Harry comes in.
“Meghan would do it herself, but Harry’s going to have a much better chance of getting the answer that way, so it really has to be done by him,” says our source. “In her view, there’s no reason he shouldn’t get some support from within the Firm to boost their business ventures – after all, he’s still the King’s son.”

King Charles and Queen Camilla ©Chris Jackson/POOL/ AFP/Getty Images

Part of her leverage, we’re told, is the fact that the royal family is thin on the ground right now. Despite King Charles’ preference for a slimmed-down monarchy, he could never have foreseen just how short-staffed they’d be, following the Princess of Wales’ shock cancer diagnosis – for which she’s still receiving preventative chemotherapy. Charles himself has been getting back to his busy schedule, but his own ongoing treatment means he’s not as productive as he’d like to be – and even Princess Anne, who is famously known as the most hardworking of the lot, has been taken out of action this week, following an accident at her Gloucestershire estate. Though the Princess Royal cannot remember exactly what happened, it’s believed she sustained a head injury from a horse’s legs or head. She’s on the road to a full recovery, but that – coupled with an already bare-boned monarchy – has inevitably left the royals struggling to keep up with all their commitments.

While there’s no suggestion that Harry and Meghan would ever return to royal life – or even be asked – we’re told that, in Meghan’s view, reaching out now could be mutually beneficial. If the monarchy were to offer the Sussexes’ some support, maybe the latter could somehow return the favour. But for that to work, Buckingham Palace – already a purveyor of honey and preserves – would have to start peddling American Riviera Orchard jams. And that, by all accounts, sounds like a very sticky situation indeed.

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