Meghan Markle’s shambolic rebrand of American Riviera Orchard has seemingly hit a fresh stumbling block today after it triggered a plagiarism row in Spain.
Civic bosses in the sleepy Mallorca village of Porreres are reportedly considering legal action against the Duchess of Sussex, 43, after accusing her of copying its traditional coat of arms for the logo of her newly revamped luxury brand, As Ever.
Both images bare a striking similarity to one another: each features a single palm tree with two birds hovering on either side of it.
While the town’s coat of arms is splashed with colours – orange and green for the tree and sand, black for the birds, on a white background – Meghan’s logo uses just dark grey and white.
Mayor Francisca Mora told local newspaper Ara Balears the likeness is ‘surreal’, and that the town hall is deciding whether or not to take legal action against the Duchess.
She added: ‘I don’t know if she visited some agritourism sites and saw the coat of arms, because the photo on her website is taken from Mallorca.’
She said the village now ‘feels international’ and hopes this will at least bring it some recognition.
‘I hope many people around the world will become aware that in Mallorca there is an inland town that has this coat of arms,’ Mayor Mora added.
MailOnline has approached the Duchess of Sussex’s representatives for comment.
Spot the difference: Meghan Markle’s logo for her rebranded As Ever luxury firm (left), and the coat of arms for the sleepy Mallorca town of Porreres (right)
The Duchess of Sussex could be facing a legal action after civic bosses in Porreres accused her of ripping off the town’s coat of arms for her new logo
Pictured is the sleepy village of Porreres on the island of Mallorca
The local mayor claims civic chiefs are considering legal action against the Duchess of Sussex, after accusing her of copying its coat of arms in the logo for her As Ever rebrand
Pictured is the bustling centre of the little-known Spanish village at the heart of the plagiarism row
Porreres, founded in 13th century, sits in the middle of the Balearic Island’s rural heartland. It has a population of just over 5,000 people and is about 22 miles to the east of Mallorca’s capital of Palma.
The picturesque Mediterranean community, with its cobbled streets and historic buildings, was historically one of the island’s agricultural hubs, producing wines and fruits.
In recent years, it has become a moderately popular tourist destination for visitors exploring the island, with the local tourism board hailing a ‘must-visit’ destination for wine fans.
The history behind the town’s coat of arms is unknown. However, it’s striking similarity could prompt the Duchess into an embarrassing third rebrand of her lifestyle firm.
It comes after the rebranding of American Riviera Orchard was branded a ‘total rush’ using ‘recycled’ promos made a year ago.
The relaunch leaked online at least 24 hours before her Instagram announcement, MailOnline can reveal – and came just a fortnight before her new lifestyle show with business partner Netflix is broadcast.
One communications veteran said today: ‘You wouldn’t catch Kim Kardashian doing this’, adding the 11th hour name change ‘telegraphed inauthenticity’.
As Ever was launched in a breathless selfie-style video and will sell jam – first trailed by Meghan and her famous friends last year – plus what looks set to be huge homeware and gardening ranges in the US.
There was also a subtle dig at the Royal Family because Meghan told followers she had not been able to share her passion for food and home for ‘years’ until now. She shut her blog The Tig and social media accounts when she fell in love with Prince Harry.
Meghan has rebranded American Riviera Orchard as As Ever in an Instagram video filmed initially by Prince Harry
Internet sleuths found the As Ever shopify store yesterday and how the picture used was taken last year during the soft promo of American Riviera Orchard, which has been abandoned
Her new branding features a palm tree, alongside two hummingbirds – likely to represent Archie and Lilibet
Prior to Meghan’s announcement last night, internet sleuths had already discovered a Shopify website she’d set up for her As Ever products, featuring an unseen picture of the Duchess cooking.
The shot of the Duchess of Sussex using a mixing bowl is believed to have been taken during Meghan’s original American Riviera Orchard (ARO) promo almost a year ago.
She is wearing the same white outfit and appears to be in the same kitchen filmed for the brief teaser trailer filmed when ARO’s existence was revealed last March 14.
It also appears Meghan and her team made a last-minute change about the branding and the previous URL as-ever-store.myshopify.com now takes shoppers to her new website asever.com.
The mixing bowl picture of Meghan was last night replaced by the picture of her holding hands with her daughter Lilibet in the garden of their Montecito mansion as they skip across the lawn.
One branding expert told MailOnline today: ‘It appears to have been a total rush – despite what Meghan says about As Ever going back to 2022.
‘They’ve clearly had to abandon American Riviera Orchard but recycle all the promos due to the trademark dispute. The leak happened yesterday and you have to wonder if her hand was forced’.
Meghan teased her American Riviera Orchard brand last March in a short video. In it she was wearing the same white dress as she wore in the As Ever shot that leaked last night
Meghan, hand in hand with her daughter Lilibet, in the cover photo for her new brand’s website, which was swapped in over night
Lilibet and her mother are both barefoot as they skip across the lawn in a rare glimpse of the three-year-old
The jam that Meghan shared with celebrity pals. Labelled with Meghan’s elegant calligraphy, topped with a delicate ribbon tied in a bow, was the embodiment of home-made elegance and gourmet luxury that she is desperate for her lifestyle brand to project
Another told The Daily Beast: ‘There are only so many relaunches you can do before you start to look ridiculous’.
While Mark Borkowski, arguably Britain’s leading PR guru and crisis manager, has said he believes the U-turns are all clever tactics to get publicity.
He told MailOnline: ‘This isn’t an identity crisis. It’s a business model. Meghan isn’t floundering; she’s fluctuating on purpose. The perpetual reinvention, the strategic vagueness—it’s all by design.
‘No, it’s a TV show. No, it’s jam. No, it’s a vague, atmospheric brand called As Ever.
‘The more unpredictable she is, the harder it is to take her down. She’s not trying to be Goop; she’s trying to be a mystery. The product she’s selling? Endless curiosity about Meghan Markle. So maybe she’s not losing control of her narrative—maybe we are’.
He added: ‘So, what’s next? A mindful butter knife line? A sustainably sourced candle that smells like ‘reinvention’? A pop-up experience where guests can personally witness Meghan not answering direct questions? Whatever it is, expect another name change when this one inevitably runs its course’.
Meghan officially rebranded American Riviera Orchard in an Instagram video released from LA overnight – and appears to include a subtle dig at the Royal Family.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, has renamed her luxury lifestyle brand ‘As Ever’ and launched a website with a cover photo of her holding hands with her daughter Lilibet, three, in the California sunshine.
Its launch comes just two weeks before the release of her Netflix show With Love, Meghan, after it was delayed from its original January launch date due to the LA Wildfires.
In what the Sussexes will hope will be a new money-spinner, products will include food such as ‘fruit preserves’, as Meghan grandly called them today, adding: ‘I think we’re all clear at this point that jam is my jam’.
American Riviera Orchard emerged last year when Meghan began sending jams in limited edition jars to her most famous friends to share on social media. But ARO, as a brand, hit a wall. Its logo has also gone, replaced with a palm tree and two hummingbirds.
As Ever was launched in a close-up Instagram video in the Sussexes’ Montecito garden where Meghan gave a nod to the trademark row that saw her American Riviera Orchard application refused by the US trademark office. It features a brief cameo from Harry, who tells Meghan, ‘It’s recording’, as he hands her the phone.
‘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 said.
And in words that some have taken as a dig at the royals and the sacrifices Meghan felt she made when she fell in love with her husband, Meghan said she had not been able to share her passion for food and home for ‘years’ after she shut her lifestyle blog The Tig.
‘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’.
Trademark applications uncovered by MailOnline suggest that As Ever will also sell textiles such as tablecloths and napkins, skincare and haircare products and throws, blankets, bedspreads and household scents such as candles and reed diffusers.
There will also be gardening trowels, spades and pruning shears and inside the home there will be cutlery, knives and tableware.
There was also a written message to go with her Instagram video, which was filmed with the help of Harry
Meghan previously announced the launch of American Riviera Orchard – but the brand has faced numerous setbacks, including trademark issues and has now been replaced
Meghan says As Ever’s products will include jam but added that it will be like The Tig and include ‘cooking and crafting and gardening’.
She also confirmed that Netflix is a business partner after MailOnline revealed that her products will be sold in two malls in the US at the streaming giant’s new bricks and mortar store.
Last night eagle-eyed royal fans sotted a new Shopify website – called As Ever – featuring a brand-new image of the Duchess.
But some claimed that they had found a Shopify store American Riviera Orchard, which has since been taken down, with some suggesting it shows that As Ever was rushed through.
Prior to Meghan’s announcement, internet sleuths had already discovered a Shopify website she’d set up for her As ever products, featuring an unseen picture of the Duchess cooking.
The shot is believed to have been taken during Meghan’s original ARO promo a year ago.
However, it appears she made a last-minute change about the branding and the previous URL as-ever-store.myshopify.com now takes shoppers to her new website asever.com, which features a picture of Meghan and her daughter Lilibet.
The rebrand was confirmed with a short Instagram video overnight.
Meghan, wearing a white linen shirt and blue jeans, told fans: ‘The cat’s out of the bag.
‘I’m shocked we’ve kept this a secret for so long. In two weeks my show is coming out, which I’m so excited for. And also my business, which I think there has been a lot of curiosity about.
‘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.’
‘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.
‘Of course, there will be fruit preserves; I think we’re all clear at this point that jam is my jam. But there are so many more products that I I just love, and now it’s time to share them with you. So I just can’t wait for you to see it. Thanks guys!
In her Instagram caption accompanying the video, she added more.
Meghn says in the video that ‘The cat’s out of the bag’ about her new brand, As Ever
‘As ever’ means ‘as it’s always been’ or some even say ‘in the same way as always’, she says
‘Some of you may have heard whispers about what I’ve been creating,’ she said.
‘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,’ she continued. ‘This new chapter is an extension of what has always been my love language, beautifully weaving together everything I cherish — food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the everyday.’
‘I will keep sharing behind the scenes tidbits with you here as we ramp up to launch, and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on everything we’ve been creating. Sending lots of love… As ever, Meghan.’
In the photo, the Duchess is seen cooking up a storm in her Montecito kitchen, adding the text: ‘Save Your Seat At The Table’.
The page also features a new logo, consisting of a palm tree and two hummingbirds either side, with calligraphy in a similar style to Meghan’s lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard – which has faced numerous difficulties.
According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a trademark application is still pending for the name As Ever.
It comes as the Duchess’s cooking show With Love, Meghan (pictured), is set to launch next month on Netflix
The application – which also features the stylish scrawl – was first filed in 2022 and lists items including spreads, jewellery and candles.
The saying has become one of Meghan’s favourites in recent months and is used frequently by the Duchess, who ended her Valentine’s post to Prince Harry last week with: ‘As ever, Meghan’.
As well as ending a vast majority of her Instagram posts, including her Netflix trailer, tribute to her late dog Guy, and account of helping a wildfires victim, Meghan also signed off episodes of her Archetypes podcast with the closing message.
FEMAIL has reached out to representatives for the Sussexes for comment.
It has been widely anticipated that Meghan would time the launch of American Riviera Orchard – which is only so far known to have produced jam – with her new Netflix series.
It is understood that the show will plug several new products from the range.
While the Duchess soft-launched the brand in April by sending jars of strawberry jam to 50 of her famous friends, including Chrissy Teigen, Mindy Kaling, Kris Jenner, and former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, the activation was followed by a long lull period.
The brand has also been bogged down by regulatory hiccups, with Meghan asking American authorities for more time to get American Riviera Orchard off the ground last November.
At the time, it was reported her legal team had sought an extension in her attempt to secure a trademark for the company.
She first applied for the trademark for her jams and homemade goods in the summer of 2024 – but the bid was rejected in August due to issues with the filing.
Meghan was then given three months to address errors and challenges to the application.
Last November, she asked for another three months to complete this. If the deadline is missed, the application will need to be started again.
Meghan first lodged documents with the US Patent and Trademark Office earlier this year but suffered an embarrassing blow when the forms were not filled in correctly.
Her bid to secure a trademark for American Riviera Orchard has also been contested by rival lifestyle brand Harry & David, who own the ‘Royal Riviera’ trademark and allege it’s too similar to the name for Meghan’s lifestyle company.
Meghan’s legal team, led by top US attorney Marjorie Witter Norman, applied to the Patent and Trademark Office in the States in March for legal protection to exclusively trade using the name American Riviera Orchard.
The duchess has also been told that she cannot have exclusive rights to American Riviera because it is a commonly used place name to describe the California coast where she and Harry live.
Representatives for the Sussexes have previously said such hurdles were ‘routine and expected when filing for trademarks’.
Meghan used the sign-off last week in a Valentine’s Day message to her husband Prince Harry
The Sussexes have also reportedly ‘struggled’ to find a CEO for Meghan’s new home goods and lifestyle venture – although sources close to the Duchess have insisted she is happy running the business herself.
Meghan has filed trademark applications for her lifestyle brand to cover home goods such as tabelware, linen, jellies, jams, a variety of spreads and preserves, as well as stationery, yoga mats and blocks, and gardening gear.
This week the Mail revealed that a selection of Meghan’s products will go on sale in stores called ‘Netflix House’ in malls in Dallas and Philadelphia, bringing consumers merchandise linked to Netflix shows.
A source said: ‘Those stores won’t open for several months. So the question is: Where is she going to sell the products, and does she even have products ready to sell?’
Sources close to Meghan said ‘stayed tuned’ when asked if the brand’s launch was imminent.
Meghan departed last week’s Invictus Games in Canada early, leaving Prince Harry to celebrate today’s closing ceremony alone.
She stated that the reason was to spend time with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – but may also have been working on her product lines last minute.
Meghan’s new lifestyle show was originally set to air in January but, according to Netflix, was pushed back because of the devastating LA wildfires.
Meghan’s highly anticipated Netflix series With Love, Meghan is due to begin streaming on March 4
It is understood the show is being edited ‘to include Meghan’s philanthropic work around the fires’ which included visiting victims in Altadena, California.
This week she bragged about how she scored Billie Eilish merchandise for one 15-year-old girl who lost her family home.
The source added: ‘Netflix is expanding and growing all the time and Netflix House is a natural progression. Meghan’s products will be in there alongside shirts and merchandise from some of the biggest shows on the planet.
‘It’s a bigger deal for her than it is for Netflix. If her show doesn’t take off, then her merchandise will be quietly taken off the shelves and replaced with products associated with a more popular show.
‘Netflix has a huge arsenal of shows to draw on so this venture into bricks and mortar retailing makes sense.
‘Eventually they are hoping to open stores internationally.’
