After a four-year hiatus, Meghan Markle is back on Instagram with a new lifestyle company.
Today, the news broke that the Duchess of Sussex had launched a new account on the social media platform under the handle: “American Riviera Orchard.” Even though the page only features the project’s logo—written in a dainty gold script—it already boasts over 12,000 followers at the time of this story’s publishing. It also comes accompanied by a website of the same name. The bio, meanwhile, is a simple one: “by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex,” it reads. A spokesperson confirms to Vogue that the site is legitimate.
So what is American Riviera Orchard? The Sussexes haven’t released any information about the project. But, rumors began swirling late last year that the Duchess was looking to revive her old lifestyle blog, The Tig. Before she married Prince Harry, Markle actively published recipes, travel guides, and more on the site. (“Tig” was short for her favorite wine, “Tignanello.”) She also posted frequently on The Tig’s social media account. However, after her engagement in 2017, she shut the site down. Due to the name alone—American Riviera is the glamorous nickname for the California Central Coast where Meghan resides, whereas orchard implies idyllic landscapes blooming with fruit—it seems like Markle is once again getting into the lifestyle space. Indeed, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a trademark application for “American Riviera Orchard” was filed on February 2, 2024. The goods and services listed included tableware, cookbooks, textiles, as well as edible items like jellies, marmalades, and fruit preserves.
During her brief tenure as a working royal, the couple shared updates on their Instagram account @Sussexroyal. However, in March 2020—two months after they announced their decision to leave the royal family—they shared they’d no longer be posting on the account. “While you may not see us here, the work continues,” the couple wrote. Harry and Meghan haven’t had a social media presence since then. Until now.
The lighthearted news comes at a difficult time for the Windsor family. Currently, Meghan’s sister-in-law Kate Middleton is plagued with conspiracy theories about her health and whereabouts. She’s also come under fire for releasing a heavily edited photo of herself and her family that was removed from the wire services.