Real reason Meghan Markle changed business name to As Ever

The Duchess of Sussex drummed up a lot of hype around her lifestyle brand, but dropped the name at the eleventh hour. Now she has revealed why.

Meghan Markle has revealed the real reason she axed the name American Riviera Orchard in favour of As Ever for her new lifestyle brand, which launched in April.

The Duchess of Sussex spent months drumming up hype for the product line - which includes items such baking products, jams and teas - only to dump the name in February.

The whimsical new label, As Ever, was unveiled on Instagram around the time her Netflix show With Love, Meghan launched and she now uses it as her social media sign-off.

Meghan Markle’s As Ever product line sold out in about an hour. Picture: Supplied

Meghan pictured in the kitchen with her mother, Doria Ragland. Picture: Supplied

“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’,” she wrote on social media by way of explanation.

“This new chapter is an extension of what has always been my love language, beautifully weaving together everything I cherish.”

Now, speaking on her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast, the 43-year-old royal renegade has explained the reason for the last-minute switch.

The product line includes baking products, jams, teas, honeys and more. picture: Supplied

She dropped the American Riviera Orchard label as it became “word salad”. Picture: Supplied

“I said, ‘I like American Riviera as an umbrella,’ and then be able to have verticals beneath it. And maybe have the ‘Orchard’ really small,” she told her guest, entrepreneur Kadi Lee.

“Suddenly it became this word salad. I didn’t love that so much.

“I was like, ‘OK, well let’s go back to the thing that I’ve always loved. Let’s use the name that I protected for a reason that had been sort of under wraps’.”

The Duchess revealed she had secured As Ever as a business name in 2022 and felt it allowed her to “build on something that no-one was sniffing around to even see about”.

Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show received scathing reviews. Picture: Supplied

The rebrand appears to have worked as the entire product range quickly sold out.

Meghan’s husband, 40-year-old Prince Harry, said he is “incredibly proud” of his wife and her various new ventures, including the TV show, product line and podcast.

“I am so happy for my wife and fully support absolutely everything she’s done and continues to do,” he told People.

“I’m incredibly proud.”

The Duchess reportedly sent a gift box of As Ever products to her estranged in-laws, King Charles and Queen Camilla, at Clarence House in London in an attempt to heal the rift.

It’s unclear how the products were received as Clarence House has not issued a comment.

Originally published as Real reason Meghan Markle changed business name to As Ever