After months of product soft launches, social media teases featuring A-list celebrities, and a reported trademark setback, Meghan Markle's lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard is reportedly close to an official launch date.
According to a source close to the Duchess of Sussex who spoke to People, Markle is "busy working behind the scenes to prepare for the launch of American Riviera Orchard" for "later this year."
While an official launch date remains unknown, the same source debunked claims and rumors that the royal is "struggling to find a CEO for the brand" and that those efforts are "leading to delays in its launch."
In July, reports claimed that as Markle continues to prepare for the launch—and in addition to handling her podcast with Lemonada Media and her upcoming cookery show for Netflix—she feels as if she is under intense scrutiny from the public, the media and the naysayers.
"(Markle) reportedly feels that every move she makes is met with criticism as she continues to face scrutiny over her upcoming and previous projects," The Daily Express reported at the time.
“Meghan feels very much under siege,” royal author Tom Quinn said at the time, adding that the Duchess of Sussex has reached the point now where she thinks that anything and everything she does will be unfairly criticized.
“Like her husband, she feels that people are unfairly picking on her—she cannot understand why people don’t admire her work," he added.
While an official launch date has yet to be revealed, Markle has reportedly decided on what American Riviera Orchard product she is going to release to the public first.
According to multiple outlets, including The Daily Mail and Tatler, rosé wine will be the first item available for the public to buy.
"To complement the reported wine launch, it’s expected that other products in the initial tranche of releases will be drinking and serving ware, bar essentials, and other products related to hosting and entertaining,” The Daily Mail reported at the time. “We can expect items in classic, but expensive, style.”
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Markle opened up about her various products and how investing in women-owned brands has allowed her to invest in herself and her own passions.
“Investing in them has helped me line up for this chapter where I’m investing in myself,” Meghan told the publication at the time, adding that "when people are online looking for things or reading things, I’m trying to find great new designers, especially in different territories.”
“I spend a lot of time just Googling, looking for brands," she explained.
