MEGHAN Markle will soon be launching her American Riviera Orchard brand and could market herself as the “US Nigella Lawson”, according to a brand expert.

However, the Duchess of Sussex, 42, may face some challenges as she attempts to create a “domestic goddess in the kitchen” image across the pond.

Meghan Markle will soon launch her American Riviera Orchard lifestyle brandCredit: The Mega Agency

Experts have said Meghan appears to be positioning herself as a US Nigella LawsonCredit: BBC

Professor Pauline Maclaran, a marketing and consumer research professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, told BBC: “I would see this as a much more domestic goddess kind of market.

“With these new regal connections now, and, you know, promoting elegance.”

Professor Maclaran claimed that Meghan is positioning herself to be the next Nigella Lawson and Martha Stewart.

One issue Meghan could face is that although she shared recipes on her now-defunct blog The Tig, the former Suits actress isn’t necessarily known for her cooking and doesn’t technically have any formal training as a chef.

Royal author Phil Dampier told Fabulous: “Meghan has no track record of being a top cook so she’d struggle to be a Californian Nigella Lawson.

“There is a danger you can spread yourself too much doing several things, none of them well. Meghan is known as an actress so people might not take her seriously in the kitchen.

“To be fair she wouldn’t be the first celebrity who has decided to cash in on culinary shows for the masses despite not having much experience.”

But perhaps formal cooking training doesn’t matter.

As Nigella, who has released 12 cookbooks throughout her career, shared to The Guardian: “I am not a chef; I am not even a trained cook.”

In fact, the bombshell foodie claims her lack of kitchen experience enables her to “cook in much the same way as my readers, or viewers.”

Professor Maclaran added that Meghan appeared to attempt to “evoke heritage”, with her 16-second teaser video, which was shot in a grainy, retro style.

The mystery in the clip was “very deliberate”, added digital marketing specialist Lindsey Imler.

She said the trailer was “very discreet” and “very alluring”, which plays up to Americans’ “fairytale” perception of the royal family.

Brand strategist Lucie Green believes Meghan will have to be careful about any royal references.

Meghan teased the launch with a retro-style videoCredit: Instagram/americanrivieraorchard

Meghan has sent 50 promotional jams to friends and influencersCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk

Meghan has featured her ‘Duchess of Sussex’ title on her American Riviera Orchard Instagram pageCredit: Instagram / Internet
So far the launch of the brand has been teased by Meghan sending branded jams to 50 close friends and some influencers, including Chrissy Teigen, Heather Dorak, Tracy Robbins and Kris Jenner.

Speaking to Fabulous, Lucie shared: “Positioning will be a tightrope, whether to go very high-end and exclusive or make the brand more accessible.

“How much she (even obliquely) makes royal references will always draw criticism but dialling that up will likely be appealing to many US audiences, just as Aerin Lauder and Martha Stewart make upper-class references in their brands but have wide audiences.”

Currently, the American Riviera Orchard website says “by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex⁣⁣⁣”, referencing her title.

The brand strategist claims Meghan may also struggle if she claims the products are all made in the “American Riviera” –  the nickname given to the swanky Montecito area where Meghan and Harry live.

Lucie explained: “If the story of the brand is literally about being grown and sourced on the American Riviera, scale could be a challenge — there’s only so many strawberries you can grow in one place.

“And it seems like the philosophy is very tightly connected to sourcing in the Californian orchards and farms.

“As the brand grows, and if she wants a mass audience she might need to think about how she communicates how and where this produce is grown.”

Meghan announced she was launching American Riviera Orchard in March, and teased it on Instagram.

According to a report from Page Six, Meghan’s company will focus on home, garden, food, and general lifestyle content.

The brand will reportedly sell home goods, such as cookbooks, food and kitchenware.

Positioning will be a tightrope, whether to go very high-end and exclusive or make the brand more accessible

Lucie GreenBrand Strategist

A trademark application for ‘American Riviera Orchard’ showed Meghan could sell cutlery, decanters, legume-based spreads and even napkin rings.

One source said: “She’s been working on this for over a year and it’s all the things that are close to her heart — all the things she’s passionate about.”

Many royal fans have posted their enthusiasm for the launch on social media, with one saying: “So excited for these lovely heavenly jams from American Riviera Orchard, a wellness brand I will subscribe to!”

Another added: “The more things they add to the list of potential products for American Riviera Orchard, the more excited I get. I’ll buy everything there.”

Currently the Instagram page has 617,000 followers, despite the page only having nine images showing the beautiful logo.

This follows Meghan closing her former lifestyle page, The Tig, in April 2017, shortly after she started dating Prince Harry.

What Will Meghan Markle’s Lifestyle Brand Sell?

Her upcoming lifestyle project, American Riviera Orchard, has listed a full range of products on the trademark. Here’s a peek of what could come:

Fragrance sachets

Lavender Sachets

Non-medicated skin care preparations

Bath and shower gels and salts…non-mediated hair preparations

Bath soap

Bar soap

Non-medicated hand soaps

Body creams

Bath oil

Body lotions

Cosmetics [and] Body Oil.

Scented oils

Air fragrance reed diffusers

Fragrances

Room fragrances

Incense

Non-medicated, non-veterinary grooming preparations like pet shampoo and conditioner

Candles

Household linen

Ben spreads

Bed blankets

Pillowcases

Bed sheets

Bed skirts

Throws

Bath linen

Interior decoration fabrics

Picnic blankets

Table linen of fabric or textile

Coasters of textile

Textile tablecloths

Curtains

Kitchen towels

Kitchen linens

Woven fabrics

Gift wrap of textile or fabric

Knitted fabrics

Textile wall hangings

Felt and non-woven textile fabrics

Beach towels

Beach blankets

Aprons

Scarves

Stationary sets

Letter openers

Blank note cards

Envelopes

Printed note cards

Printed holiday cards

Printed greeting cards

Printed place cards

Printed announcement cards

Printed invitations

Printed recipe cards

Embossers for paper stationery

Seals

Impression stamps

Blank journals

Blank paper notebooks

Personalised writing journals

Printed guest books

Stationary-type portfolios

Paper tape

Printed day planners

Printed calendars

Printed desktop planners

Printed diaries

Personal organisers

Printed address books

Paper party decorations

Party ornaments of paper

Printed decorative paper

Gift bags

Wrapping paper

Gift wrappings ribbons of paper

Gift boxes

Paper gift tags

Gift wrap of fabric or textile

Cocktail napkins

Calligraphy pens

Writing instruments

Desktop organisers

Letter trays

Event albums

Photo albums

Printed cookbooks and recipe books

Decorative cords

Ribbons of textile materials

Ornamental bowls of textile for decoration

Beads for crafting

Floor mats

Meditation mats

Decorative wall hangings

Bath mats

Wall coverings of textile

Wallpaper

Yoga bolsters

Meditation cushions

Yoga blankets

Meditation blankets

Yoga straps

String bags for shopping

Tote bags

Leashes for pets

Collars for pets

Beach umbrellas

Wine carrying cases

Wine bags with handles for carrying or holding wine

Pillows

Outdoor furniture

Household decor made primarily of textiles

Drawer organisers

Pillows for household pets

Beds for household pets

Picture frames