ROYAL fans have accused Meghan Markle of copying a logo for her new rebrand as an expert blasted “it’s another headache” for her team.
It has been claimed the Duchess of Sussex may have “copyright issues” after she announced her latest venture, As Ever, this morning.
Meghan announced her rebrand As Ever to Instagram followers this morning[/caption]
Eagle-eyed fans have spotted similarities between her logo and the Coat of Arms of Porreres in Majorca.
Reddit users were quick to post the two designs side-by-side, showing both contain a palm tree and two birds.
Nick Ede, a brand and culture expert, told The Sun: “Yes the logo that she has used for the new brand As Ever is clearly very similar to the coat of arms for an area of Majorca.
“This is another brand set back as it looks like its been copied rather than a whole new brand identity created.
“This may potentially create copyright issues and a further headache for Meghan and her team.”
In response to the social media post, one fan said: “What is she doing. Girl just stop.”
“She is no longer rational and in panic mode is trying anything. Hanging on by her fingernails. Desperation, your name is Meghan,” wrote another.
A third slammed “that is a complete plagiarised logo”.
This comes just hours after Meghan announced to followers she was “thrilled” to introduce them to As Ever.
In her new Instagram post, she said: “Some of you may have heard whispers about what I’ve been creating. 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.
“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…“
And people were quick to notice the mum-of-two had been signing off her previous Instagram posts with “As Ever, Meghan”.
The cryptic message now appears to have been a hint of the up coming launch.
The new As Ever website features a photo of Harry and Meg’s rarely seen daughter Lilibet, three.
Meghan’s lifestyle brand had originally been called American Riviera Orchard, a nickname for where she grew up in Santa Barbara.
But this had sparked several trademark issues, as previously reported.
Meghan did not mention such matters in her video, however, instead said the name “limited” her to selling items manufactured only from the area.
As Ever, the duchess explained, was secured in 2022.
She promised fans she will still be selling jams, saying “my jam is my jam”, but As Ever opens up more opportunities and is tied to her upcoming Netflix show With Love, Meghan.
This re-brand comes after Meghan was instructed by officials she can’t have exclusive rights to ‘American Riviera’ because it is a commonly used place name to describe the California coast.
Further obstacles included Meghan and her team filling in the official forms incorrectly, and failing to send enough cash.
And their application wasn’t even signed.
Her team, led by top US attorney Marjorie Witter Norman under Meghan’s fledgling Mama Knows Best LLC firm, applied to the Patent and Trademark Office in the States for legal protection to exclusively trade using the name ‘American Riviera Orchard’.
But the application, filed in March, was rejected leaving her with just three months to amend the request – or it will be removed from the register.
And, this is not the first time Meghan has faced allegations of plagiarism in her new ventures.
The Duchess was accused of copying recipes and Princess Kate’s beekeeping in her new Netflix show.
With Love, Meghan, which airs on March 4, will consist of eight 33 minute episodes featuring a host of Meg’s various Hollywood friends trying her simple, yet “elevated”, food.
A montage of various clips in the nearly two minute video showed Meghan walking through vegetable patches and fields.
She was also filmed browsing florists and hand selecting beautiful flowers for table arrangements, showing off her creative side.
The Duchess even tried her hand at beekeeping, fully suited up, as she collected honey.
Meghan Markle keeps ‘reinventing’ herself for cash while clinging to royal links AND using kids for clout
By Ryan Merrifield
FICKLE Meghan Markle has to keep reinventing herself while clinging to her royal links – and she is shamelessly using her kids for clout, an expert claims.
The Duchess of Sussex announced a shock name change for her American Rivera Orchard lifestyle brand today.
Announced less than a year ago, the project is now called As Ever, ahead of its official launch to tie in with new Netflix cookery show With Love, Meghan next month.
In her Instagram announcement, the duchess, 43, said the change meant she was no longer “limited” to selling products from the part of Santa Barbara where she grew up.
But she failed to touch on the trademark issues that have dogged the launch, with officials saying she cannot have exclusive rights to “American Rivera” going forward.
Royal author Hugo Vickers told The Sun: “I think there’s a lot of sort of jumping in and then rethinking.”
He said this reflects much of the ventures Meghan and Harry, 40, have undertaken since stepping down as working royals in 2020.
“It’s always this sort of rebranding of themselves, and reinventing themselves so that they’re always in view of the public…” he explained.
“It does all seem a little bit…how do you put it? Incredibly commercial. It’s obviously aimed at marketing. But from what I read, all this has happened quite suddenly.
“There’s lots of applications being put in and things being registered, and so forth. I think it’s all a little bit sort of done on the hoof, to be honest.”
Today’s rebrand announcement video – filmed presumably in the Sussexes’ garden in Montecito – features Harry’s voice playfully telling his wife at the start “it’s recording” before she giggles.
Mr Vickers, pointing out the duke also featured briefly in the brand’s introductory video, said he’s still essentially the main draw.
“I was going to say ‘product placing’, but ‘Meghan placing’, I mean, we watch her because she’s married to Prince Harry,” he said.
“That’s the reason we watch her, and really the only reason, to be quite honest.”
He added: “I rather wonder what will happen if ever the day comes when she doesn’t need him. But that’s all in the future.
“I’ve said this a million times, but that is why we watch them – because he is Prince Harry…he’s put her on the map.
“She was quite well known before she got involved with him. But she’s extremely well known as a result of having married Prince Harry. That’s what it’s all about.”
The As Ever website also features a rare photo of their daughter Lilibet, and Mr Vickers said this, unfortunately, feels like a commercial decision as well.
“I’m personally rather against people using their children for advertising purposes, especially when their children are officially members of the Royal Family,” he said.
“They’ve been given princely titles. So, once again it’s exploiting the royal side, and also…we don’t often see the children. In fact, do we ever see them full on?
“We see the back of the head, occasionally, or we see a hand, or we see something. It’s all rather tantalising.
“It’s been like that right since the start. So I suppose that when they do appear it’s like gosh, there they are, they exist.”
But eagle-eyed viewers have already pointed out a number of uncanny similarities to old recipes and shows following the trailer’s release.
Many online believed that the style of the Netflix release was far too similar to others in what has been branded a “copycat” move.
And Meghan’s beekeeping was noted for also being one of Princess Kate’s favourite hobbies.
The Princess of Wales was snapped tending to her own beehive at Anmer Hall in Norfolk in May 2023 to mark World Bee Day, and is known for producing her own honey.
Queen Camilla also keeps bees at her retreat in Wiltshire and is actively involved in the charity Bees For Development, which works to protect bee habitats worldwide.
One viewer tweeted: “If anyone wanted to read between the lines, this is yet another opportunity for Netflix, Reed Hastings and Markle to continue trolling the British monarchy, since all Meghan is trying to do is to imitate an English lifestyle, dressing and keeping bees like Catherine.”
Another wrote: “And you know who keeps bees? Princess Catherine at her home in Amner Hall.
“It’s one of her passions. Meghan has never had an original idea ever.”
But that’s not the only thing raising eyebrows.
Some fans are even drawing comparisons between Meghan’s show and Emma’s Kitchen, a YouTube series hosted by Celebrity MasterChef star Emma Weymouth, Marchioness of Bath.
Emma – formally known as Emma Thynn – launched her cooking brand back in 2015.
The Marchioness often films her dishes in the kitchens of Longleat House and some viewers say the set-up in Meghan’s trailer looks suspiciously similar.
One viewer wrote: “Why is Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex trying to channel Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath?
During the trailer, one dish also caught the attention of sharp viewers.
Meghan was seen preparing a “Ladybug” appetiser — a dish that’s been circulating online for years.
Food blogs and Pinterest pages have featured the same recipe since 2015, and it also appeared in First For Women magazine in 2018.
In 2023, even TikTok’s Home Cooks World posted a recipe for it which includes a baguette, pesto, mozzarella, basil, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, sesame seeds, and olive oil.
The Duchess’ team were contacted for comment.
