While Meghan Markle teased fans in November by telling them that she and Prince Harry had “so many exciting things on the slate” for the year ahead, it still came as a shock to everybody when the Duchess dropped a new homewares brand last week. 

With some serious Stepford Housewives meets Martha Stewart vibes, the Instagram page for ‘American Riviera Orchard’ so far gives nothing away, but the Trademark Application reveals that Meghan will sell home décor and kitchen items, including healthy edible jams, marmalades, and butters. 

Meghan’s fans have been delighted by her return to the public eye after a tough 2023, calling her new venture an “amazing new brand” and insisting they “have to go shopping for whatever Meghan is selling”. One fan added, “I’m truly so happy for her and can’t wait for American Riviera Orchard to launch”, while another added, “So happy for our self-made (soon to be) billionaire Princess.” 

However not all of the feedback has been positive, with PR experts questioning whether Meghan’s team recruited ‘fake’ followers and why the products weren’t advertised on the day of the launch. 

Sources have also revealed how the mum-of-two felt the name of the brand, which is believed to stem from Meghan and Harry’s hometown of Montecito – often called the ‘American Riviera’ – was “authentic” to her. 

But fans of the Royal Family have hit back amidst the couple’s on-going feud with the monarchy, accusing Meghan, 42, of ‘cashing in’ on her title once more. 

To make matters worse, Meghan’s decision to launch the brand on the same day as the Diana Legacy Awards – attended by Prince William in London while Harry, 39, joined via Zoom – has been described as “desperate” and smelling “of attention seeking”.

And now a source tells Closer how “anxious” Meghan knows full well that if her latest venture fails, it could spell “disaster” for the Sussex brand and her own personal image. 

The insider says, “She’s up all night going through every possible outcome. She’s doing a great job of putting on a big show of being very confident, but the truth is she’s dealing with a whole lot of anxiety. If it doesn’t succeed it will be devastating. She wants American Riviera Orchard to be a turbocharged version of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop and if it works out it’ll be brilliant, but if it doesn’t, she knows full well it’s disaster time. 

“Their whole brand and reputation is on the line here. It’s no wonder she’s losing sleep over this and working her fingers to the bone, it really is make or break it time.”

And there’s no doubt that Meghan’s new brand is a dramatic U-turn on her previous ventures. After stepping back from the Royal Family in January 2020, Meghan’s personal brand has focused on philanthropy and championing women, specifically the under-privileged and disempowered. 

Alongside her podcast, Archetypes, Meghan has spoken out about empowering young girls and has ceaselessly campaigned for gender equality through her tours and speeches during her time as a working royal. 

She was also awarded a “Woman of Vision” award last year for “her life-long advocacy for women and girls” and made her first investment in coffee brand Clevr Blends – an entirely female led company.  

And while it hasn’t been an easy time for the couple – who were named by the Hollywood Reporter last year as the “Biggest Losers” – following the loss of their £15 million Spotify deal last May, Meghan’s latest project seems to signal a huge U-turn for her feminist values.

But with numerous reports suggesting that she and Harry are running out of money to fund their expensive lifestyle in Montecito, Meghan could well be tapping into the “trad-wife” trend on Tik Tok, which has seen the most prolific housewives gain millions of loyal followers. 

Channelling the bizarre trend – which often sees immaculately made-up women cooking for their husbands while their children play beautifully in the background – Meghan posted a launch video on Instagram, showing her cooking up a storm as she arranges a vase of white roses in her own rustically beautiful kitchen. 

In another hazy shot, she is seen wearing a black ball gown while standing in the home she shares with Harry and their two children, Archie, four, and two-year-old Lilibet. Reports have also suggested that a Netflix cooking show and possible relaunch of her now-defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig, could also be on the cards.

But the insider says Meghan knows that by alienating her usual fan base, she is taking a huge risk that could backfire spectacularly. 

“She’s putting in the work 24/7, but there’s also an element of luck that she needs to have on her side,” the source says. “She and Harry have a fan base but there’s no guarantee this will catch on with them. To get people on board she’s sold them a very confident outline and promised that it’ll be a win-win for anyone who participates so there are huge expectations from the people that are backing her. 

“It’s an awful lot to be responsible for and there’s just no margin for error – this cannot fail. As cool as Meghan might look on the surface, she’s extremely flustered and stressed behind the scenes, worrying about every little detail and where it could go wrong.”

Last week a royal expert also claimed that Meghan will have spent an “ungodly amount” on publicising her new brand. 

And now the source adds, “The expenses for this are astronomical, and not just the cost for all the staff, there’s also the product development and production costs, the bills are through the roof. Harry’s being supportive and telling her it will all be fine, that she just needs to relax, but that’s not at all helpful. There’s too much on the line for her to just take it easy and she can’t sleep at night. 

“The pressure on her right now is huge, if this doesn’t pan out it’s going to put her in a serious hole and it’s hard to fathom how she’ll crawl out.”