Meghan puts new label on jams and lifestyle range

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has announced a new identity for her lifestyle brand, which will be called As Ever.

Despite the social media teasers showing celebrities with pots of jam from Meghan, the previous brand name American Riviera Orchard seems to have reached a sticky end.

On a social media post, Meghan said the newly-named product range would be a joint project with Netflix, which is showing her cooking and lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan next month.

"'As ever' means 'as it's always been' or some even say 'in the same way as always,'" said Meghan's post.

The recorded message, delivered in close-up by Meghan, emphasises the continuity with her former, pre-royal, lifestyle blog, the Tig.

She said that the new venture would be "beautifully weaving together everything I cherish - food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the everyday".

Prince Harry, who has been at the Invictus Games in Canada, is heard briefly off-camera in the background of the recording of the Instagram posting. Their three-year-old daughter Lilibet is also seen in the distance, against a sunny Pacific sky, on the accompanying As Ever website.

The previous name American Riviera Orchard had been a reference to the part of California where she lives with Prince Harry - and Meghan said it "limited me to things which were manufactured and grown in this area".

That name had been promoted since April 2024, when celebrities published pictures on Instagram of jars of strawberry jam, in a launch that tried to preserve a sense of mystery.

But there had also been reports of delays because of trademark problems with the original title.

If this latest announcement means the lid is going to come off a new jam war, the Californian contender will be up against Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle Strawberry Preserve, both at £7 and Highgrove Organic Preserve at £6.95.

The new As Ever brand will be a partnership with Netflix, with reports that the TV company is going to open shopping outlets which will sell merchandising connected to its shows.

"Of course there will be fruit preserves, I think we're all clear at this point that jam is my jam," said Meghan.

"But there's so many more products that I just love that I use in my home and now it's time to share it with you, so I can't wait for you to see it."

The launch of Meghan's TV show was delayed by the wildfires in California, with the US state the backdrop for the series, which is expected to be a mix of cooking, hosting tips and celebrity friends and is due to run on Netflix from 4 March.

It is five years since Meghan and Prince Harry stepped down as working royals, becoming financially independent in the United States. Meghan says in her social media post, she has "poured my heart into" this forthcoming product range.

Meghan divides public opinion, with strong reactions on social media from supporters and opponents. Her fans have saluted her independence and creativity, while her opponents have already labelled the brand as "whatever".

Appropriately, she signed off her own post: "As ever, Meghan."

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