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The Real Housewife of Montecito

The Duchess of Sussex’s cringey farm-style brand—with its signature jams and ginger tea—has been marred by mixed messages, a curious ownership arrangement with Netflix’s consumer products, and mostly, the sense that Montecito’s ranking royal is just in it for the money.

meghan markle
The irony here is that a certain subset of Markle’s fanbase would go crazy for a super affordable, mass-priced brand, but it’s only a matter of time before she pivots to beauty, where the barrier to entry is lower and the margins are higher, and where the Duchess actually has a clear point of view. Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME
Rachel Strugatz
June 4, 2025

No one really knows what’s going on with As Ever, Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, which launched last month with an underwhelming selection of faux-country high lunch fare—jam, tea, flower sprinkles, etcetera—in loose concert with her derisible Netflix show, With Love, Meghan. On Tuesday, the Duchess of Sussex announced on her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, that As Ever was on “pause.” Hours later, she posted an Instagram Story informing her 3 million followers that there would be a restock later this month. She urged them to “sign up to find out details and timing!” Last week, Fast Company reported that Markle will “announce new products” during Q1 of 2026, and that the founder wants to “really focus on the hospitality angle.”