MEGHAN Markle will be axed by Netflix in a heartbeat if she can’t deliver – as she finally stops using the royals to cash in, an expert has claimed.
The Duchess of Sussex’s new cookery show With Love, Meghan is set to launch on the streaming service next month – coinciding with her new lifestyle brand As Ever.
Royal author Hugo Vickers said the reaction to the recent trademarking issues and plagiarism row sparked by the last minute re-brand from American Riviera Orchard exemplify the “hostility” Meghan attracts.
It comes after the mayor of Porreres in Majorca said she is considering legal action over the duchess’ new logo apparently copying the town’s centuries’ old coat of arms.
And the owner of family-run New York-based clothing brand As Ever appealed to Meg to change the name to avoid him losing business.
Mr Vickers said many new brands experience teething issues, adding that “there’s almost nothing in the world that’s new”.
But said the reaction to Meg’s U-turn highlights how polarising she can be.
He said: “She’s bound to be just being attacked because people want to attack her, and maybe actually, they’re also jumping on the bandwagon.”
Mr Vickers said such bad publicity isn’t likely to upset Netflix because it will “presumably like any amount of publicity that this engenders, because it’ll get people to watch the show”.
“A company like Netflix wants value for money… they have to deliver,” he continued.
“I suspect that if it doesn’t work, then it’ll get axed like everything else, because that’s what happens in the commercial world. You sink or swim. It’s a tough world out there.
“I think in the end you have to come up with substance, and it’ll be interesting to see what sort of substance is produced by this programme.”
Since stepping down as working members of the Royal Family in 2020, Meg and Prince Harry have been criticised for monetising their regal ties.
However, the duchess’ latest Instagram post, a mood board alluding to the new cookery show, ignores the royals completely – despite her adding: “From memory lane to the memories I’m making today…”
Instead it features old quotes from her now-defunct blog The Tig, as well as a drawing of her, Prince Harry and her late dog Guy.
Referring to the lack of mentions of the royals and Meg’s own family or childhood, Mr Vickers said it was “rather wise of her to do that”, because it could have “backfired”.
“We know perfectly well that she doesn’t get on with her own family…” he continued.
“As for the royal family, well, she has to be very careful about using them.
“We know that she has that connection, and she’s very wise not to push it any further, because I think that’s backfired.
“So you know, to be fair to her, she’s starting to branch out in a new direction.”
Mr Vickers added: “It’s reinventing herself. And that’s what people do, and that’s in a way, I suppose what you you have to do if you’re going to be a celebrity.”
Meghan Markle keeps 'reinventing' herself for cash while clinging to royal links AND using kids for clout
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.”
THe 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.
2She 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.”
