Meghan Markle drops Instagram surprise with new venture as royals reel

Meghan Markle is seizing the opportunity to unveil an Instagram account associated with her new venture, American Riviera Orchard, days after the British royal family dealt with a photo editing scandal.

No formal announcement has been made by Markle and Prince Harry's spokespersons, but an American Riviera Orchard Instagram account launched on Thursday, along with a website. Established in 2024, it notes the brand was founded in Montecito, where Markle and Prince Harry live with their two young children.

A biography about the account reads, "by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex."

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Meghan Markle revealed her new venture, American Riviera Orchard, on the brand's new Instagram grid. (American Riviera Orchard Instagram)

It isn't entirely clear what this new venture is, but based on the video shared to the account's Instagram stories, it appears to be a lifestyle brand. The video is a collection of sequences, showing Markle tending to her home, arranging flowers, and in her kitchen.

Last month, Markle and Prince Harry introduced their new Sussex website to the world, and immediately sparked backlash for the use of their royal titles and insignia. Amid the heat, Markle seemingly defended the website's designers, who she has known for years. 

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Meghan Markle was featured heavily in a video shared to American Riviera Orchard's Instagram stories, promoting the brand. (Robin L Marshall/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

In a testimonial on the website for the digital agency Article, Markle wrote, "There is a reason I have worked with Ryan and the talented team at Article for a decade: their attention to detail, their creativity and care, and the thoughtful approach to design as well as to the user experience."

Markle previously worked with the company to produce her now defunct lifestyle blog The Tig in 2014, which she shut down in 2017, months before getting engaged to Harry.

By 2018, the former "Suits" actress had deleted all of her social media. The couple were married in May of that year.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sparked outrage last month after using their royal titles and insignia on their newly designed Sussex website. (Andrew Chin/Getty Images)

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This new drop comes hours after reputable photo agency AFP declared that Kensington Palace was no longer a "trusted source" following the release of an edited photo earlier this week. 

Kate Middleton shared a family photo of her children, the first since her abdominal surgery in January, amid mounting speculation surrounding her whereabouts. Several news agencies deemed that the photo had been "manipulated," and issued a "kill" on the photo.

AP News issued a "photo kill" notice on a picture of Kate Middleton and her children she released to the public. (AP News)

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The Princess of Wales has since issued an apology, admitting to editing the photograph. Following Middleton's admission, Instagram put an "altered photo" label on the post for the account's 15.2 million followers.

"Independent fact-checkers say the photo or image has been edited in a way that could mislead people, but not because it was shown out of context," the warning read.

Instagram added a warning label to Kate Middleton's edited photo. (Instagram)

Instagram said the photo was reviewed by independent fact-checkers. (Instagram)

Business has continued for the royal family as usual, with Prince William scheduled to attend an event acknowledging his mother, Princess Diana, Thursday evening.

According to People magazine, Prince William and Prince Harry will both appear, although they will not overlap.