Meghan Markle announces new lifestyle brand in surprise return to Instagram

Meghan Markle is back on Instagram for the first time since 2020, with a new account to promote the lifestyle brand she’s calling American Riviera Orchard.

The account popped up early Thursday afternoon and already had nearly 390,000 followers by midday Friday, with a bio simply reading, “by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex. Established 2024.”

In a short and grainy promo video shared to the account’s Instagram story, the 42-year-old royal appears to be making something in a kitchen, with other shots showing flowers and a rustic-looking home.

A pending trademark for the name brand indicates the duchess plans to sell a variety of home goods and culinary products, including tableware, cookbooks, textiles, jellies, jams, food spreads and retail store services.

The American Riviera moniker is likely a reference to the nickname of Santa Barbara County, California, where Markle and her husband live with their two children, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2.

Instagram uploads also show the logo for the company, which includes the name of the city of Montecito, the family’s neighborhood in Santa Barbara.

Until now, Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, haven’t been using any social media since they stepped back as working members of the British royal family.

The last post on their @SussexRoyal Instagram page came on March 30, 2020, in which they thanked their followers for supporting them and said, “We look forward to reconnecting with you soon. You’ve been great!”

Speaking at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Next Gen Summit in October that same year, Markle said, “For my own self-preservation, I have not been on social media for a very long time.”

“I made a personal choice to not have any account, so I don’t know what’s out there, and in many ways, that’s helpful for me,” she added.

The launch of her new page comes just days after she won a defamation suit brought by her half-sister Samantha Markle, over comments the duchess made during a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

During the interview, Meghan alleged that Samantha changed her surname back to Markle when she began dating Prince Harry, and that Meghan herself felt as though she “grew up as an only child.”

“I wished I had siblings,” she said.

A Florida judge dismissed the suit on Tuesday, saying Meghan’s comments were protected, either because they were pure opinion or substantially true.