Meghan Markle Quietly Prepares Lifestyle Brand Launch for Later This Year, CEO Search Rumors Debunked: Source

The forthcoming American Riviera Orchard is a return to the lifestyle space for the Duchess of Sussex

Meghan Markle is gearing up for the launch of her new lifestyle brand.

A source tells PEOPLE that the Duchess of Sussex has been busy working behind the scenes to prepare for the launch of American Riviera Orchard, slated for later this year.

The source also dismisses claims that Meghan, 42, has been struggling to find a CEO for her brand, leading to delays in its launch, clarifying that these reports are untrue.

An insider previously told PEOPLE that Meghan’s new venture “will reflect everything that she loves — family, cooking, entertaining and home décor.”

The insider added that the Duchess of Sussex “is excited about her latest, personal venture."

"This is something she’s been wanting to do for a while. She is excited to share her style and things that she loves," they added.

Related: Meghan Markle Returns to Instagram! The Duchess of Sussex Launches Surprise New Venture

Meghan announced the forthcoming brand in March alongside an accompanying website and Instagram page.

A trademark application for American Riviera Orchard made it clear that the brand’s reach is wide, revealing plans to sell tableware, drinkware, kitchen linens, edible treats such as jellies, jams, marmalade and spreads, cookbooks and a whole host of other items. And Meghan is no stranger to the lifestyle space — she created the lifestyle blog The Tig in 2014 before shuttering it in 2017, ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry the next year.

The Duchess of Sussex has also been adding to her investment portfolio. Meghan told the New York Times in an Aug. 28 interview that the small portfolio of female-run companies she supports has just gained a new addition — the handbag brand Cesta Collective, which Meghan found organically while shopping online.

“I spend a lot of time just Googling, looking for brands,” said Meghan, who began investing money in companies led by women back in 2020. “When people are online looking for things or reading things, I’m trying to find great new designers, especially in different territories.”

Earlier this year, Tracy Robbins and Delfina Blaquier gave the public a glimpse of American Riviera Orchard’s possible first product — strawberry jam. The two women posted photos of the product in small, numbered jars labeled with American Riviera Orchard’s logo, and other celebrities including Kris Jenner, Chrissy Teigen and Mindy Kaling would later follow suit.

In June, Blaquier’s husband — and longtime friend of Prince Harry — Nacho Figueras revealed a new raspberry jam flavor, along with a container labeled “Dog Biscuits.” Dog biscuits, along with other pet supplies, made the cut for the trademark application for exclusive rights under the American Riviera Orchard brand.

Related: Meghan Markle's New Lifestyle Brand Will 'Reflect Everything That She Loves,' Source Says (Exclusive)

In July, Meghan attended a networking event in the Hamptons. The G9 Ventures Summer Summit — a one-day business summit hosted by power broker Amy Griffin. — featured some notable names, including Naomi Watts, Reese Witherspoon, Mariska Hargitay and Julianne Hough, as well as speeches from female business owners and representation from brands such as Spanx, Bumble, Flow, Hello Sunshine, Supergoop and more.

Potentially further expanding her lifestyle empire, American Riviera Orchard could align with a cooking show set for release by Netflix that is being curated and executive produced by Meghan. The series will “celebrate the joys of cooking and gardening, entertaining and friendship” and is directed by Michael Steed, who worked on Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. The as-of-yet untitled series’ showrunner is Leah Hariton, who was a producer on Selena Gomez’s Selena + Chef cooking show on HBO.

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Related: What's Next for Meghan Markle's American Riviera Orchard Brand Launch?

American Riviera Orchard’s name is a nod to Santa Barbara, the town in California where Meghan, 43, and her husband Prince Harry, 39, reside with kids Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3. Meghan found the brand name the right fit, as Santa Barbara has been nicknamed the “American Riviera” for over a century, PEOPLE previously reported.

“Meghan finds the name American Riviera Orchard perfect,” a source told PEOPLE. “It feels authentic to her. She can’t wait for the website to launch.”

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