Meghan Markle Launches Strawberry Jam Through 'American Riviera Orchard' to Sweeten Your Day

Meghan Markle, the homely duchess, has launched the first product of her new business venture 'American Riviera Orchard' by sending a jar of strawberry jam to 50 influencers. Designer Tracy Robbins and Argentine socialite Delfina Balquier are among those who have posted a picture of the product on their Instagram stories today. Mrs. Robbins and her husband, the head of Paramount, Brian Robbins, are friends of the Sussexes and had invited them to the premiere of the Bob Marley movie in Jamaica in January. The photo on Mrs. Robbins' Instagram stories showed the jam commenting: 'Breakfast, lunch, and dinner @AmericanRivieraOrchard just got a bit sweeter.' And she added: 'Thanks for the delicious basket! I love this jam, so I'm not sure about sharing it with anyone.' Balquier posted a similar photo in her stories, saying: 'Strawberry jam makes me happy. And I love your jam.' Meghan's fans were extremely excited about the launch, so much so that one tweeted: 'I don't eat much jam but for you Meg I will buy some.' Another added: 'I remember learning to make jam during a cooking class, so fun and everything so delicious!' The Duchess launched her new business venture on March 14 with a teaser on Instagram. A vintage-style video of Meghan cooking and arranging hydrangeas and white roses was posted on the new Instagram account of American Riviera Orchard. The brief video was set to Nancy Wilson's I Wish You Love and ends with the brand's logo written in gold letters above the word 'Montecito.' The company aims to offer downloadable and printed recipe books, tableware, textiles, and jams. The account had 100,000 followers just three hours after the first post, a figure that has now reached 592,000. Meghan does not have an Instagram account since the Sussexes stepped back from royal life four years ago. Previously, they ran a joint account @sussexroyal but had announced they would stop posting in March 2020. Last week, an exclusive poll by DailyMail.com/TIPP found that 68% of Americans were not interested in American Riviera Orchard. Meghan hopes to sell products, from bird seeds to pet treats, from gardening shears to napkin rings. She has listed a series of items in documents submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, including bath soaps, curtains, and yoga blankets. And Meghan hopes to sell scented oils, stick diffusers, fragrances, and non-medicated pet care products such as dog shampoo and conditioner. Meghan's trademark application also seems to extend to a physical store where items could be sold. Some believe such merchandising could violate Harry and Meghan's agreement with the late Queen Elizabeth II not to commercialize their royal ties. At the time of the launch, last month, an insider told the Mail: The brand is meant to coincide with the launch of a new cooking program for Netflix.