american riviera orchard - what was that all about then?

[Tenmus]

It seems to have gone the same way as their Sussex Royal site. I don't know much about social media or PR, but this all seems pretty odd and ineffectual.

I was just looking at the Highgrove website. They offer all these jam and lifestyle products, and behind them is a real place that you can visit, and the King's real and longstanding interest in gardens and environmental issues. And the prices are mostly not eye watering. Anything H&M could do in that line seems tacky in comparison, purely a money making exercise with nothing real behind it, including knowledge and experience.

Meghan had an uncle, now deceased, who had served in the USAF and in the diplomatic service. He must have known how to dress and behave at formal events, so why didn't she invite him?

Was he the one who got her the internship at the embassy?

@Abouttimeforanamechange I have a very outting story about a member of my family and the setting up of the shop at Highgrove. Family member was asked to go in to provide sample of ware for sale in the shop for inspection and expected to meet with shop manager. Instead they got driven up to the main house to meet with Prince Charles, who looked though everything, had a nice chat and a talk through what they wanted.
Family member is deffo not a royalist but has nothing but praise for Charles since.
Interestingly, they didn’t go for family member’s product in the end because price point was too high and they wanted the items to be more affordable.

Was he the one who got her the internship at the embassy?

Yes, I believe he was.

Instead they got driven up to the main house to meet with Prince Charles, who looked though everything, had a nice chat and a talk through what they wanted.

Yes, this is what I was getting at. Genuine personal interest and knowledge and an overall vision of what was wanted. Things that take time to acquire.

I wonder why that uncle from the diplomatic service wasn't invited to the wedding?

I think it’s as simple as what’s being reported, they were going to launch something to do with flamingo estate, it is everything she said she was going to be , and flamingo estate got lawyers involved to stop it.

i do believe they are that entitled,they’d just go ahead and attempt to bulldoze their way through and just take what they wanted, irrelevant of the owners view.

i really don’t think it’s anything. To do with the royal family as harry and Megan would make sure everyone knew if it was. The fact there is only minor leaks about flamingo estate bringing in lawyers to stop aro says that’s likely the issue behind it. Megan is never going to publicly admit there were trying to steal others work and promote it and the owners said no.

Megan is never going to publicly admit there were trying to steal others work and promote it and the owners said no.

Isn't that exactly what they were hoping to do with the RF, then the Queen said no?

I wonder why that uncle from the diplomatic service wasn't invited to the wedding?

He was her father's brother. Speculation, but it would have been difficult to invite him and not her father, and for some reason she seems to have been dead set on not inviting Thomas.

It was/is bollocks.

who prices these products?

Tiffany Haddish honey is $250!

but Jane Goodall’s Tanzanian honey is only $36!

if I had the choice I’d go with the Tanzanian honey , pretty sure it’s not sprayed with glyphosate.

Only though, only 36 bucks for a pot of honey,

in comparison to 250 it looks like a steal though,

I guess the seller prices them, but they will be priced along the chain, each seller back to the producer . It’s very niche I think.

but it does seem this was what Megan was doing with the selling jam, arranging flowers, cooking stuff, recipes etc.

i can see why the owners told them to jog on, if i had a niche high end business the last thing id want is harry and Megan involved. It would take the high end and tarnish it as people the world over would be taking the piss.

Tiffany Haddish honey is $250!

but Jane Goodall’s Tanzanian honey is only $36!

Highgrove Royal Orchard Spring Honey or Summer Honey, produced from pollen collected by royal bees, £7.95. (Not currently available, I suppose they're seasonal. You can have Transylvanian Honey for £6.95 if you fancy it.)

I just don't understand what MM thinks she would add to the Flamingo brand in terms of marketability. I doubt her hardcore fans who are not celebrities will be able to afford the brand. Maybe a small MM shop within the Flamingo shop, but why would they sell her stuff over their own? I do wonder if the instagram release is a bit of an "audition" for them to show how popular she is in a bid to get them to agree to the collaboration.

@Ratsoffasinkingsauage I love that story about King Charles, it seems that he really cares about the products.

Royal Highgrove honey for less that £8? I could treat myself to that 😄. I like honey in my tea. And on toast…

Charles really was so far ahead of his time. I remember all the derision he used to get in the 1980s for his stance on the environment. No doubt part of that was the media drawing a contrast between the glamorous Diana with her star quality and human touch, and fuddy duddy Charles in his wellies complaining about carbuncle's and hugging trees. But his unwavering stance has stood the test of time. It annoys me that he is criticised so much for his personal life, and still by some for laziness and not being with the times (and being racist), when he has in fact built several impressive, innovative brands that are right on point and has done great work with disadvantaged groups with the King's (Princes) Trust. And nice honey to boot!

What makes celebs all of sudden connoisseurs?
And what’s up with their pricing?

Who in their right mind would buy a Julianne Moore or Will Ferrel Honey for $250? And I’m speaking as someone within that market bracket ,
but I know my stuff, No honey from Provence made from PGI lavender cost that much , and pretty sure Transylvanian honey is as wild it can get .

pretty sure Transylvanian honey is as wild it can get .

"Cultivated by a single master beekeeper, the honey is produced from pollen collected by bees from the abundant wildflower-rich grasslands in Saschiz, Transylvania"

From what I can see, Meghan is going for a scatter-shot approach of chucking mud against the wall and seeing what sticks. So far, we've had Meghan the Philanthropist (crashed and burned due to lack of funds/interest/authenticity), Meghan the Author (one widely-panned children's book that was a rip-off of someone else's idea), Meghan the Podcaster (one widely-panned series of interviews, most of which she didn't even do herself, the podcast was then cancelled), Meghan the Voice-Over Artist (one elephant documentary panned for its overly saccharine tone), and now we have Meghan THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX's website with a clunky, overly-long name, no products, copyright issues and that's an attempt to blatantly rip off Duchy Organic. What could possibly go wrong?

Meghan the face of Dior.

And none of those ideas was/is likely to bring in enough $$$$$ to sustain the multi-million-dollar lifestyle they seem to aspire to.

And other than possibly voiceover artist, she doesn't have the skills or knowledge needed for any of them.

May I just add, I've visited Transylvania and it's amazing.

I agree. You have to stick with what you know/are known for. Gwyneth was widely panned initially for Goop, but actually it's a brilliant idea, because Gwyneth has always been kooky, but she's stylish in that sort of pared down, beige and black, laid-back, Californian way (that Meghan tries oh-so-hard to ape). And she's been very good at anticipating what people are going to want. Whereas Meghan isn't original - she's just takes other people's ideas and tries to make them her own. But that doesn't really work. You have to have something that is authentically you and something a bit different. What she's seemingly trying to do (and remember her website has NO products currently), is just copying what other people have done before and, in many cases, failed.

Royal bees! 🐝 🙌

@LipstickLil when Meghan was doing the Tig it was her reviews of other people's places, dishes etc - nothing of her own. There are millions of people who do this. I have a very foodie friend and she does amazing things with food, places and her own recipes which are way more interesting. Anyone can write about going into a cafe in New York and having an amazing cake.