Meghan Markle finds two things ‘really difficult’ that could cripple her new lifestyle brand

Meghan Markle has been told the two things she finds “really difficult” but will be vital if her new lifestyle brand venture American Riviera Orchard is to become a success.

That’s according to a royal expert and author, who claims the Duchess of Sussex is “struggling to find staff for her new brand”. Earlier in March, Meghan quietly launched her latest business venture. An Instagram account popped up on the platform, introducing American Riviera Orchard to the world. When she first introduced her brand, Meghan teased its aesthetic with a brief video trailer on an Instagram story. She then posted the brand’s logo across a nine-grid collage on the page.

However, after sending out 50 jars of homemade strawberry jam to a select group of celebrity pals, the brand seems to have hit a roadblock. Royal author and expert Tom Quinn suggests that Meghan is having trouble recruiting staff because she has a “tough outlook” and “absolute self-belief” meaning she finds two things “really difficult” when it comes to managing her staff.

Mr Quinn explained: “The result of Meghan’s tough outlook is that she is having difficulties finding staff for her new brand – she wants them to be full of ideas of their own, but also totally compliant to her wishes. Meghan has absolute self-belief…But to make her brand a success she needs to take and accept advice and allow staff who know far more about these things to make some of the decisions. This is really difficult for Meghan as she is not a natural delegator.”

In an exclusive chat with The Mirror, Mr Quinn revealed Meghan wants her staff to be “full of their own ideas” but also “compliant to her wishes”. “One of Meghan’s biggest problems when she lived at Kensington Palace,” Mr Quinn added, “was that she believes that staff should jump when they’re told to jump she doesn’t have the ultra-polite old-fashioned English habit of asking staff if they would mind ordering a pizza or ringing for a car or organising a lunch.”

Details on when Meghan will officially launch American Riviera Orchard remain unclear, with the brand’s website currently only showcasing its logo and offering an option to join a waitlist. The Duchess has already distributed strawberry jam from her brand to 50 influencers and celebrities, including Kris Jenner, yet there appears to be a lull in the brand’s activity lately. Representatives for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been approached by The Mirror for a statement.