Meghan Markle’s Lifestyle Brand Suffers Major Setback [Video]

Meghan Markle has received a blow to the future of her lifestyle brand as the United States Patent and Trademark Office has denied her bid to trademark the “American Riviera Orchard” name.

In March, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, soft-launched American Riviera Orchard with a website and Instagram page that featured slick new branding, though no further information about the business or planned product lines was released.

Days before the launch, a holding company connected to the duchess filed applications with the USPTO to trademark the name against a number of goods and services, including homeware, garden accessories, stationery, jams, jellies and preserves.

Meghan promoted the brand in April by sending 50 jars of homemade jam with American Riviera Orchard branding to a number of her celebrity pals, including Chrissy Teigen and Kris Jenner, who then mentioned them to their millions of social media followers.

Now, six months after the soft launch, Meghan’s fledgling brand has suffered a blow with its trademark setback.

A …