Meghan Markle’s limited launch of her first American Riviera Orchard product unexpectedly boosted her father-in-law King Charles’ rival jam this week, as royal followers stocked up on the sweet condiment in anticipation of her strawberry preserves.
Sales of Charles’ Highgrove Organic Strawberry Preserve skyrocketed this week after a few select influencers began promoting Meghan’s version on social media. The duchess gifted 50 pots of her product to the chosen few but hasn’t announced when it will be available to the public. With the teased release, some royal followers may be stocking up on the king’s jam to put the duchess’ and the king’s products in a head-to-head test.
Meghan’s brand is driven by a central Californian identity, its name a reference to Santa Barbara’s designation as the “American Riviera.” Charles’ lifestyle brand Highgrove, by contrast, is named for the king’s private residence in Gloucestershire, England, and practically sells English heritage in its advertising. On the website, Charles’ jam is described as a “quintessentially English strawberry preserve” packaged with “a specially commissioned woodcut design that captures the natural beauty of the gardens at Highgrove” on its label.
Though it’s unclear when Duchess Meghan’s jam will be available for popular consumption, some of her chosen 50 influencers are already raving about the product. Tracy Robbins, a fashion designer and the wife of Paramount executive Brian Robbins, posted an Instagram Story of her jar in a basket of lemons and wrote that the jam was so good she was “not sure I’m sharing with anyone.” Argentinian socialite Delfina Blaquier also posted a picture of her pot and wrote that she loved it, tagging @americanrivieraorchard.
The jam is the first product in the American Riviera Orchard brand, which the duchess soft-launched in March with a return to Instagram and a fresh website. Despite the social media chatter, there were no updates or promos posted to American Riviera Orchard’s Instagram account or any pages added to its website.
For now, Sussex fans will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on the duchess’s jelly—and to see if it stacks up against the king’s.
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