SARAH VINE: Let’s face it, Meghan’s lifestyle brand confirms what we all always knew about her…

Orchard on the American Riviera. Is this the What Three Words address – that newfangled app that uses three words to identify almost every inch of the planet – for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s beautiful Montecito mansion?

I checked, but unfortunately that is not the case. But it IS the name of the Duchess’s new lifestyle brand, which was launched on Thursday with a stylish Instagram video, complete with regal-looking emblem and swirly calligraphy.

Blousy pink and white florals and a whimsical soundtrack accompany an atmospheric soft-focus shot of the Duchess hard at work in a white tank top (always practical, our Duchess) in her elegant earth-toned kitchen before we get a final glimpse of her appearance effortlessly regal in a long dress. If you do. Move over Nigella Lawson, there’s a new Domestic Goddess in town.

The name is somewhat baffling. It sounds like the kind of crazy name a pop star would give to their child: Blue Ivy (Beyonce), Daisy Dove Bloom (Katy Perry), Bluebell Madonna (Gerri Halliwell). But it does not matter. It’s Meghan’s baby, she can name it whatever she wants.

Meghan launched American Riviera Orchard, her new lifestyle brand, on Thursday

Because for once I don’t think it’s a bad idea on her part. It’s certainly one of her better ventures of late. Since the Duchess left Britain, she and Prince Harry have been seemingly unable to move on, obsessed with exacting revenge on those back home.

They’ve become a real bunch of trolls, too preoccupied with what they left behind to see what lies ahead, too busy worrying about the past to build a future.

This new venture feels like a welcome change from that decidedly negative and highly toxic mentality, a return to the Meghan Markle of old, the one we all rather liked, the sassy, ​​stylish, independent woman with killer heels and a career of her own. own.

Before she met the prince, she had her own lifestyle blog, The Tig, and the truth is, she was pretty good at it. She certainly seemed much happier about it than she ever was as a working royal.

So why not? Why not go back to her roots and pick up where she left off, just with a few more strings to her bow, not least the swirling title and princely accessory? It’s a lot more fun than those rather dry, sanctimonious podcasts of hers, and it’s certainly a lot less annoying, for everyone involved, than endlessly whining about microaggressions.

Plus, someone has to pay for that expensive California lifestyle, and since Prince Harry’s exact skills don’t seem to be clear yet, someone has to keep the family on private jets. With a follow-up cooking show on Netflix and a series of commercial spin-offs, this could finally be the new payday the Sussexes have been waiting for.

A stylish Instagram reel was shown at the launch, complete with a regal-looking decal and swirly calligraphy

I’m sure audiences will enjoy it, especially when they discover that they too can buy their own piece of the Sussex lifestyle pie. “Meghan will make and sell products such as jam,” we are told. ‘And at some point there will be a book and a blog etc.’ I would expect nothing less. All jelly, no Jerusalem. It’s what she always wanted.

There are, of course, questions about the exploitation of her royal title. And it’s true, there will inevitably be aspects of such a commercial venture that will feel a bit grimy in that regard. But we shouldn’t make the best the enemy of the good, and I would much rather she traded her royal connections for shredding cabbage than the reputation of the royal family at home.

But if she succeeds, she will no longer have the time, inclination, or need to do so, and that can only be for the better. She’ll finally be relevant in her own right – and that’s basically all she’s ever wanted.

Let’s face it, this was always where Meghan was going to end up. She was never cut out for a royal life: too selfless, too restrictive, too unrewarding for a hothouse flower like her.

This way, she finally becomes the star of her own show, doing something she enjoys – i.e. telling people how to be more like her – and financing more of the luxurious lifestyle she loves.

Good luck to her, I’d say.