Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, As Ever, is facing scrutiny before its official launch. The mayor of Porreres in Mallorca, Spain, Xisca Mora, claims the brand’s logo closely resembles their historic coat of arms. The As Ever logo features a black and white palm tree flanked by two hummingbirds.
Meghan rebrands her lifestyle company and shares rare new image of daughter Lilibet.
Goodbye ‘American Riviera Orchard’ and hello ‘As Ever’. The Duchess also says Netflix is now her business partner – not just her TV series partner 📺 https://t.co/aCo5VPxgjE— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) February 18, 2025
The Porrere’s coat of arms, dating back to 1370, has a colorful palm tree with two birds flying toward it. Mora is considering legal action, calling the logos “an exact copy” except for minor differences in the birds and colors. She initially thought reports of the similarities were “fake news” but later found them undeniable.
Meghan Markle turns her back on lifestyle-brand name 'American Riviera Orchard' after her application to trademark the name was refused by the US trademark office.https://t.co/BVeaDyg4uC
— Cameron Walker (@CameronDLWalker) February 18, 2025
“We really want them to change the logo because our coat of arms is very special to our culture and has been linked to our town since it was founded hundreds of years ago,” Mora said.
As Ever has not yet been successfully trademarked by the Duchess, with the application showing as “accepted” on the US office but “not yet assigned to an examiner”.
Meghan's new 'As Ever' venture in row with clothing brand of same name https://t.co/p5uUbasMHR
— Patricia Treble (@PatriciaTreble) February 19, 2025
Legal threat over logo resemblance
Branding expert Doug Eldridge called the situation a “comedy of errors,” noting that despite Meghan’s strengths, they haven’t been used to her advantage.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams believes a lawsuit from Porreres would only heighten the controversy. Broadcaster Helena Chard acknowledged the resemblance but highlighted the commonality of palm trees and birds in logos. However, she agreed professionals should have vetted the design to avoid such overlaps.
The hummingbirds and palm trees in As Ever’s logo reference California, where Meghan and Prince Harry reside with their children. The imagery holds personal significance for the former American actress. This situation highlights the brand development challenges for public figures under constant scrutiny.
It emphasizes the importance of respecting historical symbols while creating new brand identities.
Image Credits: Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash
