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The UK website domain of Meghan Markle's new lifestyle brand connects to a food bank; independent person I discovered.
The 41-year-old former senior royal announced her new venture, American Riviera Orchard, on social media last month, but it wasn't immediately clear what it would offer.
However, it was soon discovered that the company was registered to sell lifestyle products, including downloadable and printable recipe books, tableware, textiles, and even food products such as jam and marmalade.
The first of these products, the jam jar, was unveiled after Markle gifted 50 limited edition samples to influencers to promote the brand ahead of its official launch.
The website ending in '.com' leads to a highly stylized website showcasing Meghan's brand along with a waiting list, while the site ending in '.uk' strangely leads to the Trussell Trust. landing page, which then leads to a fundraiser.
It is believed to be a luxury lifestyle brand, but pricing has not been disclosed at this time.
The brand's soft launch included a vintage-style video of the actress pruning flowers and cooking to the tune of Nancy Wilson's “I Wish You Love.”
As of this writing, American Riviera Orchard only has a website and an Instagram page, but neither currently lists any products, only its name in gold relief.
It's unclear whether Meghan's representatives bought the domain name and redirected it to the Trussell Trust, or whether good Samaritans raided the site, knowing it would cause a spike in traffic.
The website's landing page says: permission. Please donate to the Trussell Trust. ”
The only link directs visitors to the organization's GoFundMe, with a target set at £1,000.
The fundraiser has not raised any money yet, but given the amount of interest American Riviera Orchard is likely to generate in the coming weeks and months, that could change in the near future.
The news comes as food poverty is on the rise around the world, with the Trussell Trust finding that one in seven people in the UK are currently going hungry because they cannot afford to eat.
Emma Levy, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, said: 'Having to rely on food banks to feed their families is a frightening reality for too many people in the UK. [our] famine in britain [report] As shown, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
“Millions more people are suffering from hunger. This is not right.
“In one of the richest economies in the world, food banks are not the answer when people are living without the necessities. We need a social security system that provides protection and dignity.”
independent person has contacted the Trussell Trust and Meghan Markle's representatives for comment.
