EXCLUSIVE: Meghan Markle's Legal Team 'Scrambling To Get her Brand Deal Signed Off' After Diva Duchess 'Gave Them a Monster Dressing Down'
March 27 2025, Published 11:00 a.m. ET
The Duchess of Sussex has been accused of exploiting her two young kids as part of her latest money-making venture to flog $1,500 gowns and $750 pairs of designer sandals as her lawyers finally sign her brand's trademark papers.
But RadarOnline.com can reveal it's only one of her problems – as her legal team is "scrambling" to amend trademark documents for her brand As Ever – after she hit the roof with them over the embarrassing error.
Markle's attorney Marjorie Norman Witter failed to sign the important paperwork leading to the application being initially rejected by the US Patent and Trademark Office leading to her firm getting a "monster dressing down."
The news comes as the 43-year-old duchess posted from her As Ever brand a rare snap with Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, also tagging herself.
She launched the online venture shortly after posting a rare photo of herself with her two children, guaranteeing huge amounts of traffic as she begged devotees to shop versions of her pricey designer clothes so she can rake in commission from stores.
One expert called it "tacky and desperate."
It is the latest business move for California-based Markle, who previously agreed with husband Prince Harry not to use their royal titles to make money.
Markle's Netflix 'lifestyle' show has been panned.
Royal author and journalist Phil Dampier said: "Nothing happens by accident and she would have thought this through and knows putting a photo of her children out at the same time as her clothing line would get maximum publicity."
She added a dove emoji and wrote: "Every day is a love story."
Markle has 2.6million on her personal account, while As Ever has around 734,000.
Her closet of upmarket gear includes a Heidi Merrick’s "Windsor" gown for an eye-watering $1,500, a $750 pair of Saint Laurent sandals, a $550 necklace and a $250 linen shirt.
All the clothes and accessories listed have links for followers to click and buy, and Markle may get money when they do.
A note plugging the range says: "Please note, some products may contain commissionable links!"
Markle, who recently revealed on her Netflix show she wanted to be known as Meghan Sussex, teased there will be "more to come."
Dickie Arbiter, former press secretary to the late Queen, said cashing in on her royal links would have broken the terms of the Megxit deal had she been promoting her new collection in the UK.
He said: "It’s tacky, everything they do is tacky", adding it was "a mixture of a lack of imagination and desperation."
The duchess' brand has been hit with a string of issues, from a copyright dispute to dodgy paperwork.
It comes weeks after Markle's American Riviera Orchard brand had to be renamed As Ever following trademark setbacks.
We previously told how red-faced Markle hit the roof with her high-powered lawyer after the attorney "made her a laughing stock" for the second time.
She was furious documents to trademark As Ever were rejected because they weren’t SIGNED, RadarOnline.com revealed.
The Duchess of Sussex, currently also facing growing rumors her seven-year marriage to Prince Harry is on the rocks, wants to ape Gwyneth Paltrow's $250million Goop lifestyle empire, but her plans are stuttering.
After her latest As Ever paperwork was knocked back by authorities, a source told us: "Meghan is furious at the delays which have been going on for months.
Markle is said to be bidding to be the next Gwyneth Paltrow with her 'Goop copycat' brand launch.
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Our source said: "She feels she has been made a laughing stock amongst the California elite because she can't even get a simple trademark over the line without basic errors. Now she's threatened to sack her team if they don't get her brand trademarked.
"First her attorneys couldn’t get the American Riviera Orchard trademark over the line and now, after she changed the name to As Ever, they couldn’t even get the documents signed.
"It is hugely embarrassing and hugely damaging for her fledgling brand and she is furious.
"But as usual with her, nothing is ever her fault and everyone around her ends up getting it in the ear."
Papers filed to the trademark office last week now show the papers have been signed.
