Meghan Markle is ‘keeping her cards close to her chest’ as she plans to launch new solo Netflix show in the next few months

An unnamed GB News source claimed the Duchess of Sussex is focusing on her entrepreneurial efforts while quietly working on her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, announced in March 2024. The insider claimed she’s been “keeping her cards close to her chest.”

The supposed new series, a lifestyle show about cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship inspired by Markle’s California living, follows her and husband Prince Harry’s record-breaking 2022 docies Harry & Meghan.

The series will come out around the same time as the American Riviera Orchard brand, which the source said Markle is the CEO of, despite “false” rumors about her having “a hard time finding a CEO.” They added, “It’s going to be a good year for Meghan specifically, she’s spent the majority of the year doing work behind the scenes to launch a project in the first few months of 2025.”

The Daily Beast reported filming wrapped on the series, which is part of a 100 million overall Netflix deal, in Jul. 2024. The untitled project was shot in Harry and Meghan’s new home in Montecito, California.

Although Markle’s CEO aspirations have been delayed by trademark issues that have caused months of delays, the lifestyle show is proceeding swimmingly. An insider told TDB, “It all went well and it is in the can.”

While details have been under wraps, the premise sounds like Markle may be planning a transition into a lifestyle guru career, similar to Hollywood’s Gwenyth Paltrow. She has already been a part of lifestyle brands in the past, investing in vegan instant coffees with the brand Clevr.

However, so far, the only signs of American Riviera Orchard we’ve seen were gift baskets sent to some of her Hollywood friends, including Tracy Robbins and Suits alum Abigail Spencer. Beautiful jars of limited-edition strawberry jam were sent out in Apr. 2024 to build some hype.

With both ventures planned to see the light of day in early 2025, they’ll mark a significant comeback for Markle, who would probably prefer to be making headlines for her business efforts rather than the long fizzled-out royal strife. Still, there is more drama on the horizon in the latter case.

Markle will be concerned by Harry’s issues securing automatic protection for visits to the U.K., as well as Donald Trump’s interest in his visa status following the prince’s ission of drug use in his memoir, Spare. Any attack on Harry’s eligibility to remain in the U.S. would be a huge issue for the couple and their two young children, Archie and Lilibet.

It’s not like the couple likes to visit the U.K. frequently— there are no Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Harry’s trips tend to be reserved for events he has a compelling reason to attend — but they want to have security protection when duty calls.

It’ll be really awkward promoting a locally farmed jam if Markle is forced to leave the U.S. with her husband because of a teenage magic mushroom mishap. Luckily for them, it’s unlikely at this stage.