A showdown between Martha and Meghan could produce only one clear winner.
Duchess Meghan Markle's company is playing a key role in launching her lifestyle brand.
But there were some hiccups along the way, and some of Meghan's promotion for her American Riviera Orchard seemed to be trying to disparage and undermine the royal family. (Oops!)
Now Meghan may be going up against someone far more important than any monarch: Martha Stewart.
The incomparable Martha Stewart attended the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2024 Edition Release and 60th Anniversary Celebration held at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York City on May 16, 2024. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images, courtesy of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit)
Martha Stewart is an American icon
She's a businesswoman, author, television personality, best friends with Snoop Dogg, and a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model.
Martha Stewart has been a fixture of American culture for decades, so many millennials and Zoomers (even those not from New England) grew up thinking that Martha's Vineyard belonged to her. (Not true.)
This summer, she attended the Paris Olympics with Snoop Dogg, who, by her explanation, took her place because the rapper is “scared of horses” and she wanted some moral support while covering dressage.
Meanwhile, as you can see from the brand's Instagram page, American Riviera Orchard is an entirely new lifestyle brand.
As we've previously reported, the company's early promotions and trademark filings suggest that ARO will sell cookbooks, dishes and utensils, food products like jams and preserves, soaps, fragrances, yoga equipment, pet care products including pet treats, home décor, and more.
In other words, Duchess Meghan Markle seems to be taking it upon herself to be the leading voice of lifestyle brands: is she hoping to become the next Martha Stewart?
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Britain, attends a sit-in with Britain's Prince Harry (not pictured) at Defense Headquarters in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, on May 11, 2024. (Photo by KOLA SULAIMON/AFP via Getty Images)
In a showdown between Martha and Meghan, who will win?
An inside source told Closer that Martha Stewart isn't worried about facing off against Meghan Markle, if that were to happen.
“She has all the grace and determination that you'd expect from Martha and is ready to defend her title,” the insider said of the lifestyle queen.
“She's not one to pass the baton and won't give up the throne without a fight,” the source said.
Mike Tirico, Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg pose on the set of NBCUniversal's “Primetime in Paris” during the Paris Olympics on August 4, 2024. (Photo by Christy Sparrow/Getty Images)
“Martha's replacement will need someone far more experienced than the Duchess, who has been unable to cope with the duties in the UK!” the inside source quipped.
In early 2020, after years of “leaking” derogatory reports about Meghan Markle, Prince Harry announced that he and his wife were stepping back from royal duties to live life on their own terms.
The royal family was clearly using the distracting story about Meghan to draw attention away from the salacious tales about Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry did not want to see the same British tabloid frenzy that killed his mother end up killing his wife as well.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attends a forum on digital responsibility at EAN University during her visit to Colombia on August 15, 2024. (Photo by Diego Cuevas/Getty Images)
Will these two really go head to head?
It's important to note that many people don't necessarily associate Meghan Markle with Martha Stewart, let alone imagine a winner-take-all contest between Martha and Meghan.
There are a ton of lifestyle brands out there, but perhaps the most infamous at the moment is Gwyneth Paltrow's widely derided Goop.
Perhaps American Riviera Orchard can coexist with these and other brands: Meghan Markle's pricey jams may be better than putting semi-precious stones in your vagina, but they may not hold the cultural value of a Martha Stewart cookbook.
