Meghan Markle's new lifestyle brand has been hijacked by what appears to be a mystery royal fan, it has emerged.
The UK domain name for American Riviera Orchard now directs to a page fundraising for a UK food bank network that also contains a message supporting the Princess of Wales. Meghan's US site is americanrivieraorchard.com, but the home page of americanrivieraorchard.uk, which seems to have been bought by an anonymous buyer reads in capitals: "Forgiveness. Permission. Please donate to The Trussell Trust."
A "Donate to the Trussell Trust" link brings up a JustGiving page with a target of £1,000 which reads: "not meghan. hope meghan wouldn’t mind. thoughts with catherine. X."The link has already received a flurry of donations, expressing praise for Kate and the Trust with messages such as: "We Stand With Catherine", and: "Just love what you did here!"
The fundraising page has exceeded its target, now with more than £8,000 raised, as of Friday morning. It comes as Prince William returned to work yesterday as he visited a food distribution charity, Surplus to Supper – his first official engagements since Kate revealed her cancer diagnosis to the nation.
Meanwhile, the Trussell Trust supports a nationwide network of food banks, providing emergency food and support to people facing hardship, and campaigns for change to end the need for food banks in the UK. The anonymous JustGiving page added: "We can create a future where nobody goes hungry, because nobody will allow it – when we work Together for Change."
Sophie Carre, director of public engagement at the Trussell Trust, said: "The Trussell Trust are grateful to people who put their time and energy into supporting our work to end the need for food banks in the UK. The charity is not connected with this website domain and has no knowledge of who set it up."
Last month Meghan revealed her brand new website and Instagram account for her lifestyle brand and business venture American Riviera Orchard. The social media page was launched with a vintage-style video of Meghan cooking and arranging white hydrangeas and roses.
The brief video is set to Nancy Wilson's I Wish You Love and closes with the brand's logo, American Riviera Orchard, written in fine gold script above the word Montecito – a celebrity enclave near Santa Barbara in California where she and Prince Harry live.
Little information has been released about American Riviera Orchard, but a trademark application filed on February 2 this year shows the company wishes to offer downloadable and printed recipe books, tablewear, textiles, and jams and marmalades, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office website.
However, this week Meghan carried out a soft launch of the first product from her new business venture, sending her friends a limited edition jar of strawberry jam. Fashion designer Tracy Robbins posted two images of the jam jar, which the duchess sent nestled in a basket of lemons. Her jar was numbered "17 of 50" and she posted an image of the gift on her Instagram account with the words "Breakfast, lunch and dinner just got a little sweeter."
Delfina Blaquier, the wife of Harry’s good friend, Argentine polo player Nacho Figueras, who took part in the event, also posted on Instagram after sampling the gift. Her jam was labelled "10 of 50" and she posted picture a picture of it spread on bread and another of the jar being held, with the the words "Strawberry jam makes me happy. And I love your jam…"