King Charles 'could be forced to step in' over Meghan Markle's rumoured 'hotel plans'
Meghan has reportedly trademarked As Ever for "hospitality services"
King Charles could be compelled to take formal action if Meghan Markle moves forward with rumoured hotel business plans under the As Ever brand, particularly if her royal titles are used for commercial gain.
Speaking on behalf of Prime Casino, former royal butler Grant Harrold shared an insight into how the monarchy might respond if the Duchess of Sussex expands her lifestyle company into hospitality.
An article from The Sun claims that Meghan has trademarked her brand As Ever for a variety of potential services, including “hospitality services”.
This has sparked speculation that she may be considering opening a hotel or retreat.
King Charles may ‘step in’ to prevent Meghan Markle’s hotel plans
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have so far pursued various commercial ventures, including Netflix documentaries, podcasting and lifestyle products, without interference from the royal family.
However, Grant hinted that a line could be crossed if their royal status is seen to be leveraged for profit.
“If she was using her title for something, it’s possible they could step in,” Grant said. “But it wouldn’t be King Charles phoning up personally. It would likely go through Harry.”
Grant went on to explain that although the royals have remained publicly silent on Meghan and Harry’s business endeavours, the removal of their HRH titles could still be considered as a future step, especially if branding lines become blurred.
“The only thing they could do in the future is remove their HRHs, for example. Which is always a possibility,” he added. “That’s the only thing they could do.”
‘That’s going to be a very expensive failure’
When asked about the reports that Meghan might be venturing into hotel ownership, Grant was sceptical.
He noted that the idea seems out of step with her existing brand direction.
“I don’t quite know why she’d want to go down that route,” he mused. “From a hospitality point of view, that’s going to cost a lot of money, and then she has to run it. If it’s a failure, that’s going to be a very expensive failure.”
If she was using her title for something, it’s possible they could step in.
Instead, he suggested that something more wellness-oriented, like a retreat, might make more sense for the duchess.
“I can understand she wants to have a retreat or something, because she’s into wellness,” Grant explained. “But a hotel doesn’t really make sense with her brand.”
Since stepping back as senior royals in 2020, Meghan and Harry have worked to carve out their own professional identities, founding Archewell and launching several creative and commercial projects.
Meghan’s recently rebranded lifestyle business, As Ever, has already seen its first two product drops sell out within minutes.
However, any foray into hospitality, particularly if associated with royal titles or imagery, could invite scrutiny from the palace.
Whether Meghan’s rumoured plans include a full-scale hotel, boutique retreat or simply hospitality-inspired products remains to be seen.
Royal Insider has contacted reps for Meghan for comment.
Read more: Meghan Markle plans As Ever fresh launch on what would have been Princess Diana’s 64th birthday
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