Meghan Markle warned 'Hollywood A-listers key' to securing new lifestyle brand success

Meghan Markle will need Hollywood A-listers to endorse her American Riviera Orchard products to succeed, a royal expert has claimed.

Earlier this month, the Duchess of Sussex announced the upcoming launch of her new lifestyle brand with a teaser trailer released on Instagram last week.

Speculation has been rife about the focus of the brand, with experts suggesting Meghan is hoping to establish herself as a modern Martha Stewart – selling jams and baked goods as well as cookware and cooking books.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, however, argued Meghan will need to rely on the celebrity friends she has made since moving to Montecito, Santa Barbara in order for the brand to succeed.

He said: "There may well be a whole lot of products that she sells. The whole enterprise doesn't sound, to me, one that will be Hollywood A-list.

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"If she can get Oprah to endorse the products or somebody – George Clooney perhaps – then that's another thing.

"She had Hollywood A-listers at the wedding, reportedly she didn't know them very well."

Fitzwilliams added: "Now it's the time, now she's launching this, to get A-listers – if they will – to back her and back her publicly. I'd be very interested to see if that happens."

The royal expert also suggested the Duchess of Sussex would have likely increased her chances of success had she fostered a project like American Riviera Orchard since stepping down from her role in the Royal Family.

He told The Sun: "This is the sort of thing they should've been doing for the period they've been in the United States.

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"The sensible way of handling this – if you look back, they went for notoriety, they went for Oprah, they went for Harry & Meghan on Netflix, he went for Spare."

Details of Meghan's vision for her new brand have been scarce ever since she announced its upcoming launch.

But trademark papers recently lodged by the Duchess's team with the US Patent and Trademark Office have shown the royal is seeking to set up shop and offer prospective customers a variety of goods.

The list of trademark application products include candles, cosmetics, throws, aprons, decorative wall hangings, outdoor furniture as well as beads from crafting and calligraphy pens.