Revealed: The sweet hidden detail in Meghan Markle’s Instagram video which pays tribute to her friend’s late son

When the Duchess of Sussex announced her business rebrand on Instagram today, she sported a $3,200 (£2,535) sentimental necklace designed by her best friend.

Montecito-based Meghan Markle, 43, donned a bespoke red ‘Heart of Gold’ pendant designed by The Gold Album in collaboration with her best friend and co-founder of Alliance of Moms charity, Kelly McKee Zafjen, 44.

The Children’s Hospital Los Angeles receives 15 per cent of the necklace sales, a charity close to Kelly, whose late son George died aged just nine in July 2022 after being found unresponsive in their family home.

The duchess isn’t the only A-Lister to have worn the 14k solid gold heart pendant, which features 83 round-cut diamonds across the border, with Gwyneth Paltrow also donning the design and dubbing it ‘special’ on Instagram.

Meghan sported the design on Instagram today when announcing the rebrand of her luxury lifestyle brand ‘As Ever’ and launch of a website with a cover photo of her holding hands with her daughter Lilibet, three, in the California sunshine.

Meghan and Kelly first met through the Duchess’ ex-husband, Trevor Engelson, who is friends with the former model’s entertainment lawyer husband.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex formed a vital part of Kelly and her husband Julian’s support network, with the pair attending a tennis tournament the day before Harry’s 40th birthday in remembrance of George towards the end of last year.

‘Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is nothing short of extraordinary,’ Kelly said, according to The Gold Album.

She continued: ‘Their dedication to my daughter Lily’s care through the Heart Institute has been a guiding light for our family, and their compassion and expertise shine through in every step of the journey. 

‘Beyond just our personal experience, CHLA stands as a pillar of strength for countless children and families, offering not only world-class medical care but also a sense of community that we all need. I can’t thank them enough for not only taking care of her heart but also ours.’

The website reads: ‘Chosen in collaboration with CHLA Heart Ambassador, Kelly McKee Zajfen, the red enamel color is a love letter to her cause. 

‘15% of sales will directly support CHLA’s mission to help little hearts—treating children and providing a family-centered, child-friendly environment. 

‘CHLA delivers exceptional pediatric care to children from all 50 states and over 75 countries and is home to the highest-performing pediatric cardiac program in the Western United States.

‘A classic heart shape communicates a love-balad’s worth of sentiment just from looking at it. This TGA riff, however, goes the extra mile with the addition of a pavé diamond border and a gilded letter or number of your choice.’

Kelly, who co-founded Alliance of Moms, a non-profit that supports pregnant and parenting teens in the foster care system, praised Harry and Meghan for being a ‘guiding light’ following the tragic death of her son. 

The 44-year-old’s late son George was found ‘unresponsive’ in their family home in 2022, with his death coming as a complete shock to his loved ones and parents.

The former model, who is also mother to George’s twin sister Lily, has opened up about grief on Instagram, writing in October 2022 that she was ‘not really okay’, while telling her followers: ‘The light everyday is dim. I try my best. We are all trying our best. I’m so broken.

‘I’m searching everyday to find some new way to mold the pieces back together and I’m completely aware that it may not all fit again.’

In May, she posted a heartfelt tribute to Meghan on her account, praising the Duchess of Sussex for her support and for her being such an ‘incredible friend and mother’.

‘You are always the first to say yes and support those you love. You are a fierce advocate for those who are in need,’ Kelly continued on Instagram, while sharing an image of herself and the Duchess of Sussex both wearing ‘Community Motherhood’ T-shirts in support of an Alliance of Moms campaign.

Harry and Meghan donated $5,000 (£3,962) to a GoFundMe fundraiser in the names of their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet after the Zajfen family lost George.

Outside of their charitable pursuits, the duo also spend their downtime together, with Meghan enjoying a ski trip with Kelly and close friend Heather Dorak in March last year. 

The Duchess of Sussex was pictured smiling with pilates business owner Dorak and former model Zajfen on the slopes of Powder Mountain near Salt Lake City in Utah, in an Instagram post shared by the founder of Pilates Platinum.

Kelly also shared the photo in an Instagram post of her own, writing: ‘Beyond grateful for the best of friends! What a trip! Thank you doesn’t even begin to express what my heart is feeling after this trip.

‘The love of family time and adventure and belly laughs made this trip one for the books! Here’s to many more adventures with friends that feel like family and appreciating each day.’

And one month later in April last year, Kelly was one of the first people to receive the duchess’s American Riviera Orchard strawberry jam.

When Kelly took to Instagram to share a snap of the rustic looking product, she revealed she was ‘so proud’ of Meghan, who launched the first product from her new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard.

Sharing a snap of the jam which was presented in a bowl of lemon’s surrounded by flowers she wrote: ‘Ohhhhh Just a taste of what’s to come!!! So proud of you M @americanrivieraorchard.’

The Duchess of Sussex sent friends the limited-edition jar ahead of the formal launch of her brand later this spring with a range of items.

Meghan Markle today revealed her rebrand of American Riviera Orchard in an Instagram announcement that appears to include a subtle dig at the Royal Family.

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, has renamed her luxury lifestyle brand ‘As Ever’ and launched a website with a cover photo of her holding hands with her daughter Lilibet, three, in the California sunshine.

Its launch comes just two weeks before the release of her Netflix show With Love, Meghan, after it was delayed from its original January launch date due to the LA Wildfires. 

In what the Sussexes will hope will be a new money-spinner, products will include food such as ‘fruit preserves’, as Meghan grandly called them today, adding: ‘I think we’re all clear at this point that jam is my jam’.

American Riviera Orchard emerged last year when Meghan began sending jams in limited edition jars to her most famous friends to share on social media. But ARO, as a brand, hit a wall. 

As Ever was launched in a close-up Instagram video in the Sussexes’ Montecito garden where Meghan gave a nod to the trademark row that saw her American Riviera Orchard application refused by the US trademark office. It features a brief cameo from Harry, who tells Meghan, ‘It’s recording’, as he hands her the phone.

‘Last year, I had thought, ‘American Riviera’, that sounds like such a great name. It’s my neighborhood; it’s a nickname for Santa Barbara, but it limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area’, she said.

And in words that some have taken as a dig at the royals and the sacrifices Meghan felt she made when she fell in love with her husband, Meghan said she had not been able to share her passion for food and home for ‘years’ after she shut her lifestyle blog The Tig.

‘As Ever essentially means as it’s always been, and if you’ve followed me since 2014 with The Tig, you know I’ve always loved cooking and crafting and gardening — this is what I do,’ she said. 

‘And I haven’t been able to share it with you in the same way for the past few years, but now I can, so as things are starting to trickle out there, I wanted you to hear it from me first’. 

Patent applications uncovered by MailOnline suggest that As Ever will also sell textiles such as tablecloths and napkins, skincare and haircare products and throws, blankets, bedspreads and household scents such as candles and diffusers.

There will also be gardening trowels, spades and pruning shears and inside the home there will be cutlery and kitchen knives.

Meghan says As Ever’s products will include jam but added that it will be like The Tig and include ‘cooking and crafting and gardening’.

She also confirmed that Netflix is a business partner after MailOnline revealed that her products will be sold in two malls in the US at the streaming giant’s new bricks and mortar store. 

Last night eagle-eyed royal fans sotted a new Shopify website – called As Ever – featuring a brand-new image of the Duchess.

But some claimed that they had found a Shopify store American Riviera Orchard, which has since been taken down, with some suggesting it shows that As Ever was rushed through.  

Prior to Meghan’s announcement, internet sleuths had already discovered a Shopify website she’d set up for her As ever products, featuring an unseen picture of the Duchess cooking.

The shot is believed to have been taken during Meghan’s original ARO promo a year ago. 

However, it appears she made a last-minute change about the branding and the previous URL as-ever-store.myshopify.com now takes shoppers to her new website asever.com, which features a picture of Meghan and her daughter Lilibet.  

The rebrand was confirmed with a short Instagram video overnight.

Meghan, wearing a white linen shirt and blue jeans, told fans: ‘The cat’s out of the bag.

‘I’m shocked we’ve kept this a secret for so long. In two weeks my show is coming out, which I’m so excited for. And also my business, which I think there has been a lot of curiosity about. 

‘Last year, I had thought, ‘American Riviera, that sounds like such a great name.’ It’s my neighborhood; it’s a nickname for Santa Barbara, but it limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area.’

‘Then Netflix came on, not just as my partner in the show, but as my partner in my business. which was huge.

‘So I thought about it, and I’ve been waiting for a moment to share a name that I had secured in 2022, and this is the moment, and it’s called As Ever.

‘Of course, there will be fruit preserves; I think we’re all clear at this point that jam is my jam. But there are so many more products that I I just love, and now it’s time to share them with you. So I just can’t wait for you to see it. Thanks guys!

In her Instagram caption accompanying the video, she added more.

‘Some of you may have heard whispers about what I’ve been creating,’ she said. 

‘In two weeks, my series on @netflix launches — but there’s something else I’ve been working on. I’m thrilled to introduce you to As Ever — a brand that I created and have poured my heart into.’

‘As ever’ means ‘as it’s always been’ or some even say ‘in the same way as always’. If you’ve followed along since my days of creating The Tig, you’ll know this couldn’t be truer for me,’ she continued. ‘This new chapter is an extension of what has always been my love language, beautifully weaving together everything I cherish — food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the everyday.’

‘I will keep sharing behind the scenes tidbits with you here as we ramp up to launch, and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on everything we’ve been creating. Sending lots of love… As ever, Meghan.’

In the photo, the Duchess is seen cooking up a storm in her Montecito kitchen, adding the text: ‘Save Your Seat At The Table’.  

The page also features a new logo, consisting of a palm tree and two hummingbirds either side, with calligraphy in a similar style to Meghan’s lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard – which has faced numerous difficulties. 

According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a trademark application is still pending for the name As Ever.

The application – which also features the stylish scrawl – was first filed in 2022 and lists items including spreads, jewellery and candles. 

The saying has become one of Meghan’s favourites in recent months and is used frequently by the Duchess, who ended her Valentine’s post to Prince Harry last week with: ‘As ever, Meghan’. 

As well as ending a vast majority of her Instagram posts, including her Netflix trailer, tribute to her late dog Guy, and account of helping a wildfires victim, Meghan also signed off episodes of her Archetypes podcast with the closing message. 

FEMAIL has reached out to representatives for the Sussexes for comment. 

It has been widely anticipated that Meghan would time the launch of American Riviera Orchard – which is only so far known to have produced jam – with her new Netflix series. 

It is understood that the show will plug several new products from the range. 

While the Duchess soft-launched the brand in April by sending jars of strawberry jam to 50 of her famous friends, including Chrissy Teigen, Mindy Kaling, Kris Jenner, and former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, the activation was followed by a long lull period.

The brand has also been bogged down by regulatory hiccups, with Meghan asking American authorities for more time to get American Riviera Orchard off the ground last November. 

At the time, it was reported her legal team had sought an extension in her attempt to secure a trademark for the company. 

She first applied for the trademark for her jams and homemade goods in the summer of 2024 – but the bid was rejected in August due to issues with the filing. 

Meghan was then given three months to address errors and challenges to the application.

Last November, she asked for another three months to complete this. If the deadline is missed, the application will need to be started again.

Meghan first lodged documents with the US Patent and Trademark Office earlier this year but suffered an embarrassing blow when the forms were not filled in correctly.

Her bid to secure a trademark for American Riviera Orchard has also been contested by rival lifestyle brand Harry & David, who own the ‘Royal Riviera’ trademark and allege it’s too similar to the name for Meghan’s lifestyle company.

Meghan’s legal team, led by top US attorney Marjorie Witter Norman, applied to the Patent and Trademark Office in the States in March for legal protection to exclusively trade using the name American Riviera Orchard.

The duchess has also been told that she cannot have exclusive rights to American Riviera because it is a commonly used place name to describe the California coast where she and Harry live.

Representatives for the Sussexes have previously said such hurdles were ‘routine and expected when filing for trademarks’. 

The Sussexes have also reportedly ‘struggled’ to find a CEO for Meghan’s new home goods and lifestyle venture – although sources close to the Duchess have insisted she is happy running the business herself. 

Meghan has filed trademark applications for her lifestyle brand to cover home goods such as tabelware, linen, jellies, jams, a variety of spreads and preserves, as well as stationery, yoga mats and blocks, and gardening gear. 

This week the Mail revealed that a selection of Meghan’s products will go on sale in stores called ‘Netflix House’ in malls in Dallas and Philadelphia, bringing consumers merchandise linked to Netflix shows. 

A source said: ‘Those stores won’t open for several months. So the question is: Where is she going to sell the products, and does she even have products ready to sell?’

Sources close to Meghan said ‘stayed tuned’ when asked if the brand’s launch was imminent.

Meghan departed last week’s Invictus Games in Canada early, leaving Prince Harry to celebrate today’s closing ceremony alone.

She stated that the reason was to spend time with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – but may also have been working on her product lines last minute. 

Meghan’s new lifestyle show was originally set to air in January but, according to Netflix, was pushed back because of the devastating LA wildfires.

It is understood the show is being edited ‘to include Meghan’s philanthropic work around the fires’ which included visiting victims in Altadena, California.

This week she bragged about how she scored scored Billie Eilish merchandise for one 15-year-old girl who lost her family home.

The source added: ‘Netflix is expanding and growing all the time and Netflix House is a natural progression. Meghan’s products will be in there alongside shirts and merchandise from some of the biggest shows on the planet.

‘It’s a bigger deal for her than it is for Netflix. If her show doesn’t take off, then her merchandise will be quietly taken off the shelves and replaced with products associated with a more popular show.

‘Netflix has a huge arsenal of shows to draw on so this venture into bricks and mortar retailing makes sense.

‘Eventually they are hoping to open stores internationally.’