How insiders believe Meghan’s new lifestyle brand is eerily similar to the super luxe Californian firm she wanted to go into business with

The passage introduces Flamingo Estate, a luxury lifestyle brand founded by Richard Christiansen in 2020. It describes the brand's offerings, which include meticulously crafted products such as soap made with exotic ingredients like black pepper from Madagascar, sustainable Big Sur sea salt, and jasmine from a third-generation Egyptian farm. The products are characterized by their premium quality and elevated price points, catering to an affluent clientele.

Meghan has just announced her own lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, which will operate from her own Tuscan-style cream palazzo in Montecito in California

Flamingo Estate's product range extends to items like candles endorsed by the Dalai Lama and honey sourced from actress Julianne Moore's bees, further emphasizing the brand's exclusivity and luxury appeal. The passage compares Flamingo Estate to other high-end lifestyle brands like Goop, suggesting that it surpasses them in terms of sophistication and exclusivity.

Cookbooks and candles - endorsed by the Dalai Lama - from the Flamingo Estate

The brand's origins are rooted in the COVID-19 pandemic, initially starting as a venture to package and sell vegetable boxes from local farmers to Christiansen's wealthy acquaintances. However, it quickly evolved into a larger and more profitable enterprise, capitalizing on the demand for premium lifestyle products among affluent consumers.

The passage delves deeper into Flamingo Estate's extravagant offerings, highlighting products such as dried strawberries dusted with chili, bags of manure, and Will Ferrell's honey, all sold at premium prices. It also introduces the concept of an in-car fragrance that evokes the scent of olive oil, marketed with whimsical language promising to make your car smell like the "warm embrace of a hot farmer."

The Californian lifestyle brand also sells a £200 pot of honey from actress Julianne Moore 's bees

The setting of Flamingo Estate adds to its allure, with much of the produce sourced from Christiansen's expansive garden and manufactured in his opulent Tuscan-style pink palazzo outside Los Angeles. The history of the estate, previously owned by a director of pornographic movies, adds an intriguing layer to its transformation into a hub for luxury living and artisanal production.

Flamingo Estate's heirloom tomato scented dish soap costs £23 and is a favourite of Oprah Winfrey

The narrative then shifts to Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, who visited Christiansen multiple times in 2022. Meghan has recently announced her own lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, which shares similarities with Flamingo Estate in terms of style, aspiration, and target market.

Meghan's new brand has numerous areas of coincidence with the Flamingo Estate in terms of style, aspiration, inspiration and even target market

The passage raises questions about whether Meghan's brand was inspired by Flamingo Estate and if there are intentions to emulate or replicate its success. The similarities between the two ventures, coupled with Meghan's visits to Flamingo Estate, suggest a potential influence on her own brand's development.

The passage further emphasizes Meghan Markle's admiration for Flamingo Estate and her desire to align herself with its vision of uncompromising high-end perfection. It quotes an observer who describes Meghan's newly launched lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, as resembling what happens when one attends a dinner at Flamingo Estate but isn't invited back, suggesting that Meghan's offering is derivative of Flamingo Estate's ethos and aesthetic.

Meghan's fascination with Flamingo Estate reportedly led her to express interest in partnering with Richard Christiansen and his boyfriend Aaron Harvey in business, akin to her previous investments in companies like Clevr Blends. Multiple in-person meetings with the Flamingo Estate team in 2022 indicate Meghan's serious consideration of collaboration or investment in the brand.

Evidence of Meghan and Prince Harry's admiration for Flamingo Estate products is illustrated by their display of Flamingo Estate books in their home. A clip from 2022 showing Prince Harry promoting a New Zealand eco-travel project features a stack of Flamingo Estate books in the background, underscoring their endorsement of the brand's values related to gardening and environmentalism.

The passage elaborates on the lack of a formal business deal between Flamingo Estate and Meghan Markle despite her expressed interest in becoming an active partner. Rachel Strugatz clarifies that Flamingo Estate ultimately decided not to pursue a partnership with Meghan's brand, American Riviera Orchard, indicating a divergence in their business directions.

However, Meghan had the opportunity to review detailed financial information about Flamingo Estate, providing her with intimate knowledge of the business despite no formal partnership materializing. Given Flamingo Estate's success with sales doubling each year and turning a profit, it would indeed be an attractive prospect for Meghan, who, as a former actress, is seeking long-term commercial endeavors.

Also sold by Flamingo Estate is a drinking chocolate gift set costing £73

Flamingo Estate sells a range of products including a spicy strawberry fruit snack which uses the ripest strawberries from a family-run farm - priced at £63

A £200 Garden Tour Flamingo Estate gift set which features Mediterranean rosemary and clary Sage hand soap, a Tuscan Rosemary Candle and heritage extra virgin olive oil

The passage highlights Meghan and Prince Harry's financial situation, noting their expensive lifestyle, including substantial security costs. It mentions their existing deals with Netflix and Spotify, with speculation that the Netflix deal may not be renewed, and the Spotify deal being ended due to the perceived lack of content production from Meghan's podcast, Archetypes.

The passage compares Meghan Markle's upcoming lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, with Flamingo Estate, noting striking similarities in their offerings, branding, and target market. While there was no formal partnership between Meghan and Flamingo Estate, Meghan's interest in the brand and the overlap between their business plans are evident.

Both brands focus on luxury products sourced from natural ingredients and emphasize exclusivity and sophistication. They offer similar items such as recipe books, jams and jellies, pantry essentials, and gardening tools. Meghan's brand mirrors Flamingo Estate's ethos of pleasure and luxury, drawing inspiration from nature and promoting a high-end lifestyle.

The passage highlights the potential competition between the two brands, as they target a similar demographic of affluent consumers, particularly professional women aged 24 to 40. With Meghan's significant social media following and the anticipation surrounding the launch of American Riviera Orchard, there is speculation that Meghan's brand could rival Flamingo Estate in success.

Meghan and Prince Harry may find financial stability through their ventures into luxury lifestyle brands, potentially achieving financial comfort akin to millionaires.