Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard has suffered a major setback after its trademark was rejected ahead of its official launch.
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rejected its trademark application as businesses cannot operate using the names of real places, The Telegraph reports.
American Riviera is often used to refer to Santa Barbara, California, where the Duchess of Sussex lives with her husband Prince Harry and their two children.
News of the setback comes as Prince William returned to work sporting a stubble on a visit to a homelessness exhibition in his first official engagement since the summer break.
William first revealed the rugged look in a surprise video with Kate last month as they congratulated Team GB on their Olympic success.
The markedly more casual look sparked controversy online, with some royal fans pleading with him to keep the stubble while others sarcastically saying he looked as if he was in “vacation mode”.