Meghan Markle's As Ever brand trademarked in the UK
Meghan Markle hasn't just launched her As Ever fruit spreads in America. She's trademarked the brand in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico, creating the legal foundation for international expansion into markets where her brand could directly compete with established players, including her father-in-law's own product line.
The trademark filings
The As Ever brand has been registered across five countries beyond the United States. The UK filing is the most strategically interesting. It means the Duchess of Sussex now holds trademark protection for her brand in Prince Harry's homeland, covering a product range that closely mirrors what King Charles sells through his own food line.
Both brands cover teas, jams, honey, marmalades, chocolate, and other food products. The overlap is hard to ignore, although Markle may be filing defensively to protect her brand in English-speaking markets rather than planning an immediate UK retail launch.
Why international trademark filing matters
This is a textbook example of why brands file trademarks in multiple jurisdictions early. Whether or not As Ever products ever appear on UK shelves, the trademark registrations serve several purposes.
They prevent someone else from registering "As Ever" in those markets first. If Markle waited until she was ready to launch in the UK, someone else could have already filed an identical or similar mark.
They protect against parallel imports. Without UK trademark protection, grey market products could enter the UK without the brand owner's control.
They create licensing options. Trademark registrations are the foundation for licensing deals with local distributors.
What UK brand owners should take from this
You don't need to be a duchess to think internationally about your trademarks. If your products could conceivably be sold, copied, or imported into another market, filing early protects your position.
The flip side is equally important. If you're a UK brand owner in the food and drink space, a high-profile international filing like this could create conflicts with your existing marks. The question isn't whether Meghan Markle is coming for your market. It's whether you'd know if anyone filed a similar mark to yours.
12,090 UK trademarks were registered in February 2026 alone. That's over 400 new marks granted protection every single day. Without active monitoring, any one of them could conflict with your brand, and you'd have just two months to oppose before the window closes.