Meghan Markle wants to move forward with As Ever and is targeting an expansion of the brand to Australia, sources have claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be heading to Australia and her lifestyle brand may not be far behind the trip.
Netflix and As Ever cut ties earlier this month, after it was claimed that the streaming giant saw viewership had “no appetite” for it.
A source close to the duchess said: “We are thinking about the next step in global expansion and Australia has been teed up as the first test market outside the US. It’s the first place we are looking at and having conversations.
Meghan Markle is reportedly looking to expand her As Ever into Australia
|GETTY
“They have to earn a living. They are private citizens and have to pay the bills like anyone else,” they told the Telegraph.
Another source said, on the split from Netflix: “She couldn’t do anything, make a decision or move forward without running everything through them and then waiting endlessly for the outcome of meetings.
“That’s just not her style, she wants to move forward.”
Netflix had invested in the lifestyle brand when it launched last year, coinciding with the launch of her own show on the platform, With Love Meghan.
In a statement concerning the split, Netflix said: “Meghan’s passion for elevating everyday moments in beautiful yet simple ways inspired the creation of the As Ever brand, and we are glad to have played a role in bringing that vision to life.
“As it was always intended, Meghan will continue growing the brand and take it into its next chapter independently, and we look forward to celebrating how she continues to bring joy to households around the world.”
Meghan Markle wants to move forward with As Ever, according to sources
| GETTYDuring their trip Down Under, Prince Harry is set to appear at a “workplace mental health summit” which will explore attitudes in the workplace.
He will also be a keynote speaker at Lifeline Narrm’s InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit, where tickets start at £1,055 and rise to £9,000 for a “platinum” table.
Meghan will address a gala dinner while in Australia during a women-only retreat at a five-star hotel in Sydney.
LATEST ROYAL NEWS:
Tickets for the retreat start at £1,400 per person, and VIP guests are offered front-row seats and a group photo with the Duchess of Sussex.
The couple were last in Australia in 2018 as working members of the Royal Family.
Eighteen months after the tour, the Sussexes had stepped back from their royal roles and moved to California.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will return to Australia next month for the first time since 2018, with both undertaking individual engagements during the mid-April trip. | GETTYA spokesman for the Sussexes said: "Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will visit Australia in mid-April to take part in a number of private, business, and philanthropic engagements. Further details will be shared in due course."
The couple's children will not travel with them as they have school.