As we discussed, all of the usual suspects are trying to scandalize every single thing about the Duchess of Sussex’s As Ever announcement. The haters are trying to convince a New Jersey-based clothing company to sue Meghan, and the British tabloids have a Spanish mayor on speed-dial, and they must be feeding that mayor her lines. The mayor of Porreres, Spain is throwing a tantrum because As Ever’s logo looks somewhat similar to the Porreres coat of arms. “Somewhat similar” in that the logo and the coat of arms feature palm trees and birds (and not even the same kind of bird). Hilariously, after spending several days on the Daily Mail hotline, the Spanish mayor now admits that the town “cannot afford to sue” Meghan. Can’t afford to sue, or they would be laughed out of court? Speaking of the As Ever logo that broke everyone’s brains, People Mag ran another story about the thought process that went into it:
Meghan Markle’s crest for her lifestyle brand As Ever was woven with a thoughtful nod to Prince Harry. On Feb. 18, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, dropped an Instagram video to explain the name change for her upcoming company from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever and debuted a coordinating website with a photo of her and daughter Princess Lilibet, 3. The landing page revealed the As Ever logo, which PEOPLE understands is a tribute to Prince Harry.
The logo incorporates a palm tree as a nod to the Duke and Duchess’s home in California, along with two hummingbirds — a favorite of Prince Harry’s,” an insider says. “The distinct shape enclosing the birds and tree was intentionally designed to create a unique and personal emblem.”
Shortly after the logo’s debut, observers noted similarities between As Ever’s design and the coat of arms of Porreres, a village in Mallorca, which also features a palm tree flanked by two birds.
Regarding the design, the insider adds: “As part of the process, comprehensive global searches of registered trademarks were conducted.”
The Duke of Sussex wrote about hummingbirds’ significance in his 2023 memoir, Spare. Towards the close of the book, Prince Harry, 40, reflected on the deeper meaning of finding a hummingbird in his house after the death of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth and how the bird is interpreted as a symbol of spirits in some cultures. Soon after our return, a hummingbird got into the house,” Harry wrote in Spare. “I had a devil of a time guiding it out, and the thought occurred that maybe we should start shutting the doors, despite those heavenly ocean breezes. Then a mate said: Could be a sign, you know? … Visitors, as it were. Aztecs thought them reincarnated warriors. Spanish explorers called them ‘resurrection birds.’ ”
Harry wrote that the hummingbird piqued his interest as it flew around the kitchen and over the playpen “we call Lili Land” set up for his daughter.
“I thought hopefully, greedily, foolishly: Is our house a detour — or a destination?” he said about the sighting.
Meghan’s actually diabolical for dropping that line to People: “As part of the process, comprehensive global searches of registered trademarks were conducted.” As in: nice try, dumbasses, Meghan actually covered her bases. You can’t trademark “birds and a palm tree” in totality. I’ll admit that there are similarities, but enough is enough. Anyway, I even said that the hummingbirds were Meghan’s ode to Harry-the-bird-watcher, Harry who loves hummingbirds and finds meaning through nature and animals.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, As Ever IG and Meghan’s IG.
