Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is reportedly reviving her lifestyle blog, The Tig, which she shut down in 2017 after becoming engaged to Prince Harry. The news comes after a filing with the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office, which has led to speculation that the venture could start up next week.
According to the Daily Mirror, the project is considered a threat to Goop, the lifestyle blog founded by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, which is valued at £200 million.
The Mirror suggested that The Tig, which could become a full-time job for Meghan, may offer not only staples of lifestyle blogs, such as food and fashion, but also become a place where she could offer “commentary in the field of personal relationships” and become a “kind of agony aunt.”
The U.K. Daily Mail reported that during the Netflix series about Meghan and Prince Harry, she gushed about The Tig, saying “there was fashion, tons of food, and travel — all the things that I loved. The Tig wasn’t just a hobby, it became a really successful business.”
The Tig ran from 2014 to 2017 and was inspired by the wine Tignanello. Meghan shut it down after becoming engaged to Harry, citing her focus on philanthropic endeavors. However, in September 2019, Meghan renewed the trademark for The Tig, even though she had not yet left her royal family behind, according to Us. Buckingham Palace released a statement at the time, saying, “There are absolutely no plans to relaunch The Tig. The lasting trademark is to prevent false branding, to avoid others purporting to be the Duchess or affiliated with her.”
Meghan and Harry already preside over a burgeoning entertainment empire, which includes a podcast, books, Netflix docs, and a lot of oversharing.
Writing for The Cut, Claire Lampen suggested that becoming the media was the best way to best the media. “Why not feed us informative posts on how to pack up your royal cottage in one fraught weekend after your husband’s estranged family evicts you via email? Why not give us tips about how to host a children’s birthday party that doubles as a ‘proxy war’ in the ongoing beef with your in-laws?”
However, not everyone is excited about the prospect of Meghan’s return to the world of lifestyle blogging. Celia Walden, a columnist for the Telegraph, expressed skepticism in the headline of her column about the project: “Meghan wants to be a lifestyle guru. The problem is no one wants her advice.”
It remains to be seen whether Meghan’s revived blog will be a success, but one thing is for sure: the Duchess of Sussex is not one to shy away from new ventures and opportunities.
Sources: WesternJournal, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, People, The Cut