Meghan Markle is attempting to build a business empire.

The Duchess of Sussex has worn many hats in her lifetime, working as an actress before becoming a working member of the royal family after marrying Prince Harry in 2017 and then taking a turn at producing after the couple left the royal family in 2020. But now, Markle is trying her hand at becoming a lifestyle guru.

Last month, she announced the upcoming launch of American Riviera Orchard, a lifestyle brand. She hasn’t released any further details on the company, but trademark applications show that the brand is hoping to produce everything from textiles to gardening tools to bath soaps.

MEGHAN MARKLE LIFESTYLE BRAND LAUNCH WITH SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS SKEWERED BY ROYAL WATCHERS

The filings show that it’s possible she’s planning on opening a retail space, and that in the future she might publish cookbooks.

While it seems clear that Markle has big plans for the brand, it also appears that she’s very hands-on with the business venture — so much so that she devised the logo herself.

American Riviera Orchard’s website and social media showcase a simple logo — the name of the brand written in an elegant cursive script. According to a report from People, that script was written in Markle’s own handwriting.

As she explained in a 2013 interview with Esquire, her handwriting is exemplary because “I went to an all-girls Catholic school for like six years during the time when kids actually had handwriting class. I’ve always had a propensity for getting the cursive down pretty well.”

Markle had aspirations to be an actress after growing up in Hollywood — she said in the same interview that she spent “every day” on the set of the sitcom “Married… with Children” where her now-estranged father, Thomas Markle, worked as a lighting director and director of photography. She even had a small part in an episode when she was a child.

In her young adult life, Markle spent several years auditioning and taking small roles until she landed her breakout role as Rachel Zane on “Suits.” During that time, she told Esquire that she had a “pseudo-waitressing job.”

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“I didn’t wait tables,” she said. “I did calligraphy for the invitations for, like, Robin Thicke and Paula Patton’s wedding.”

Thicke and Patton married in June 2005, which would have made Markle 23 when she took the job. It wasn’t the only high-profile gig she landed thanks to her calligraphy skills, as she said that she also did the same thing for “Dolce & Gabbana’s celebrity correspondence over the holidays.”

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She recalled, “I would sit there with a little white tube sock on my hand, so no hand oils got on the card, trying to pay my bills while auditioning. I’m glad that in the land of no one seeming to appreciate a handwritten note anymore that I can try to keep that alive.”

Markle said then that doing that kind of calligraphy is “super lucrative” because “there are so few people doing it.”

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During this time period, Markle also taught calligraphy at a shop called Paper Source in Beverly Hills. In 2018, the CEO of Paper Source, Winnie Park, told People, “It was her part-time job as she was going through auditions. She taught calligraphy and hosted a group of customers and instructed them during a two-hour class on how to do calligraphy.”

She also taught lessons in gift-wrapping and book-binding during her time at the store.

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On Monday, fashion designer Tracy Robbins and Delfina Blaquier, a photographer and wife of polo star Nacho Figueras, were among the first to share a photo of the brand’s first product, strawberry jam, on Instagram Stories. Markle’s signature can be seen on the jar’s label.

Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.

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Elon Musk’s Tesla slashed the U.S. prices of its Model Y, Model X and Model S vehicles by $2,000 each on Friday after first-quarter deliveries came up short of expectations.

The valuable electric-vehicle maker lowered the prices for its Model Y base variant to $42,990, while the long-range and performance variants now cost $47,990 and $51,490, respectively, the Tesla website now shows.

“Affordabiity is key to our mission,” Tesla North America posted on X, the social media platform owned by Musk. “Model Y now starts at $29,490 after US federal tax credit & estimated gas savings.” 

The basic version of the Model S now costs $72,990 and its plaid variant $87,990. The Model X base variant now costs $77,990 and its plaid variant is priced at $92,900.

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But with the price cuts comes some bad news for customers: the company’s referral program benefits will end in all markets on April 30.

Tesla’s referral program allows buyers to earn exclusive benefits by referring other first-time customers or being referred by an existing customer. 

The changes come after Tesla’s quarterly deliveries declined for the first time in nearly four years and fell short of Wall Street analysts’ estimates.

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Earlier this month, Tesla announced that it delivered roughly 387,000 vehicles in the first quarter – well below expectations of about 443,000 and an 8.5% decrease compared to the first quarter of last year.

Dan Ives, managing director and equity analyst of Wedbush Securities, called the first quarter report an “unmitigated disaster” for Musk and Tesla.

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Tesla faced an escalating price war in China, a key market for the EV maker, as low-cost competitors like BYD forced it to reduce prices and cut into its margins. 

High interest rates in the U.S., a byproduct of the Federal Reserve’s fight against inflation, have also made it more expensive for American car buyers — a dynamic Tesla has sought to counteract with temporary discounts to entice customers and now U.S. price cuts.

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The company also experienced production issues at its Gigafactory near Berlin, Germany. It announced a nearly two-week production pause at the facility in late January and early February due to a parts shortage caused by the shipping crisis in the Red Sea precipitated by Iran-backed Houthi militants. The facility also was forced to pause production for nearly a week in March due to an arson attack by an environmental activist against an electricity transmission facility that helped power the plant.

Tesla will release its first-quarter earnings report on Tuesday.

FOX Business’ Eric Revell and Reuters contributed to this report.

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Does your grocery store bill make you nauseous? 

Grocery bills can rack up very quickly for families. With high grocery prices, it can seem impossible to save money when it comes to food and sustenance for your family. While it can be challenging to cut down on food costs, it’s not impossible.

Below are 10 things you can do to save money at the checkout line. 

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It can be a pain to go through coupons, but they can save you in the long run. 

Luckily, the process of finding coupons today is easier than it used to be. While stores do offer paper coupons you can still cut out, many stores also have digital coupons that you can pull up on your phone. 

Before heading to the store, look for coupons you can use to bring your bill down. 

If you head through the doors of the grocery store with no idea what you’re going to cook for the week, you’re going to overspend. 

Before you go, think about what dishes you plan on making, check to see what ingredients you already have and then write down those you need. 

When it comes to snacks and meals for the week, take inventory of your pantry and fridge first to make sure you aren’t wasting money on duplicate items. 

Once you have your list together, stick to it as best you can.

Different stores have different weekly deals. One store may be having a sale on fruit, while another may have a sale on chicken.

If you have the time, going to different stores to buy items on sale can save you money. When you have your list together, figure out if any of your items are on sale. If they are, make a note to buy that specific item at that store. 

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If the multiple stores you are stopping at are far apart, and you’ll be spending more on gas than saving, so this hack is not worth it. But if there are stores in proximity, it may be worth the extra trip.

Buying in bulk from wholesale stores like Costco can save you money if it makes sense for your family size. 

There are memberships for these stores. So, if you aren’t shopping there often, the membership cost may not be worth the price.

You’ll also need to keep in mind that you’ll need more storage space for larger items. If you live in a small apartment, buying in bulk might not work for you.

Again, compare the prices at stores like Costco to other grocery stores to determine if buying in bulk makes sense for you.  

If you’re shopping while hungry, you’re most likely going to buy more than you would if you were full. 

Maybe you’ll grab a snack while you shop, the cookie aisle will look more enticing, and you will find yourself with more items in your cart than planned. 

Plus, being hungry is distracting. You’ll be more worried about getting in and out of the store as fast as you can, so you can get something to eat instead of focusing on saving money.

An easy money-saving swap you can make is buying generic rather than buying name-brand items.

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Even just switching some of your purchases to store-brand is a good start to saving money. 

Before you put an item in your cart, especially dairy and meat, check the expiration date. 

It’s better to check this while you’re at the store, rather than at home realizing that you have a few days to guzzle a gallon of milk. 

Cash back credit cards are exactly what they sound like. You get cash back for the money that you spend. Since you have to spend money on food, you may as well be rewarded for it. 

You can then use your cash rewards on future grocery purchases. 

Sign up for loyalty programs at your favorite stores. Signing up can unlock perks, like exclusive deals, special coupons and sometimes even gas savings. 

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Many loyalty programs are free and easy to sign up for, but others have fees associated with them. Make sure you read the fine print before signing up. 

While the convenience of having your groceries delivered right to your door is hard to beat, this method of shopping is not going to help your wallet. 

If you intend to save money, do your shopping on your own. Make it a more enjoyable experience by popping in a headphone and listening to music while you shop or going shopping with a friend so you can engage in conversation as you look for the items you need. 

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