Meghan Markle Is Reportedly Hoping to Team up With This A-List Country Queen for Her Brand Relaunch
Meghan Markle kicked off 2025 with a return to Instagram and a hint that her rebrand will launch any day now. Her Netflix cooking show is rumored to be launching in the first part of the year, and the 43-year-old royal is ready to lean into her best Martha Stewart era. While she isn’t calling in any favors to the OG lifestyle guru, she might be asking the Queen of Country to collaborate with her.
The Duchess of Sussex is reportedly hoping to join forces with Dolly Parton as she gets her American Riviera Brand (ARO) off the ground. A Life & Style insider claimed that Meghan is “looking beyond Hollywood and realizes there’s an untapped gold mine in Nashville and she’s hoping Prince Harry’s new friendship with Jelly Roll opens a few doors.
“She’s always had a fascination with Dolly Parton and would still love to get close to her, but it’s no secret that Dolly is already quite aligned with Kate Middleton so Meghan’s not holding out a lot of hope on that front,” the source continued. “But there are loads of other celebrities in the South and plenty of star power.”
Parton revealed in August 2023 that she turned down Kate’s invitation for tea. “This time, Lordy, I even got invited to have tea with Kate [Middleton], and I felt so bad… I couldn’t even go! They had all this stuff set up,” she told BBC Radio 2. The “9 to 5” singer seemed to regret declining the opportunity to meet the Princess of Wales and gave Kate a shout-out during an interview with Saga Exceptional magazine.
“I only had one full day, and I did not have a second to do anything else besides work. But make sure people know I didn’t turn the invitation down,” she noted. “I was honored and flattered that she even asked me,” Parton said while noting she wanted to discuss Kate’s early childhood education passion project with her.
Even though Parton has Kate on her wish list, she probably wouldn’t turn down Meghan either. The country music world could be an untapped market for Meghan’s lifestyle brand if she finds the right way to cross-promote ARO with someone like Parton.
“She’s now had her eyes opened to what they could be missing out on. She’s not going to hitch her wagon to just anyone, she’s going to be choosy, but the fact is the country music world has changed a lot,” the Life & Style source noted.
With Meghan’s quick rise in Instagram followers in less than a day (815,000 followers so far), the Duchess of Sussex might find her star rise again in 2025.
Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s milestones since leaving the royal family.