Mayor Slams Meghan Markle for 'Copying' Spanish Town's Historic Coat of Arms: 'We Don't Want It Perverted'
The mayor of a small Spanish town accuses Meghan Markle of plagiarism after the town's coat of arms appeared to be strikingly similar to the logo for her new lifestyle brand.
The mayor of Porreres, Mallorca, Francisca Mora Veny, is threatening legal action and has demanded the removal of the logo associated with Markle's brand.
The 43-year-old Markle recently unveiled As Ever, a lifestyle brand she rebranded after a trademark dispute. The branding's image, a palm tree, and two birds has been criticized for being virtually identical to the Porreres coat of arms from 1370.
Per The Sun, Veny said, "We don't want our coat of arms to be perverted because it belongs exclusively to Porreres."
She explained that the former "Suits" star's logo looks almost identical to the town's coat of arms, except for the two hummingbirds, which are compared to swallows or pigeons in the former.
"We will ask Meghan to remove the logo from their website," the mayor declared.
The Spanish village of Porreres is considering legal action against Meghan Markle, accusing her of copying its coat of arms for the logo of her brand, As Ever.
— M i c h a e l H a n n i g a n, Esq. (@HanniganCork) February 19, 2025
“Spot the difference?” asks the Daily Mail. Yes, actually, I can spot at least 7 points of notable difference! pic.twitter.com/4QIm3o5Y1H
Even with this, however, Veny invited the Duchess of Sussex to visit Porreres to see all the places where the coat of arms is engraved to understand its past and acknowledge that the town may not be able to afford to fight a legal battle.
The mom-of-two recently had to change the name of her brand—now called "As Ever," but formerly "American Riviera Orchard"—because trademark limitations limited her use of that title. The controversy is the most recent challenge her brand has faced.
The Sun said the As Ever logo was developed after searching around the world for registered trademarks.
The piece features a palm tree — a nod to Markle and husband Prince Harry's home in Montecito, California — as well as two hummingbirds thought to be symbolic of the Duke of Sussex, who famously spotted a hummingbird following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Read more: King Charles Reportedly Relieved As Trump's Deportation Decision Keeps 'Ocean' Between Him and Harry
Concerns Over Trademark From A New York Business Owner
This is just the latest trademark dispute over As Ever, however.
New York entrepreneur Mark Kolski said he was concerned over Markle's use of the name with the brand.
The 58-year-old also runs a small clothing business using the same name, which he established in 2017.
Kolski said he is running a "very small business," while Markle's brand has Netflix's power and money to back it.
"Even if I wanted to do something I don't think I have the behemoth of lawyers and money that are behind this," he told The UK Sun.
Kolski does not own a trademark on the name but believes to have common law rights based on the number of years of use in commerce of "As Ever."
