Since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, the Duchess of Sussex has focused on building her own business ventures.

As Meghan Markle prepares for a full-scale launch of her new lifestyle brand As Ever, trademark filings show her team has requested approval to sell "alcoholic beverages except beers".

According to the Daily Mail, the Duchess of Sussex has applied to the US Patent and Trademark Office for permission to market alcohol as part of her new venture.

The move into alcoholic beverages represents a significant expansion for the As Ever brand, which Meghan is preparing to launch.

The former actress, who is known to enjoy wine, has also recently expanded her As Ever brand to include sweet treats to her growing product line.

As Ever is now evolving into a multi-category offering that spans both consumable and non-consumable products.

Meghan Markle seems ready to compete with other celebrity lifestyle brands in the profitable food and beverage industry.

This comes just ahead of the release of Meghan's Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, which is set to premiere on the streaming platform on March 4.

The Duchess of Sussex is expected to showcase As Ever products in the series, having referred to Netflix as her "business partner" in the past.

Recently, Meghan has faced backlash for naming her brand As Ever, a name already used by a small New York-based business.

The criticism comes following her decision to adopt the name after rebranding her original label, American Riviera Orchard.