Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is set to premiere her new lifestyle series “With Love, Meghan” on Netflix next week. The show casts Meghan as a domestic goddess, cooking and entertaining for friends in coastal California.
The duchess has long been seen as an aspiring lifestyle influencer, comparing herself to Martha Stewart. Her ambitions were put on hold due to her courtship with Prince Harry and their subsequent public feud with the royal family.
In 2020, Meghan and Harry announced they would step back from royal duties, allowing them to tell their side of the story through media ventures such as a Netflix docuseries and a memoir by Prince Harry. However, Meghan has consistently displayed her interest in domestic arts like cooking and gardening through various initiatives.
Recently, she launched an Instagram video announcing her new kitchen and lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, which was later renamed As Ever. The brand includes cookbooks, tableware, and artisanal food products. Critics have questioned whether Meghan’s forays into lifestyle content are genuine or an attempt to leverage her celebrity status.
Meghan’s own history with lifestyle content dates back to 2014 when she started a website called The Tig, featuring food, travel, and interviews with notable people. She shut down the site in 2017 after becoming famous and starting dating Harry. Despite not having formal experience as a chef or gardener, Meghan has mentioned moonlighting as a calligrapher during her acting auditions.
The new show’s trailer shows Meghan preparing desserts for friends and sharing tips on floral arrangements. However, some footage appears to be derivative of other lifestyle entrepreneurs’ work. As the series drops on March 4, viewers will have to decide whether “With Love, Meghan” offers an authentic look at domestic life or a polished marketing campaign from a pampered celebrity.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/style/meghan-with-love-netflix-lifestyle.html