It seems Meghan Markle’s ability to break (and unfortunately divide) the internet is still absolutely thriving, as she kicked the new year off by announcing her return to Instagram following an eight year hiatus – and then swiftly dropped the trailer for a new Netflix lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, a day later.
Said trailer, which has already been viewed nearly half a million times on YouTube (and has a plethora of… not particularly kind comments underneath), shows the Duchess of Sussex in her Montecito kitchen whipping up an array of culinary treats, living her absolute best vanilla girlie life and chatting with celebrity guests. Husband, Prince Harry, also makes a brief cameo, as does the beehive in their Californian garden and the likes of Mindy Kaling. It’s calming, it’s wholesome – and it all makes perfect sense as the next step for Meghan in her post-acting, post-royalling career.
“I’ve always loved taking something pretty ordinary and elevating it,” Meghan says via voiceover, as footage of her plating up hummus and slicing into a triple-decker cake topped with fruit is shown. “Surprising people with moments that really let them know I was thinking of them.”
With Love, Meghan has been billed by Netflix as the reimagining of “the genre of lifestyle programming, blending practical how-to’s and candid conversation with friends, new and old. Meghan shares personal tips and tricks, embracing playfulness over perfection and highlights how easy it can be to create beauty, even in the unexpected”.
And honestly? Since the Duchess departed from life as a senior working royal five years ago, I’ve been waiting for the very day she rebranded herself a Martha Stewart-esque lifestyle guru. The signs that she may have been considering something like this have been there all along.
Not only did Meghan previously run a popular lifestyle blog, The Tig, prior to getting together with Prince Harry (and seemed genuinely sad to have to shut it down when royal duties took over), but throughout her time as a working royal and beyond, she continued to flex her muscles as a homecook, tastemaker and lifestyle influencer-in-waiting (or should that be waiting-to-return?).
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When her engagement was announced to Prince Harry, the world quickly became familiar with the story that it happened at home in their kitchen while Meghan was roasting a chicken, one of her signature dishes. Her lemon olive oil cake recipe, a gift that she baked for staff at the non-profit World Central Kitchen in 2021 (using lemons from her own garden, naturally), went extremely viral in 2021. Last spring, Meghan also let the world know her plans to launch American Riviera Orchard, a brand with a focus on preserves and homeware (although that has reportedly hit some patent stumbling blocks).
While Meghan’s Americanisms and content might not go down well with everyone, it’s clear that this is a series where the Duchess is in her element – and this full circle moment is one that Meghan has waited on for a long time.
With Love, Meghan comes to Netflix on 4 March 2025
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
