Meghan Markle is hoping to be America’s next domestic doyenne.
With Love, Meghan is now streaming on Netflix after a postponement, and the series showcases the Suits alum’s entertaining skills. Her lifestyle business, As Ever, will follow, launching this spring, but she gave a new sneak peek at the products on the website.
The show is very pretty, with perfectly garnished food, pretty flowers and lots of color. There’s also good music, alcoholic beverages aplenty and polite conversation, including some fanning out over Markle (see: guest Mindy Kaling). It’s all a bit precious — like sprinkling flower flakes on a child’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich — but lifestyle shows tend to be aspirational, and the host of this one is a duchess, right?
Markle flew to New York City on March 3, the eve of the premiere, to surprise a group of fans of her former blog, The Tig, who were screening the eight-episode series. She shared on Instagram that they had “supported me for nearly a decade.” Some of them showed extreme loyalty with “As Ever” tattoos, and they had Tignanello wine, which inspired the name of her defunct blog, for the occasion.
On March 3, Markle surprised some longtime fans at an NYC screening of her show. Some had "As Ever" tattoos. (Meghan Markle via Instagram)
On the same platform, Markle shared a card made by Prince Harry and their children, Archie and Lili, wishing “Mumma” good luck on her show.
Harry, Archie and Lili made a sign for "Mumma" Meghan and gave her flowers. We hope they were to her liking as she spends a lot of time talking about floral arranging on her show. (Meghan Markle via Instagram)
Friends who appear on With Love, Meghan, including Kaling and Abigail Spencer, have flooded Instagram with public messages of support as the show premiered.
We know there are many Markle critics, but she has many supporters too. Here are the people in her orbit as she embarks on her new career path.
Show guests include…
Mindy Kaling: The mom of three appears in an episode about party planning for a child’s birthday. They drank mimosas and made a rainbow fruit platter (with a dollop of yogurt as clouds), star-shaped sandwiches and a balloon arch. Kaling asked Markle if she “was Tinkerbell” as she put flower sprinkles on Kaling’s frittata. Markle loves a flower sprinkle. She was less excited that Kaling kept referring to her by her maiden name, however, correcting her that she goes by “Sussex,” not Markle, like Harry and their kids.
Markle and Kaling planned a fancy kids' birthday party. (Mindy Kaling via Instagram)
The TV scribe and star told Time she was on maternity leave last year when she was asked to visit Montecito, Calif., where Markle lives, to have the Duchess of Sussex cook for her. She said: “I think a misconception about Meghan is that she’s in any way fussy or has expectations of fanciness," Kaling told the outlet about her new friend. “She really is a down-to-earth person who knows a lot of fun tricks to make entertaining and cooking easier.”
Abigail Spencer: One of Markle’s best friends from their Suits days is also on an episode along with their friend Kelly Zajfen, a nonprofit founder. They’ve been tight for years, so Markle didn’t hesitate to joke about “Abby” having talents other than cooking. As they all stood in the kitchen sipping beautiful drinks and talking about the “salt-baked branzino” they were about to make, it was very much: You’re the best cook. No, you are. No you.
Abigail Spencer, Markle and Kelly Zajfen in the kitchen. (Courtesy of Netflix)
Spencer told People that she’s excited for people to “get an authentic look at the woman that I love and know,” who has been a tabloid target since she married Harry. “Also, you're gonna learn a lot. I learned a lot from her, and she actually gets to teach me something on the show. … It's really from her heart. It really is with love.”
As for the criticism of Markle, Spencer told Page Six, “It’s very painful as a friend, but she is the most glorious human being on the planet, and so we just have to get behind her and support her.”
Spencer and Zajfen posted on Instagram the day the show launched.
Daniel Martin: The celebrity makeup artist has also been one of Markle’s best friends since her Suits days. On the show, Markle said, “We far transcended makeup and just became friends. And he’s been in my life for the before, during and after, shall we say. And he’s very much a mainstay.” She said her kids call him Uncle Daniel.
Markle and Daniel Martin made a pretty cake. (Courtesy of Netflix)
Roy Choi: The chef is described as “new friend” of Markle’s, and they cook up Korean fried chicken and talk about growing up in Los Angeles. That included going to clubs in Koreatown as teens, dancing and singing karaoke.
Markle and chef Roy Choi. (Courtesy of Netflix)
Delfina Blaquier: The Argentine photographer, who is married to Harry’s friend the polo star Nacho Figueras, has said that Markle is like a “sister” to her. On the show, Markle said Blaquier is “more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside — and she is a stunner.” She talked about how love hiking together, but only sometimes with their husbands. A video showed the men scaring the women on a hiking trip. Markle and Blaquier baked focaccia bread and had a picnic.
Markle and Delfina Figueras. (Courtesy of Netflix)
The mah-jongg crew: Markle talked about how she and her girlfriends — designer Tracy Robbins, philanthropist Victoria Jackson and literary agent Jennifer Rudolph Walsh — recently started to learn the tile game of Chinese origin. They had a Mexican meal with margaritas and plantain chips Markle whipped up.
Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, Tracy Robbins, Markle and Victoria Jackson. (Courtesy of Netflix)
Prince Harry: Well, you knew that he was in her circle, but he does make a cameo in the last episode featuring farm-to-table chef Alice Waters. Markle has a garden party with friends — and her mother, Doria Ragland, also appears. Markle’s dog Guy, who has since died, is featured in many episodes. There’s no mention of the royals like their previous doc, Harry & Meghan.
Prince Harry helped toast his wife in the final episode. (Courtesy of Netflix)
Markle’s Montecito mom friends
The Suits alum gave what People touted as her “most intimate interview in years” about the show, guests and life with Harry in Santa Barbara.
“I have a couple of girlfriends up here,” she said. “These are stay-at-home moms and working women with normal jobs, not in the public eye. We went from just connecting through our kids to having girls’ nights out or doing Pilates together.”
Markle talked about attending one friend’s “low-key birthday party at home” and how it “was very comfortable just chilling” and talking about “mom stuff and life.”
She said she’s always loved “making friends.”
In Montecito, she’s known to see fellow famous neighbor Oprah Winfrey — and the family loves to dine out, despite attracting attention at restaurants.
“We go to a lot of dinners, and not just in people’s homes or private rooms; we just go into the restaurant. I really love that we can just have fun,” she told People. She said she also goes to local yoga classes that “sometimes have 40 to 50 people in them and just walk in like, ‘Hi!’ ” she says, laughing. “Of course, at the beginning, that felt like a lot. … [Now,] I love it. It’s the best. I had missed it.”
With Love, Meghan is one of several new ventures
Markle’s new show is set in Montecito. While the garden, chicken coop and orchard scenes in the Netflix show were filmed on the grounds of the couple’s $14.7 million estate, a nearby rental was used for all the kitchen and cooking scenes.
Markle is all about flower sprinkles. (Jake Rosenberg/Netflix)
“I wanted to protect that safe haven,” Markle told People. “We’re a close-knit family, and I love those moments — putting Lili down for a nap, having lunch together, having sacred time together at the end of the day. Our kitchen is where Mama just cooks for the family, and with a crew of 80-plus people, that’s a lot of people to have in your house!”
She said Harry would bring the kids to the set to watch Markle work.
On the same day of the show launch, Markle gave a first look at some of the products she’ll be selling via her As Ever business. Yes, there are flower sprinkles. There is jam — officially raspberry preserves. (She explains on the show that jam has to be equal parts sugar and fruit and that’s not optimal for her tastebuds.) There’s also crepe mix, honey — and a good wife to a Brit — lots of teas.
Markle previewed some of the products in her As Ever line on March 4. (asever.com)
Markle will also launch a new podcast this spring on Lemonada. So, buckle up. The Sussexes aren’t going anywhere.
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