Meghan on who said ‘I love you’ first, and what she misses about UK
Californian sunsets, perfectly decorated cakes, and lessons in how to make salt and vinegar crisps.
That’s right – With Love, Meghan, is back.
Series two of the TV series, which drops on Netflix on Tuesday, was once again filmed in a house close to the Duchess of Sussex’s home in Montecito.
Celebrity friends such as Chrissy Teigan and John Legend pop by for food.
And we get a glimpse into what Meghan’s family life is like, although the Duke of Sussex, and their children Archie and Lilibet, do not appear in it themselves.
Take mornings, for example.
In one episode, Meghan reveals she makes hot breakfast for her family most days.
“It’s not as complicated as people think it is,” she says. “It feels like a big undertaking but you’re just slicing bread, you’re dunking it in some eggs, and calling it a day.”
When questioned on this by her guest, Queer Eye’s Tan France, she elaborates on what she likes to cook.
“Fried eggs and pancakes, but I like to do surprise pancakes for the kids, so I always put some ground flax seeds, pour some chia seeds in. And Lili will ask me, ‘Can I have chia seeds? I want it to have freckles’,” she says.
“The ritual of breakfast is a sacred time as a family,” she adds. “You just take a minute of calm before the day.”
If that’s nothing like what your mornings resemble, don’t worry.
Many of us are lucky if we find time to scoff down some cereal before work. But the whole point of Meghan’s series is that it’s aspirational.
It’s optimistic. And it’s relentlessly upbeat, throughout all of its episodes.
Harry said ‘I love you’ first
Like the first instalment, series two sees Meghan share cooking, gardening and hosting tips with friends and famous guests.
Nuggets about her life, love and interests are scattered throughout.
We hear that as an aspiring actress, Meghan – who went on to star in Suits – used to get so nervous from auditions she would get blotchy and have to wear turtlenecks. When an audition went well, she would treat herself with a McDonald’s apple pie.
She knew she loved Harry by date three, when the pair were camping in Botswana. He said ‘I love you’ first.
They eat a lot of roast chicken. But Harry’s less adventurous palate also gets a mention.
When cooking a meal with chef José Andrés, Meghan reveals that her husband doesn’t like lobster.
“No way,” says Andrés. “And you married him?”
But the show is as much about what’s not in it, as what is.
The Royal Family don’t get a mention, nor is there any discussion of the rift within it. Earlier this year, Harry gave an emotional interview to BBC News in which he said he “would love a reconciliation” with his family, but none of that is on display here.
In fact, Harry doesn’t appear on camera at all in the series.
Nor do their children. The couple continue to protect Archie and Lilibet’s privacy, while also presenting their lifestyle.
There are no references to their former lives as working royals.
We do, however, learn what Meghan misses most about the UK. The answer? Magic Radio.
“Sorry to say this to you publicly but that’s such a grandma station,” says Tan France.
“I’ll be that grandma,” replies Meghan.
The Sussex name
One of the highlights from series one was when Meghan clarified that her name is Sussex now and not Markle.
In a memorable scene, she challenged her celebrity guest Mindy Kaling over using her maiden name, saying: “I didn’t know how meaningful it would be to me, but it just means so much to go ‘this is our family name, our little family name’.”
There’s no mention of that in series two. However, in a new interview with Bloomberg, Meghan was asked what she has learned about herself since becoming Sussex.
“What I learned is that no matter what my name is, what people call me, I’m still the same person. That didn’t change who I am. And maybe that’s the biggest distinguishing factor.”
She also reiterated that Sussex was “the family name, and it’s the name we share with our children”.
Meghan’s new lifestyle empire
With Love, Meghan, has widely been seen as the Duchess’ relaunch, as she builds her new lifestyle empire.
Despite it being the tenth most watched Netflix programme globally in its first week, audiences gave the first series a rating of just 32% on the film and television review website, Rotten Tomatoes (based on more than 2,500 votes).
Reviews for the new series have been mixed. The Telegraph gave it a two-star rating, the same as series one, saying it was “marginally less mad than the first”.
But writing in Hello Magazine, Andrea Caamano is more positive. “Meghan clearly enjoyed it and it leaves you wanting more. Season three, anyone?”
The TV show was followed by the launch of Meghan’s new brand As Ever, selling, among other things, edible flower petals and jars of wildflower honey.
Next up came her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder.
And earlier this month, Prince Harry and Meghan signed a new multi-year deal for films and TV shows with Netflix.
It’s a looser arrangement than their previous deal – but it disproves claims that the Sussexes and Netflix are going to completely part company.
Royal expert Victoria Murphy says that for Meghan personally, her TV show is “very important… in terms of how she wants to be seen and the kind of public presence that she wants to have moving forward”.
And, as with everything Meghan does, reactions to part two of her series are likely to be mixed.
If you don’t like Meghan, you’re probably not going to like this.
But if you’re a Meghan fan, you’ll love it.
