Grab an armful of peonies, round up some famous friends and don your best beekeeping suit: After months of speculation, we finally have a title, trailer and a premier date for Meghan Markle’s Netflix show.
This news comes less than 24 hours after an Instagram account with the covetably brief handle “@meghan” (long suspected to belong to the former influencer-slash-actor who shut down her old accounts when she married into the Royal Family in 2018) posted a reel of the duchess running along a beach and writing “2025” in the sand, the video apparently taken by her husband, Prince Harry.
A day later, the timing for this return, aside from the lure of the year’s fresh page, made sense: The account hosted the world premiere of the trailer for Meghan’s new lifestyle series, and the news that it would be hitting our screens very soon.
“I have been so excited to share this with you! I hope you love the show as much as I loved making it,” said Meghan in the caption, as liberally sprinkled with exclamation marks as the ice cream sundae she scoops in the clip is studded with mint leaves. “Wishing you all a fantastic new year! Thanks to our amazing crew and the team @netflix. Beyond grateful for the support — and fun!”
Here’s everything we know right now …
What is Meghan Markle’s Netflix show called?
The eight-episode show is called “With Love, Meghan.” It seems to be a play on words — rather than her preferred sign-off, which in the caption is actually “As ever, Meghan” — nodding to her approach to hosting, i.e. “with love.”
A word she defines, according to a Netflix release that accompanied this news, as “in the details: the small, personal moments that bring delight to those we cherish.”
What is the show about?
Exactly. As Netflix describes the show — and the trailer demonstrates — it’s an invitation to “join Meghan in the kitchen, garden — and even at the beehive — as she prepares to host friends both old and new.”
The approach in these 33-minute-long episodes is far more instructional than documentary, however. Think the gentle coaching of “Magnolia Table With Joanna Gaines” or “Be My Guest with Ina Garten” rather than, say, the hive-inducing stress of “Come Dine With Me.”
As Meghan herself phrases it in the voice-over for the trailer, “I’ve always loved taking something pretty ordinary and elevating it. I’m going to share some little tips and tricks.”
Is it a cooking show?
As the montage of moments in the trailer would suggest — Meghan contemplating a wall of peonies, kneading focaccia, making candles with her long-time makeup artist Daniel Martin, cheers-ing her friends with cocktails — she’s working in the realm of hospitality, very familiar territory for anyone who read her The Tig blog. (The beekeeping we see her do in the trailer, however, seems to be new.)
“Sharing some of her favorite tips and tricks for cooking, gardening, crafting, and more, Meghan reveals how even the most minute details can help add beauty to our lives and, most importantly, help bring people together,” says Netflix of the show’s format. “Whether it’s preparing take-home gifts for guests or adding a sprinkle of edible flowers to breakfast, it’s truly the thought that counts.”
Who are the guests on “With Love, Meghan”?
Again, we’re in the realm of the familiar here: Along with Martin, Meghan’s included old friends like her Suits co-star Abigail Spencer and Mindy Kaling, who’s previously appeared on the Duchess’s Archetypes podcast. According to Netflix, you can also expect to see the likes of chefs Alice Waters and Roy Choi join Meghan in the kitchen. Prince Harry also seems to make at least one cameo, appearing in the trailer hugging Meghan to his side at what looks like a party.
The show, Meghan says in the trailer as she fearlessly sits down on the grass in light-coloured pants and a camera guy gnaws on a chicken bone, is “not about the pursuit of perfection” but “joy” instead. It’s why, for example, we also get a clip of her dog snoring in the kitchen, with Meghan smiling and saying, “Peaceful day” as she chops.
It is all part of what Netflix describes as the show “reimagining” what lifestyle programming can be.
Speaking of the kitchen: Is it filmed in hers?
The production notes simply say the show was filmed in “Montecito, California.” While that may be where Meghan lives with her family, it feels more likely, given the decor and the practicality of it all, that — as with many of these shows — a separate location was actually used for this.
When is “With Love, Meghan” out?
You can “find the magic in every moment” when all eight episodes hit Netflix on Wednesday, January 15.
