Good news for anyone wondering which snack food they should be decanting into little plastic bags tied with twine to welcome their guests with this festive season: Meghan Markle’s got a seasonal special coming to our screens later this year. (A special red-and-green iteration of the infamous As Ever flower confetti seems inevitable.)
News of the imaginatively titled “With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration” came today with an announcement that the Sussexes have re-upped their relationship with Netflix — albeit under what seems to be much less secure circumstances than their original (alleged) U.S. $100 million deal five years ago.
“We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As ever brand,” Meghan Markle said in a press statement. “My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision.”
Translation? Despite a plethora of reports to the contrary, tied to the fact that their collaboration so far seems to have netted more viral memes than bona fide hits, Netflix isn’t parting ways with the royals of Montecito. Instead, they’ll still be working together on what is widely reported as a “multi-year, first look” basis, meaning the streamer gets first dibs on any projects they want to create via their entertainment arm, Archewell Productions.
What’s most interesting about this news is that it reads as primarily a vote of confidence in Meghan’s burgeoning lifestyle empire. Along with the news of that “With Love, Meghan” festive special — described as “holiday wonder with warmth, tradition, and a generous dose of joy” — the streamer seemed to reaffirm its investment in her product line, As Ever.
Having almost instantly sold out its first two product drops, the Netflix-backed line recently launched rosé wine, restocking with a second vintage after the first one also sold out within 45 minutes. According to Harper’s Bazaar, within 10 minutes of that second drop they sold 10,000 bottles, with 20 per cent of purchases made by repeat customers, many buying in lots of six or 12. This new deal, People reports, means As Ever will keep expanding into other product categories. Hints to come, maybe, when the second season of “With Love, Meghan” drops later this month?
“Fans have been inspired by With Love, Meghan, with products from the new As ever line consistently selling out in record time,” said Netflix’s chief content officer Bela Bajaria in a press statement. “We’re excited to continue our partnership with Archewell Productions and to entertain our members together.”
And while Bajaria did nod to both Meghan and Harry as “influential voices whose stories resonate,” the rest of the slate announced today also seemed to fall very firmly into the Meghan’s-interests side of the couple’s content Venn diagram. There was news, for example, that the adaptation of Canadian author Carley Fortune’s romance novel “Meet Me At the Lake” was still in the works. The one nod to Harry’s sphere seems to be a forthcoming documentary about an orphanage for children living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda, “Masaka Kids, Rhythm Within.”
But, while being a champion for children living with this disease in Africa might be a long-term passion for the prince, it may also touch on something rather sensitive for him at the moment. Specifically, the cloud surrounding Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in memory of his mother to support youth living with AIDS or HIV in Lesotho.
In March, the prince quit as patron in solidarity with the charity’s board, who resigned in protest when the chairperson, Dr. Sophie Chandauka, refused to step down. She has also accused Harry of bullying and harassment. Last month, the British charity watchdog said they found no evidence of this, although they did criticize him for allowing this internal dispute to “play out publicly.”
That said, just this morning, via a spokesperson, Harry seemed to hint that he was interested in starting another charity in Sentebale’s image as part of his committed support for Lesotho’s young people. “In what form that support takes — no decisions have been made. All options remain on the table; whether that be starting a new charity or working to support pre-existing charities operating in the same sector in the region,” they said.
Less uncertain, it seems, is the couple’s future with Netflix — and their big bet on Meghan’s continued success as a rosé-slinging, flower-confetti-sprinkling lifestyle success story.
