With a relaxed, California-chic wardrobe, a cocktail hour, and the upbeat Loving Spoonful, With Love soundtrack, Meghan could easily be mistaken for a dazzling Nancy Meyers movie.
The director of Parent Trap, It’s Complicated and The Holiday, among other Hollywood blockbusters, prefers the Golden State as the setting for many of her films, where the female protagonists roam around in large, bright kitchens with white marble countertops.
So Meghan, 43, invites her nearest and dearest to her ‘house’ (revealed to be a reality TV mansion later) and encourages viewers to find ‘joy’ in everyday things in the series arriving on January 15. , one could be forgiven for forgetting that she also carved out an identity as a high-powered humanitarian after leaving The Firm.
Indeed, in the Sussexes’ first Netflix series, the Duchess appears as an investor focused on promising young women and an advocate for vaccine equity as she and Harry, both masked, attend a United Nations meeting. to discuss equitable distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine during the pandemic.
When Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals in January 2020, they promised to play a “progressive new role” within the monarchy.
A philanthropic couple from the start, after inviting their wedding guests to donate to charities rather than give them gifts, it seemed a natural progression for the Sussexes to found the Archewell Foundation, which continues to fund charitable projects around the world.
The couple were even touted as the new Obamas, amid reports days after the ‘Megxit’ announcement that Barack and Michelle themselves had been advising the couple on life outside the royal family.
But as the duchess returns to Instagram, entering the Meyers-style studio kitchen and inviting viewers to “create wonder in every moment,” she’s embracing a lighter side of the “new role” she and Harry promised in 2020. .
The Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix trailer and Instagram reboot signal a new era for Meghan’s image as she embraces the laid-back California image and moves away from the brave humanitarian missions she has become known for.
When the Sussexes announced they would be stepping down as senior royals on January 8, 2020, they issued a statement explaining their approach moving forward.
The statement read: “We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honor our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth and our patronages.”
Within days, the couple was touted as the “new Obamas” by vanity fair as they were compared to former president and first lady Barack and Michelle (who also enjoyed a deal with Netflix in the past).
An article speculating about the Sussexes’ future also mentioned Harry and Meghan’s wedding guests, George and Amal Clooney, who are also known for their humanitarian work.
Meanwhile, reports emerged that the Obamas were advising the Sussexes and had turned to them for help when they stepped away from The Firm, with Harry and Meghan wanting to follow the former presidential couple’s model.
The Daily Mail’s Rebecca English reported: “His ambition to produce a series of worthy ‘humanistic projects’, attracting participants using his ‘star power’, is a model said to greatly appeal to former actress Meghan.”
It’s a mission that the Sussexes certainly leaned into during their first Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, which premiered in December 2022.
In the sixth and final episode of the docuseries, Meghan is portrayed as a high-powered humanitarian, chairing meetings with businesswomen, attending UN meetings and sharing the stage with Prince Harry at the Global Citizen Live event.
With Love, Meghan, coming to Netflix on January 15, promises to “elevate the ordinary” and invites viewers to “create wonder in every moment.”
The Duchess’s studio kitchen, with a breakfast bar and white marble countertops, looks like something from the set of a Nancy Meyers film.
She and Harry are deeply focused as they work on the Archewell Foundation from their home office.
Tim Burt, strategic advisor at Archewell, said: “They wanted to continue their sponsorships and non-royal causes around mental health, the environment and gender equality.”
One clip featured in the documentary is the Sussexes’ acceptance of an NAACP civil rights award in 2022.
Speaking of her philanthropy, Meghan told the film crew: “If we’re going to have this glaring microscope on us at all times… if people are looking at us, then look at what we’re looking at.”
The clip then shows the duchess speaking at a graduation speech for her alma mater, Immaculate Heart High School, where she highlighted the Black Lives Matter cause. Meghan talked about George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile and Tamir Rice; black people who had been murdered by police officers in the United States.
Speaking with passion and authority about reforming society to achieve true racial equality, Meghan said: “We are going to rebuild, rebuild and rebuild until it is rebuilt.”
Since the first series aired, the couple have continued their advocacy work and created the Parents Network through the Archewell Foundation to promote careful use of social media by children.
The duchess presented a very different side of herself in the couple’s 2022 Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, where she attended UN meetings.
When the couple left The Firm, they vowed to carve out a “progressive new role” for themselves, something that led to them receiving an NAACP award.
In Harry & Meghan, the duchess is shown giving an impassioned speech to students at her alma mater, Immaculate Heart High School, about the Black Lives Matter movement.
Meghan has also committed to investing in women-led brands; including Cesta Collective, whose products are woven by women in Rwanda.
But 2025 marked the beginning of a new chapter for the duchess; her laid-back, all-American era of domestic goddess.
Announcing her return to Instagram on January 1 in a clip where she ran carefree on the beach and marked ‘2025’ in the sand, Meghan looked practically bohemian as she donned a loose-fitting white shirt and white jeans and remained barefoot.
Body language expert Judi James said of the clip: “Meghan’s presentation and body language in this video suggests a back-to-basics reboot of her brand and career.”
‘She oozes the free, carefree days of her blog The Tig when her Like Me, Love Me quota of adorableness was ramped up to the max and she looked like everyone’s favorite girl in town, with her enviable lifestyle and looks.
“Her casual white attire, tousled hair and bare feet seem to suggest that the royal/campaigning/image-conscious woman might be taking a step back for a while to let the simpler, freer, more carefree version of Meghan rise. to the stage again,’ he added.
One of the Duchess’s first guests is her old friend (and recipient of American Riviera Orchard jam) Mindy Kaling.
A sweet clip shows Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sharing a sweet moment while each enjoying a drink.
The duchess, 43, believes the series creates “wonders in every moment” as she shares her tips and tricks for living well.
Meghan insists the series is not about achieving “perfection” but finding “joy” in the little things in life.
Mindy jokes about the glamor of being in Meghan’s kitchen while making a cameo in the trailer.
The duchess also brings Alice Waters, a chef, to the series to talk cooking tips.
Meghan, 43, also talks about learning new skills, including beekeeping, and gets into full gear in a clip.
The trailer for With Love, Meghan appeared on the duchess’s new Instagram page on Thursday afternoon, showing her cooking in the open kitchen, picking produce from the garden and inviting her famous friends, including Mindy Kaling, to enjoy of your food. .
Posting the trailer on her Instagram account, Meghan wrote: ‘So excited to share this with you! I hope you love the show as much as I loved making it.
‘I wish you all a fantastic new year! Thank you to our amazing team and team. More than grateful for the support…and the fun!’
She said goodbye: “As always, Meghan.”
Describing the series in an official synopsis, Netflix says: “In With Love, Meghan, we join Meghan in the kitchen, the garden (and even the beehive) as she prepares to welcome friends new and old.
‘By sharing some of her favorite tips and tricks for cooking, gardening, crafting and more, Meghan reveals how even the smallest details can help add beauty to our lives and, most importantly, help bring people together.
“Whether it’s preparing take-home gifts for guests or adding a sprinkle of edible flowers to breakfast, it’s the thought that really counts.”
Speaking in the trailer, Meghan says: “I’ve always loved taking something quite ordinary and elevating it, surprising people with moments that let them know I was really thinking about them.”
‘I’m going to share some little tips and tricks and how to incorporate these practices every day.
“It’s about connecting with friends… We’re not looking for perfection, but for joy.”
The trailer, filled with color as Meghan shows off her California country wardrobe in linen and denim and embraces her lifestyle guru era, contrasts sharply with her persona as a humanitarian advocate fighting for equal access to vaccines across the world. world.
Meghan’s philanthropy and the work of the Archewell Foundation certainly continues behind the scenes as she flexes her muscles in the lifestyle and wellness sphere.
Her year is off to a good start, she’s already amassed over a million followers on Instagram and viewers are eager to see what her Netflix series has in store.
So, while fans go crazy for her cooking tips, will 2025 be the year Meghan completes her evolution into domestic duchess? Watch this space.