The Duchess of Sussex has given a sneak peek at her upcoming Netflix series by releasing the first trailer for With Love, Meghan on her new Instagram account.
Each of the eight episodes, launching on January 15, features friends new and old who are invited by Meghan Markle to roll up their sleeves and join her in the kitchen or garden.
In the first clip released to promote the lifestyle series, the duchess is supported by several showbiz friends, including American actress Mindy Kaling, who also appeared on Meghan’s Archetypes podcast.
While cooking in a Montecito kitchen, the Duchess chats with the comedian (one of the first to receive American Riviera Orchard Jam) while The Lovin’ Spoonful’s Do You Believe in Magic plays over the top.
Meghan also welcomes some of her closest friends, from Suits co-star Abigail Spencer to her ‘sister’ and ‘polo partner’ Delfina Blaquier, wife of the Duke of Sussex’s friend Nacho Figueras.
Professional polo player Nacho was the first of the Figueras family to appear in a Sussex Netflix series, after starring in Netflix’s Harry & Meghan, as well as the show Duke’s Polo.
Meghan’s makeup artist Daniel Martin, often described as the mother-of-two’s best friend, also appeared in the trailer for the duchess’s new show.
Daniel is believed to have known Meghan for more than a decade, having met her while the former actress was working on Suits.
One of the Duchess’s first guests is her friend (and recipient of American Riviera Orchard jam) Mindy Kaling.
The couple then stayed in touch and while working on her old blog The Tig, Meghan asked Daniel to help her.
He has stayed in touch with the duchess throughout her life in the royal family and was by her side on her wedding day as she perfected her makeup.
The series also features celebrity literary agent Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and Harry and Meghan’s billionaire neighbor Vicky Tsai, who sold her beauty brand Tatcha to Unilever in 2019 for $500 million.
They are joined on the show by Tracy Robbins. Mrs Robbins and her husband, Paramount boss Brian Robbins, are friends of the Sussexes and invited them to the premiere of the Bob Marley film in Jamaica in January.
Meghan’s best friend Kelly McKee Zajfen, co-founder of the Alliance of Moms, is also included on the series’ guest list.
Kelly and Meghan met through the duchess’ ex-husband, Trevor Engelson, who is a friend of the former model’s entertainment lawyer husband.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have formed a vital part of Kelly and her husband Julian’s support network following the death of Kelly’s son George, aged nine, in July 2022, after being found unconscious in his family home.
Kelly, who co-founded Alliance of Moms, a nonprofit that supports pregnant and parenting teens in the foster care system, praised Harry and Meghan for being a “guiding light” following the tragic death of their son.
Another of Meghan’s glamorous friends who will appear in the trailer is fellow polo WAG Delfina Blaquier, who is married to Nacho Figueras.
Meghan’s old friend and Suits co-star Abigail Spencer appears in the series where she eats one of the Duchess’s recipes.
The trailer also features a sweet moment between Meghan and Prince Harry, who share a hug, and includes appearances by chefs Roy Choi and Alice Waters.
Meghan is known to have many famous friends; one of whom is The Office writer Mindy Kaling.
Appearing in a clip from the trailer, Mindy, who is served a piece of Victoria sponge cake, says: ‘What! This is probably one of the most glamorous moments of my life.’
Elsewhere, Meghan talks about “making new friends” and learning new skills, such as beekeeping.
The long-awaited lifestyle series, which fans were promised when lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard was first teased last March, will launch on January 15 after a year of speculation about when episodes will be released.
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.
Meghan also welcomes back some of her closest friends, including Suits co-star Abigail Spencer (pictured).
The duchess also brings Alice Waters, a chef, to the series to talk cooking tips.
The duchess invites several guests into the kitchen, including chef Roy Choi, who jokes that he and Meghan are “family.”
Mindy jokes about the glamor of being in Meghan’s kitchen while making a cameo in the trailer.
‘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.”
Meghan’s announcement comes a day after the duchess made a dramatic return to Instagram with a video of her laughing on the beach near Montecito.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, shared her first clip on the Instagram account, titled simply ‘@meghan’.
Prince Harry was behind the camera for the new video, which sparked an online frenzy as tens of thousands of people followed within minutes, boosting his fan count from 115,000 to nearly 170,000.
Cocktail time! Meghan makes party drinks for her friends that appear to be garnished with orange slices and salt rims.
The clip shows Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sharing a sweet moment while each enjoying a drink.
The profile was long rumored to belong to him after the account was created in June 2022, but it remained empty. He then teased fans again in 2023 when he declared that he was “getting back on Instagram.”
Now, the mother of two has confirmed that the profile is hers by posting a clip walking towards the California beach coast, where she lives with Prince Harry and her children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three.
The move is a big U-turn for the Duchess and is understood to be part of a new chapter for the couple and their lives in America, as she and Harry previously quit social media after stepping down from royal duties.
In her new clip, Meghan is seen drawing the New Year’s digits – ‘2025’ – in the sand, perhaps hinting at an upcoming project.
A beaming duchess is then filmed running off camera while laughing.
In addition to its first post, the @meghan account also updated its profile photo with a black and white photo of Meghan smiling and wearing an elegant white dress.
The return to Instagram comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex vowed to never return to social media after claiming to have dealt with an “almost insurmountable” amount of abuse.
Meghan originally closed all of her social media accounts in January 2018, just after getting engaged to Prince Harry.
The duchess, 43, believes the series creates “wonders in every moment” as she shares her tips and tricks for living well.
“Ms. Markle is grateful to everyone who has followed her social media accounts over the years, however, since she has not used them for some time, she has made the decision to close them,” a source said at the time. from Kensington Palace.
In 2020, Meghan and Harry stopped posting to their Sussex Royal Instagram and Twitter accounts.
The royal couple have frequently spoken out about the abuse they received online, despite continuing to use online media to promote their new “progressive” roles in the US, including most recently via a podcast on Spotify.
But in 2023 it was revealed that Meghan had created an Instagram account, although yesterday was the first time she posted anything on it.