Netflix series Meghan pretends to be the perfect housewife - but is that really her?

In the Netflix series "With Love, Meghan", the Duchess of Sussex is in the kitchen. She is perfectly styled, welcomes guests and wants to make it clear: Housework is fun. It doesn't look authentic.

"The most important thing is to speak softly ... in our bee voice." This is the first sentence uttered by the Duchess of Sussex in the very first episode of the new eight-part Netflix series "With Love, Meghan".

Being quiet has never been one of Meghan's strengths.

There's nothing wrong with that in principle. And there's also nothing wrong with enjoying cooking, growing an allotment or keeping bees at home to produce honey.

"Some people do it all by themselves at home," says Meghan about keeping honey bees. Even after more than a year as a beekeeper, she still needs help because she is still afraid of the industrious insects, which occasionally sting.

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As a viewer of "With Love, Meghan", it only takes a few minutes to realize that the Duchess of Sussex knows exactly how important credibility and timing are when it comes to self-promotion.

It's just a shame if everything looks a little too perfect. But more on that later.

Meghan receives a visit from a long-time friend

The Duchess of Sussex really does everything she can for the well-being of her guests. In the first episode, her guest Daniel Martin gets to see this for himself.

The make-up artist is a long-standing friend of Meghan's ("The children call him Uncle Daniel") and is therefore even allowed to stay overnight. And then the British royal family is mentioned for the first time - but without mentioning them by name: "Daniel was in my life before, during and after."

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Incidentally, the overnight stay fits in perfectly, as one of Meghan's favorite pastimes is said to be making up the guest room. At least that's what she claims in the first episode.

The first thing the 43-year-old always asks herself is: What do my guests expect next to the bed? Answer: "A morning and evening greeting."

And her second question is: What do my guests expect in the bathroom? Answer: "Homemade bath salts."

"Everyone who visits us," Meghan continues, "should feel at home in our house." And while we're on the subject of "home": The Netflix series "With Love, Meghan" was not filmed in Meghan and Harry's villa. The reason: to protect the family's privacy.

However, the Netflix rental property is said to be located in Montecito, California, just like the Sussexes' home. Meghan wants to show one thing above all in her new series: life in California can be so beautiful - if the bank balance is right.

Where are Meghan's feminist ambitions?

Meghan handles the kitchen with skill. And she really seems to enjoy hosting guests. And is obsessed with detail. That's legitimate, of course.

But the fact that the former actress with ostensibly feminist ambitions, whose biggest career move - at least that's what nasty tongues claim - was marrying the Windsor reservist, is now playing the perfect housewife is somehow strange.

And so the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" wonders under the title "Beautiful cooking with Meghan":

"Is the Duchess even becoming a poster girl for the Tradwife movement that has taken root in social media from the USA, which promises women true self-realization in the domestic sphere?"

Why is Meghan wearing a white blouse in the kitchen?

Conservative tradwifes always make it look as if housework and childcare come super easily to them. And that it's basically women's work.

And not to forget: The hard-working tradewifes are always perfectly dressed and neatly groomed while they keep the household running smoothly.

So it's no surprise that Meghan wears a spotless white blouse in the first episode of her new Netflix series, on which not even the slightest stain can be spotted despite her intensive cooking. Incidentally, there are no such blemishes in the kitchen either. Everything there is always spotlessly clean.

At least the Duchess of Sussex has a man helping her in the kitchen in the first episode. He showers his long-time girlfriend with praise.

And so even rubbing down a lemon becomes a supposed spectacle. Meghan to Daniel: "You did a great job rubbing it down."

Momoll, there are also a few funny moments: for example, when Meghan reveals that she doesn't prepare all the snacks herself, but occasionally just buys some in the store and then pretends to have made them herself.

Oh, life could be so simple

Oh, life could be so easy: standing perfectly styled in the kitchen, welcoming nice people, eating sugary desserts and not having to deal with conflicts.

And so there seems to be a good chance that the new royal cookery, garden and household show will be a success despite everything. Daniel Martin certainly enjoyed his visit with his girlfriend.

"And we learned something together," adds Meghan with a smile at the end of the first episode, proving once again that timing is everything.

But we've already covered that (see above).

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