Great Britain Meghan's Netflix show: lots of glitz, little Christmas magic?
Wearing a black sweater, Meghan prances through a row of undecorated Christmas trees. After all, only the best should come to the Sussex home, and the tree has to be big and lush green before it is decorated. "You get to do the tree thing once a year," says the 44-year-old with a laugh, before she finds the right fir tree and decorates it with glittering baubles in the next scene.
03.12.2025, 14:25
SDA
The wife of Prince Harry (41) could hardly have started the Christmas special of her cooking and baking show in a more traditional way. The almost hour-long production can now be seen on Netflix. In "With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration", Meghan invites you to a "festive wonder full of warmth, traditions and lots of joy", according to the streaming platform. Guests include the two chefs Will Guidara and Tom Colicchio as well as tennis player Naomi Osaka.
However, what sounds promising is likely to struggle in terms of popularity. The first two seasons of the series were torn apart by the media, with talk of a lack of authenticity and a superimposed, self-important and tacky production. Can Meghan turn things around with a little contemplation?
"Joyless as coal in a Christmas stocking"
At least she tries. In the special, the Duchess of Sussex cooks all kinds of recipes, makes Advent calendars for her children Archie and Lilibet, serves festive cocktails and gets her hands dirty with cookie dough and beet - all with the aim of demonstrating authenticity accompanied by Christmas music.
She also tells stories from her childhood and raves about her mother's Christmas dinner. Giggling, she appears in front of the camera in red pyjamas in one scene, announcing the next two guests.
However, despite her best efforts, some of the 44-year-old's Christmas fever is hard to shake. Even before the publication, harsh words were once again found in the British media. When Meghan jumps around between Christmas trees and pretends to be cold, you almost have to "secretly admire" the project, it almost seems like "a deliberate provocation", according to the Guardian.
Instead of genuine joy, Prince Harry's wife serves up "a sterile imitation of suspiciously flawless baked goods, fake laughter and contrived emotions", wrote the Telegraph. The series presents a Christmas "without any soul" and is "as joyless as coal in a Christmas stocking".
There was also talk of "pointless tinkering", implausible conversations and even a "fever dream" in the Times after publication.
A kiss for Harry
Prince Harry also makes an appearance: standing in the kitchen, he raves about his mother-in-law's Christmas dinner, which Meghan is currently preparing. The viewers are even treated to a kiss - such couple scenes between the two are a rarity.
Meghan and Harry - the younger son of King Charles III (77) - broke away from their royal duties more than five years ago and live with their children in the USA. Harry's relationship with his father was long considered to be broken, but recently there was an initial rapprochement.
After leaving the inner circle of the royal family, Meghan and Harry signed a contract with Netflix and brought several projects to the screen. In the summer, they extended their collaboration and signed a multi-year first-look contract. So far, the streaming provider has not shied away from further productions.
Incidentally, the fact that Prince Harry's wife is anything but a Grinch has long been no secret. Among other things, she has been photographed decorating a Christmas tree a good four or five meters high. And even the Christmas party with the royal family, traditionally celebrated in Sandringham, was approved by Meghan despite all the differences, according to the Telegraph - it was even said to have been "fantastic".
