Frothy and fashionable, the Duchess of Sussex’s new lifestyle show follows in the footsteps of established domestic goddesses. How does she measure up?
With Love, Meghan, according to Netflix, is an “inspiring series, produced by Meghan, [that] reimagines the genre of lifestyle programming, blending practical how-tos and candid conversation with friends, new and old.”
Across eight episodes, Meghan will share “personal tips and tricks embracing playfulness over perfection, and highlights how easy it can be to create beauty, even in the unexpected. She and her guests roll up their sleeves in the kitchen, the garden and beyond, and invite you to do the same.”
Taking part in the programme will be some famous guests including chef Roy Choi, comedian Mindy Kaling, actress Abigail Spencer and restaurateur Alice Waters. Expect everything from tablescaping to flower-arranging, as well as recipes for parties and Victoria sandwich cakes.
Meghan clearly wants to follow in the footsteps of other acknowledged “domestic goddesses” who have built empires from similar business plans. None more so than veteran lifestyle influencer, Martha Stewart, whose Living Omnimedia conglomerate is built on the old adage, “there’s no place like home”. She credits hard work and education as the key to her success – can Meghan claim the same?
Martha attended Barnard College in New York City, majoring in history and architectural history. After college she got a job on Wall Street, where she became an institutional stockbroker and discovered what she calls her true entrepreneurial bent. “I loved ideas. I loved building. I loved creating. I loved making things that would enhance everyday living. And I loved making money as a result. I had established a thriving catering business, and less than a decade later published the best-selling book Entertaining.”
In 1990, as a 49-year-old divorcée she published the first issue of Martha Stewart Living, and since then has gone on to write more than 90 books on cooking, gardening, weddings, decorating and entertaining. She abides by “The Martha Rules” which include: build your success on something you love, focus your attention on the basic things that people need and want, teach so you can learn and build an A-team. So the pie isn’t perfect? Cut it into wedges. Take risks, not chances. Make it beautiful.”
Clearly, Meghan has doubled down on some of Martha’s ideas, saying the show is, “not in the pursuit of perfection, but the pursuit of joy.”
You can be sure she has also tried to channel Nigella Lawson, author of eleven cookery books including the classics How to Eat and How To Be A Domestic Goddess. Nigella’s famously sultry approach is unfussy but chic, celebratory but relaxed, saying, “Most people are in your house to have a good time, they’re not coming round to give you scorecards.”
Meghan’s entertaining style is famously relaxed … she revealed in one of her many interviews that she first hosted Prince William and Catherine at Kensington Palace “barefoot” in ripped jeans. Imagine their reaction! Now, she opts for pretty dresses and classic staples from Zimmermann, Ulla Johnson and Emilia Wickstead, similar to Nigella’s noted femininity and flawless make-up.
Aside from her fashion choices, much of Nigella’s popularity was thanks to her unique hosting style and demythologising cooking, with her candid honesty about loving a culinary shortcut. “It’s OK to mess up. You will probably end up with a much better dish than the one you were trying to make.” (In one scene in the show, Meghan is caught unawares by a lemon zester, which is apparently hilarious).
With Love, Meghan is filmed in Montecito, California, reportedly in the $8m home of Tom and Sherrie Cupola. An enviable location is key to any successful lifestyle brand, so this provides the perfect aspirational backdrop for the series. Meghan was perhaps influenced by Ina Garten (some would say she is the original Coastal Grandmother) whose Hampton’s home that featured in the cult Food Network series, The Barefoot Contessa, is as much a character as Ina.
Her charm is her informality and humour, and the authentic insight into her life and home, including a swoonworthy orchard and herb garden. Like Martha, she had no culinary training and is a self-taught cook. During the 1970s, she worked in the White House Office of Management and Budget, and helped write the nuclear energy budgets for Presidents Ford and Carter. She credits much of her success to luck, as mentioned in her recent memoir, Be Ready When Luck Happens.
Will Meghan catch a lucky break with her new endeavour? Perhaps, but from what we have seen so far, this is far from groundbreaking television or creative culinary inspiration. Edible flowers frozen into ice cubes, peonies in a large bowl, charcuterie boards and traditional sponge cakes: her latest project seems more like a rehash of her pre-royal lifestyle blog, The Tig. Martha, Ina and Nigella can rest on their laurels …
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