Meghan Markle sparked a frenzy after the trailer for her new Netflix show With Love, Meghan dropped ahead of its premiere later this month – and it has seemingly left some viewers and experts alike confused

Meghan Markle’s trailer for her new Netflix show has been branded ‘laughable’ – with viewers also left perplexed by it.

After dramatically returning to Instagram on New Year’s Day, Meghan dropped another bombshell a day later with a teaser promo for her new show called With Love, Meghan. The eight-part series, which launches on January 15, will see Meghan inviting friends and famous guests to a California estate, where she shares cooking, gardening and hosting tips.

In the trailer, she can be seen preparing dishes with pals including actresses Mindy Kaling and Suits star Abigail Spencer, arranging flowers and even beekeeping – known to be a favourite hobby of her estranged sister-in-law the Princess of Wales.

Meghan with pal Abigail Spencer in the trailer for her new Netflix series
But royal historian and expert Dr Tessa Dunlop has warned that the trailer’s picture-perfect image could pose real problems for Meghan. Speaking to the Mirror, she explained: “It is all too easy to mock Meghan and the perfect world she presents in her new Netflix trailer: shiny (slightly) famous friends, effortfully fresh food, Insta-ready images.

“But worry not, apparently this is just what the Duchess does: in her words ‘I have always loved taking something pretty ordinary and elevating it.’ And no, she is not talking about Prince Harry, who this time is lucky enough to make an appearance alongside his influencer wife and her millennial chums. According to chef Roy Choi, ‘they are family now’, which doesn’t bode well given the Sussexes’ track record with their nearest and dearest.

“See, I told you it was easy to mock. I mean, come on, a reality series in which one of the richest women in the world is pretending she can teach us ‘little tips and tricks’. Demonstrating how ‘we can incorporate these practises’ into our domestic lives, as she meanders through her sun-dappled kitchen garden, retro basket in hand, before attending those designer bee hives, dripping with honey. It’s so out-of-reach for the vast majority, it is laughable.”

Meghan’s new show has been confirmed as being called With Love, Meghan ( 
Image:
PA)
Meanwhile, viewers watching the trailer have also been left confused by it, especially as the promo fails to address one of Meghan’s much-hyped lifestyle brands, American Riviera Orchard. Last March, a new website and Instagram page for the brand were unveiled to much fanfare, with a trademark application showing she intended to sell jams, spreads and other homeware goods. But despite the initial announcement, her wares have been shared only with celebrity friends, who showcased her jam on social media in April.

So far, products have not been available yet to buy on the site and in recent months she has faced difficulty in acquiring a trademark. And with the Instagram account yet to share any update and Meghan now starting to post on another account, many have taken to social media to voice their confusion and ask if American Riviera Orchard is still coming.

One enquired on X: “Didn’t she start an IG account under American Riviera Orchard? Or does that not count?” While another pondered: “Why no mention of American Riviera Orchard?” And another asked: “Wasn’t that what her American Riviera Orchard IG account was supposed to be about?”

Meghan will share cooking, gardening, and hosting tips ( 
Image:
PA)
But despite the potential confusion and the so-called ‘perfect’ aesthetic portrayed in the trailer, Tessa also believes it is precisely why the show could actually be a success – but not in the UK. She explained: “Across the Atlantic, they have a very different relationship with perfection. From old-school Dynasty and Dallas flaunting mega-wealth and mega-shoulder pads to the Good Wife and Friends, American on-screen escapism invariably has a successful sheen.

“Meanwhile in Britain, our preference is for soap operas that focus on working folk, from Eastenders ‘ Old Vic to Coronation Street’s northern reality. We are instinctively suspicious of anything too perfect, not so Americans who like their super-stars to have square jaws, perfect smiles and big bucks.

“Meghan fits perfectly into that world with her pastel palette and carefully curated cast. There is Abigail Spencer, a co-star from Suits, Mindy Kaling a comedian already in receipt of American Riveria Orchard Jam, and Polo WAG, Delfina Blaquier, to provide a dash of old-school elegance. Apparently these friends ‘are not in the pursuit of perfection’, (they are already perfect), rather Meghan’s crew ‘are in the pursuit of joy’.

“Meanwhile, beyond Trump-mania and gruesome terror attacks, aspirational Americans are invited to watch on and dream, alongside the Duchess’s very own misfit, poor old Harry. How long the unavoidably British prince will stay in front of the camera remains to be seen.”

Prince Harry makes a fleeting appearance in the trailer

Harry himself also makes a cameo appearance in the trailer and is seen embracing his wife. The Sussexes have rarely been seen together in recent months as they have been concentrating on their separate careers. Sources say Meghan is focusing on her business ventures while Harry concentrates on his charitable work.

However, it hasn’t stopped tongues from wagging, especially as Meghan memorably described her and Harry just two years ago as “salt and pepper” as they always “move together”. And according to body language expert Judi James, this gesture speaks volumes about how Harry views Meghan’s latest project.

She told the Mirror: “Where most influencers talk straight to camera, making the audience their friends, Meghan is friend-flaunting here, inviting us to watch her Montecito ‘family’ and there is a glimpse of Harry hugging her with a facial expression of beaming pride and emotional reward for what she is achieving and who she is.” She continued: “Meghan has swapped fierce feminism for friends, florals and fruit here in this mini-explosion of her personal depiction of love.

“Beneath all the food-worrying this popularity-promo video and possibly the series shows strong hints of messaging how much Meghan loves and is loved. ‘Love’ is the word repeated most in the title and the soundtrack, followed up by ‘friends’ as well as ‘family’ and ‘joy’. She dances, skips and giggles as she is surrounded by loving, admiring faces, including a happily snoring dog.

“‘Gravitating’ towards flowers or showing off how much honey her bees have made might not create an accessible lifestyle reveal and her kitchen image is clearly as far away as possible from the Gordon Ramsay school of shouting and slamming stuff about, but as a PR exercise for Meghan herself it looks like a powerful attempt at a ‘sweet-treat’ re-branding.”