Just days after confirming her multi-year agreement with Netflix on August 11, Meghan Markle unveiled the trailer for Season 2 of her lifestyle cooking series, With Love, Meghan.
The news put to rest speculation that her original five-year contract with the platform was at risk. Alongside the trailer, Markle revealed a holiday-themed episode, sparking backlash from royal fans who accused her of mimicking Kate Middleton’s popular Christmas tradition.
Season 2 and the Holiday Special
The new season will debut on August 26, with the festive installment titled With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. According to the Daily Mail, the announcement immediately drew comparisons to the Princess of Wales’s seasonal projects, such as her 2019 holiday cooking program with Mary Berry and her annual carol service, Royal Carols: Together at Christmas, broadcast on ITV1 every Christmas Eve.
The trailer teases Markle preparing dishes, creating décor, and entertaining celebrity guests including Chrissy Teigen, Tan France, José Andrés, and Jay Shetty. However, critics accused the Duchess of Sussex of deliberately borrowing from Middleton’s established holiday events in an effort to compete during the season.
Online Backlash from Royal Fans
Following the announcement, users on X (formerly Twitter) quickly pointed out the similarities. One commenter criticized, “For Markle to air a ‘Christmas Special’ when she knows that her sister-in-law has been airing one that’s a pretty big deal for almost 5 years feels like more coattail riding.” Another remarked, “She’s only doing a Christmas special to try and compete with Catherine’s Christmas carol service.”
Some comments were even harsher, with one user writing, “Rachel has had no original thoughts and is always trying to upstage the RF.” Yet others argued the comparison was exaggerated, with one royal watcher noting, “They are not even close to being similar though, 1 is a concert, the other 1 is home decor and food, they really shouldn’t be compared.”
Expert Commentary on the Rivalry
Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield echoed much of the online criticism, claiming that Markle appeared to be attempting to “hijack” the festive season. She told The Mirror, “Catherine’s carol concert is about unity, love, and hope. She arrives with her family, with a sense of togetherness and faith. In contrast, Meghan’s Christmas special feels more like a branding opportunity.”
Schofield added, “Without the warmth of family or shared tradition, it plays less as a holiday celebration and more as a commercial venture. When placed side by side, Catherine’s feels authentic and meaningful, while Meghan’s risks seeming transactional.”
Markle’s Statement on Her Netflix Partnership
In a separate statement released via PEOPLE, the Duchess of Sussex confirmed the renewal of her deal with Netflix under Archewell Productions. She wrote, “We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As ever brand. My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally and celebrates our shared vision.”
Her lifestyle line, As ever, produced in collaboration with Netflix, is also set to branch out further into new product categories.