Meghan Markle’s upcoming holiday special has sparked backlash from royal fans who say she is imitating Kate Middleton’s seasonal traditions.
Shortly after confirming her new multi-year deal with Netflix on August 11, Meghan Markle released the trailer for season two of her cooking and lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan.
The announcement effectively ended speculation that her five-year contract with the streaming platform was in trouble. Alongside the trailer, Markle revealed plans for a Christmas-themed episode, which immediately drew criticism from royal fans.
Season two of With Love, Meghan is set to premiere on August 26, with the Christmas special airing under the title With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration.
The holiday installment was quickly compared to Kate Middleton’s own holiday projects, including her 2019 seasonal program with Mary Berry and her annual carol service, Royal Carols: Together at Christmas, which airs on ITV1 each December 24.
The trailer for Markle’s series shows her cooking, crafting, and welcoming guests such as Chrissy Teigen, Tan France, Jose Andres, and Jay Shetty. While the program appears focused on food and decor, many royal watchers accused Markle of borrowing from her sister-in-law’s holiday traditions.
After the announcement, social media users were quick to share their disapproval. One critic wrote, “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.” “Meghan has had no original thoughts and is always trying to upstage the RF,” one user claimed.
Not all agreed with the criticism. A royal watcher argued that the comparisons were inaccurate, saying, “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.”
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Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield also weighed in, telling The Mirror that Markle’s special risked overshadowing an event that has become associated with Middleton’s image. “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.”
She 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.”
Despite the controversy, Markle highlighted the success of her partnership with Netflix. “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,” she told People.
Her lifestyle brand, As ever, will continue to grow alongside her Netflix projects, expanding into new categories while producing content under the Archewell Productions banner.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
