As Ever Part 6: Definitely NOT a trad wife

[Strudie]

Previous thread here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_royal_family/5286597-as-ever-part-v-two-stunt-lemons-with-love-meghan

Carry on! Reviews from the US are trickling in, so far, not so good - https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/with-love-meghan-markle-netflix-duchess-of-sussex-1236327469/

I thought that was odd. I only say 'my husband' to those who have never met him.

I think its Meghan trying to present herself as if she's always been a Duchess. We keep having the message hammered home 'this is me as I've always been' and 'this who I am'. I believe she deliberately hammed up her poor cooking skills and looking unsure of how to use a knife because its part of the fantasy world she's living in, and the comments of shock that she has eaten fast food in her life will have been scripted IMO or its MK having a joke at her expense, probably knowing that Meghan doesn't get wry, subtle humour (something a lot of people with ASD struggle with).
Bizarre to watch her cosplaying as its like she has forgotten that we obviously know her history and that just a few short years ago she was making her own beans on toast or whatever and has indeed spent decades of her life cooking for herself in the most ordinary and humdrum of circumstances. The one and only person I have met who 100% has narcissistic personality disorder is also like this, she rewrites her own history in her head in an instant and then its like the real events never happened. It's not really the same as lying either because it does seem to me like on some level they do genuienly believe the stories they tell themselves. It's quite astonishing, and not a little disconcerting.

Did she spend years cooking for herself, though? There is no evidence for this. She could have gone to restaurants or had take away 🤷‍♀️

eta I mean in terms of her cooking skills

Did she spend years cooking for herself, though? There is no evidence for this. She could have gone to restaurants or had take away 🤷‍♀️

There’s evidence on the Tig of her cooking - making fresh pasta, avocado toast etc.

Not so much baking - but then her vibe on The Tig was “Cool Girl About Town” with Insider’s Guides to travel, restaurants and beauty etc, not “Perfect homemaker who bakes and gathers produce fresh from her gardens and beehives”.

We cancelled NF over a year ago and don't miss it, I won't be going back unless they end up with multiple incredible series that I can't easily watch elsewhere.

It's hilarious! And when that soggy, undercooked pie is brought out of the oven and she feels the need to say she likes it like that- like it was intentionally undercooked 😆
What a fool.

From that NY Post review:

"Then there’s the word joy, which should pursue a cease-and-desist against Markle.

She carpet bombs every segment with the j-word. If you played a drinking game and threw one back every time she said it, you’d be blacked out 10 minutes into the first episode."

😂😂😂😂

Thank you, @jeffgoldblum

Back to the programme I watched 2 episodes worth of it and gave up, thinking it vapid, pointless and likely to sink without trace

In fairness I did like the look of that honey and lemon cake, but really don't need to be told that someone will prepare stuff for a "friend" coming round; most of us already know that and can manage it without a self obsessed series being made about it

Next ...

I suppose I just find it hard to envison the life of a non-rich, ordinary woman going through all of her adult life until her late thirties with a standard income and not having had to cook for herself? Instead she ate out for three meals a day, every day? I find that very hard to believe. She didn't even look confident weilding a knife to chop cucumber, that just doesn't make sense to me which is why I'm wondering if she was putting it on as part of this fantasy of the new character Duchess Megan Sussex.

Sorry but this statement does not stand up when compared with the countless threads started by royalists for the sole purpose of criticising Meghan for her clothes, character, figure, business sense, relationship with her family, her friends, her children, for supposedly faking pregnancies, for starting a business, for not starting a business, and so on.

Why is that any better? Maybe posters are saying “they are not a fan but” and “I’m a Republican but” because it’s actually true?

I stand up for her because she and H had the balls to leave the RF AND I hate piles ons of any kind and think she should be left alone. I don’t necessarily agree with how they went about it but none of us know the characters involved or what went on.

Also there are press snippets which point to a strategic tabloid campaign against her. We all know that it’s happened to those who have opposed the Monarchy, the establishment, and the status quo before. And I would hate to add any fuel to that fire. When you find yourself aligned with Piers Morgan, it really is time to re-consider your viewpoint imho.

Mostly though, it’s because she is an actual person, a mother of young dc, who has stated that she was suicidal in the past. I hate to think where this will all end.

Bating Meghan has become a global sport and I find it really distasteful that so much criticism is levelled at one woman ; particularly the relish with which people go about it on here. It’s like they are almost rubbing their hands with delight at her latest supposed faux pas.

No doubt posters will say, well she shouldn’t appear on Netflix if she doesn’t want comment, but she has been in entertainment all of her life, that is her field, and she should be allowed to work in it.

At this point I genuinely don’t care about her character or her actions ; no one other than career criminals deserve this level of vitriol. As things stand currently , I admire her for just getting out of bed in the morning and showing her face to the world frankly and putting any sort of programme together, knowing the reaction it will attract.

Well said 👏

Nothing to choose between any of them.

She'll have spent long days on set during her Suits days where catering would be available. Her ex-boyfriend was a chef, so I imagine cooked a lot at home or brought food home. She hung out at Soho House a lot, so would be eating there. Or rather, nibbling on cucumber, as most actors hired for their looks and figures have a morbid fear of weight gain and live off fags and coffee.

I think she must have wanted to do this format because she genuinely thinks she is special. She would have had top producers to give them ideas for shows that are relatable!

This is the show I would have made:

A dog/ pet lifestyle show. She is a known lover of dogs and the only recent show of sympathy for her more universally was when her dog died.

She could have done getting a rescue puppy, what it’s like those first weeks and months, filming the back story of how puppy came to a rescue, filming helping out at the shelter/going on a rescue mission.

Then life at home and training, dog psychology and trainers on. Meeting other famous people who love them, idyllic shots on the beach, making her dog biscuits, making family recipes that are dog friendly. The possibilities are endless. You even have a natural second season of her helping match rescue dogs with new families.

Could merch her luxury pet line, dog biscuits, posh hand crafted leather collars, cookbook, the whole 9 yards. But no, knock off Gwenyth.
By next year she would have been hosting Crufts!

I’ll await my commission.

I would have loved what a PP suggested in a previous thread - Meghan showcasing the people around Montecito who she works with or “works with” - the bee guy, the gardeners, the florist etc etc. Relatable, about other people, potentially very engaging.

If it was allowed I would be able to roll off a list of user names who claim to be staunch republicans but who worship the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, however it’s against talk guidelines, if you stay on this board long enough you will come across them yourself, though a few name change regularly but are still easily recognisable by their style of writing.

Yes, my guess is she lived mostly off takeaways, Cory's cooking and maybe did some simple food prep at home. Going by the show, there's no evidence of great cooking abilities, or even of any real interest in it.

I think this 'domestic goddess' thing is a really bad fit for her. Not only is it the type of thing you might have seen maybe 15 years ago, she really just looks like she's going through the motions. And it is hard to make lots of money from selling basic foodstuffs, when everyone knows what the real market value is.

I suppose what I mean is did she regularly cook from scratch? She hasn’t demonstrated a high level of skill afaik. She may well have cooked for herself, but apart from these bits and pieces for the Tig, she may well have just cooked convenience food. Which is fine, but it’s obviously difficult to base a programme which includes cooking segments if you really have no actual experience at cooking from scratch on a regular basis. Which @MaggieMistletoe might explain her woeful knife skills. There are plenty of people who manage to eat three times a day and who are still clueless about actual cooking. There are plenty of programmes which show this eg Eat Well for less or Joe Swash and his batch cooking thing for example

typo

Fabulous idea. That would really work for her

Absolutely. What have Harry and Meghan actually done in terms of philanthropy? Archewell just seems like a tax doge and possibly money laundering enterprise to me. Since the day she met him, her snout hasn't even paused for breath from gorging in the trough. Imagine being called Marie Antoinette 2.0, thats virtually unprecedented levels of disgust.

I think 'Tea with Meghan'.

Someone who wants to air their grievances with their family or in.laws tells Meghan all about it, over a fancy British tea with cucumber sandwiches, Victoria sponge and shortbread.

Now I know it could have been editing and it’s really of no importance but when she took the cakes out the oven she didn’t check they were cooked inside. I don’t know why but I immediately thought aren't you going to check? Maybe it’s because it’s so automatic for me.

(First episode)

I do think that PH could write a book about Diana (God knows everyone else has) and make a mint. His insight would be fascinating. It could a celebration and be positive (for once) and it might buy him some favour with his family.

He’s said he barely remembers her though.

I haven't seen it but perhaps they had been cooked and checked previously - was there any steam!

Yes I expect you are right there, some very good points.

Rather at odds with that interation of herself where she presented herself as a professional 'foodie'. Even positioning herself on a panel where she delivered crushing criticism of a little girls cooking, she certainly seemed to see herself as a word of authority on culinary skills back then. Plus all that guff on this current show about 'Mamas Meals' - but she can't use a knife properly, serves up pie thats raw in the middle and serves a gloopy mess of pasta that is like something a child would produce on their first attempt at dinner. She calls herself a 'jam nerd' but doesn't seem to know you should sterilise the jars first. It's laughable. Obviously she is given pre-sterilsed jars, the flowers aren't intended to last beyond the filming of that scene, the food goes into the bin, kids party food, balloon arch and all. She reminds me of when I cook with my 3 year old and he is proud to announce at the table that he made this dinner himself when obviously I'm reality I did 90% of the prep, cooking and clean up and he essentially just played at cooking.
I don't feel sorry for her, she's once again expecting the world to play along in her fantasies.