Meghan Markle’s new Netflix special, With Love, Meghan – Holiday Celebration, landed this week—and within minutes, viewers were already asking how a woman who lived in Britain for less time than most tourists spends on a long weekend had suddenly become the self-appointed cultural historian of British Christmas. The Duchess of Sussex introduced the centuries-old tradition of Christmas crackers to New York restaurateur Will Guidara with the confidence of someone who’d spent decades pulling them at Sandringham—rather than just two royal Christmases before relocating to California.
Meghan recommends folding ‘outwardly’ in a segment about wrapping Christmas gifts
The episode opened with Meghan selecting a towering nine-foot spruce from a Santa Barbara farm, set to the Beach Boys’ “Little Saint Nick.” She moved quickly into tree-decorating instructions—lights “inside and outside,” ornaments placed “where they can find their light”—all delivered with her trademark soft-focus serenity. But as one amused viewer wrote online: “Why does every tip sound like it comes with a hidden coupon code?”
From there, Meghan guided Guidara through cracker-making, stuffing hers with dried flowers, confetti and chocolates. She slipped a mini toy burger into Archie’s, a lavender roller scent into Lilibet’s, and a handwritten love letter, chocolate, and tiny paper hat into Harry’s—labeled not with his name, but with the more dramatic title “My Love.” Guidara called the tradition “awesome,” while the internet questioned how Meghan had become the one to explain it to Americans in the first place.
Meghan explains: ‘If you fold it outwardly instead of inwardly, it creates a different world there’
Her gift-wrapping segment doubled down on the show’s signature aesthetic: perfect folds, wax seals, colour-matched details, and even a budget headscarf repurposed into a Japanese furoshiki wrapping cloth. Meghan chirped that the smallest detail “suddenly feels elevated,” though critics couldn’t help noticing she repeated the same As Ever brand products that conveniently align with her own holiday merchandise drop. As one sarcastic comment put it: “I’m starting to think the real Christmas spirit is unboxing.”
The special leaned heavily into Meghan’s love for festive rituals—trees, wreaths, advent calendars, matching red pajamas—despite her famously fractured relationships with both her own father and the royal family. She placed handwritten ornaments on her tree: “I love you because you’re so kind,” and “I love you because you’re so brave,” meant for Archie and Lilibet, who do not appear in the episode. That detail alone sent comment sections buzzing with viewers wondering why a show so focused on family moments featured everyone except the children being referenced.
Meghan explains how to make a rectangular cracker out of paper for wrapping cuddly toys
The cooking segments added another layer of glossy unreality. Meghan and Guidara joked their way through “reindeer chow,” the Princess’ childhood snack, and then prepared a beetroot salad from chef Tom Colicchio’s family tradition. Meghan laughed that it included every flavour Harry hates: beets, black olives, fennel, pickled vegetables. She happily indulged, noting she rarely cooks things her husband dislikes. It was one of several moments critics described as “strangely performative,” as though every line had been rehearsed to convey the perfect balance of charm, humour, and relatability.
Harry himself appeared only in the final five minutes, drifting into the kitchen with the line, “Hi guys, I smelled gumbo,” before sampling the dish Meghan made from her mother’s Tennessee roots. He immediately compared it—favourably, but not entirely—to his mother-in-law’s version, prompting playful mock outrage from Meghan. Some viewers joked that the Prince looked like a guest star in his own household, swooping in to compliment the food before disappearing behind the emerald-green silk glamour his wife wore for the special’s final toast.
The Duchess of Sussex tucks notes and treats into a crafted advent calendar for her family
Throughout the episode, cameos from Meghan’s close friends—Lindsay Roth, Kelly Zajfen, Naomi Osaka—added emotional beats, including wreath-making, cookie-decorating, and champagne-in-pajamas bonding rituals. These scenes were meant to evoke warmth, nostalgia and connection, though many viewers described the atmosphere as “strangely sterile,” noting that every room looked like a lifestyle catalogue rather than a lived-in home.
Meghan serves her ‘favourite go-to’ crudité platter – this time made of green vegetables
What raised even more eyebrows was the release timing: the special dropped the same day the King and Queen hosted the German state visit, and just hours after Catherine released her letter for her annual Christmas carol concert. Whether intentional or coincidental, critics couldn’t resist comparing Meghan’s curated Californian Christmas spectacle with the royal family’s understated approach. As one royal watcher quipped: “Kate sends a letter. Meghan sends a production team.”
By the time the final scene showed Meghan greeting the film crew in a glowing room—with firelit ambience and a wardrobe change into a dramatic emerald gown—viewers were already divided. Supporters praised her creativity and festive enthusiasm. Others accused the production of turning Christmas into a commercial aesthetic, noting the episode ended with the message: “Discover more holiday cheer, shop As Ever”—a line that social media immediately turned into satire.
Despite everything, the special quickly shot up Netflix’s trending lists, fueled by equal parts curiosity, admiration, and skepticism. But one comment summarised the public reaction better than any critic could: