She is, depending on the media you consume, most famous either for being an agent of discord within the royal household, or the underdog who liberated herself from its constraints. And yet Meghan Markle—arguably the most scrutinized woman in modern media—possesses the frictionless taste of a lifestyle influencer. I was reminded of this while watching the holiday special of her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, in which she educates viewers on various ways to “delight and surprise” loved ones: making advent calendars for her kids that, instead of chocolates, conceal handwritten notes; or preparing a salad composed of ingredients Prince Harry hates.
Which makes the show sound interesting, when in reality, it is so scrubbed of any conflict or tension that even a badly assembled Christmas cracker is presented as a symbol of “the perfect imperfection that comes from human connection,” as one guest star, the restaurateur Will Guidara, puts it—and to which Markle replies with an almost slack-jawed, “Yes!” I loved every second of these revelations: when she says that “a tradition has to have a beginning”, or that “a tree is part of my memory and love of the holiday season.” There’s a pleasing, narcoticizing effect to the whole thing, not unlike slipping into The Row’s Bowie cashmere sweater in the shade “Natural”—which Markle does, to teach us how to assemble a crudité wreath (i.e. putting bits of tenderstem broccoli into a circle shape on a plate).
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