The Duchess of Sussex’s latest Netflix project, With Love, Meghan, seems to have been doomed from the start, following its delay to air due to the recent Los Angeles wildfires.
When the program finally hit screens, on March 4, it was almost instantly greeted by a deluge of backlash.
“Meghan’s been left really shocked by some of the complaints,” a royal source tells New Idea.
“She felt she had so much riding on this show being a success – so for it to be so widely panned has blindsided her.”
As a result of the many criticisms, which have included claims Meghan’s show is too similar to Pamela Anderson’s Pamela’s Cooking With Love lifestyle program, that some of the tips and recipes are very basic, and that she comes across as out of touch during a global cost-of-living crisis, Meghan, 43, “wavers between fury at being misunderstood and determined to prove everyone wrong”, our source explains.
The Duke of Sussex, our source adds, “is walking on eggshells right now and doing his best to remain positive, but the situation is grim.”
Prince Harry, 40, is also focused on shielding the couple’s two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, from Meghan’s gloomy mood, our source shares.
After growing up in a household where his parents, the then Prince Charles and Princess Diana, frequently argued, Harry has a real aversion to conflict within the family home.
“There have been a lot of tears and lashing out behind closed doors at their Montecito mansion,” our source says.
“Harry’s borne the brunt of Meghan’s frustration because he’s desperately trying to hide her anger and disappointment from their kids.”
Adding to the pressure, however, is the fact that Harry is privately frustrated that the program has directed yet more unflattering headlines and ridicule their way.
“Nothing has panned out [since they stepped away from the royal family in 2020] as she promised,” our source says.
Harry is also thought to be quietly unhappy about Meghan sharing images of their two children on her Instagram page.
Over the past few weeks, she has posted increasingly visible pictures of Archie and Lili – including a photograph of Lili on a boat with Harry, minus a life jacket, which sparked a storm of controversy.
“When Harry’s own father King Charles has barely seen his grandchildren, it grates when she shares pictures of the kids with 2.5 million strangers on social media.”
But, our source adds, “He’s choosing his battles and hasn’t raised discomfort about that with Meghan – yet – in case it sparks another row.”
With no indication as to whether Netflix will re-sign Harry and Meghan to another production deal, and very little else on their work slate (beyond a second season of With Love, Meghan, which has already been filmed), it’s “no wonder the couple are cracking under the pressure”, our source says.
“There’s a lot of tension right now.”
