Meghan Markle‘s Netflix show With Love, Meghan garnered disappointing numbers and even more scathing reviews in contrast with her previous projects centered around the royal family. After much anticipation, Markle’s solo Netflix project hit the streamer on March 4, showcasing the Duchess as the ideal homemaker with a flare for gardening, cooking, and entertaining her friends and loved ones.
Despite giving the first glimpse into the intricacies of Markle’s real-life post-royalty life, the lifestyle show performed underwhelmingly, with low ratings, negative reviews, and disappointing numbers as many questioned her authenticity. This performance review is a stark contrast to her previous projects, including Harry & Meghan, which reached 2.1 million households, and the scandalous Oprah Winfrey interview.
Why Meghan Markle’s New Netflix Show Scored Low Ratings
Speaking to Fox News Digital, royal expert and host of To Die For Daily podcast Kinsey Schofield explained how this drop in numbers, in comparison to the Sussexes’ previous project suggested their relevance lay in their connection to the British royal family. According to him, With Love, Meghan, streamed by only 526,000 households on Netflix, lacked the one thing fans found interesting about Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, hence the less-than-impressive reviews. He noted,
“‘With Love, Meghan’ lacked the one thing that makes her interesting – the in-laws who refused to give her any access to them because they considered her untrustworthy.”
Schofield pointed out that like the Suits alum’s latest Netflix show, none of Markle’s other new projects “have worked out.” She attributed this trend to the lack of interest in Meghan as an independent entity, noting that the public interest in her “will always be directly associated with her proximity to the British royal family.”
The podcaster also hinted at other possible reasons behind Meghan Markle’s latest Netflix flop. According to him, having portrayed herself as the victim of the Royal family’s ill-treatment for years, and invariably building her and Harry’s brand around that victim narrative, the transition from “Queen of victimhood and score-settling,” into a lifestyle Queen like the fictional “Betty Crocker” would not come as easily as she anticipated. Additionally, Schofield suggested that outside her lifestyle show, the world already forged its ill opinion of Markle and left no room to have it altered. She divulged,
“I think people have seen for themselves who Meghan Markle is, and they don’t like her. On top of the real lack of authenticity, they’ve already made up their minds about her and don’t have the patience to be convinced otherwise.”
The Royal Family Displaces Harry and Meghan as True Netflix Stars
Like Schofield, several royal experts believe Meghan Markle’s relevance only rests on her connection to the royals. Some of these experts have argued that the British Royal family, and not Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were the “real stars of Netflix” evidenced by the fact that only projects linked to “the family they escaped from” seemed to thrive.
This brutal take on the Sussex royals comes amid their reported “professional separation,” widely considered a PR move to boost their popularity while pursuing their career paths. Ahead of Meghan Markle’s Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, Prince Harry released his critically panned documentary, Polo, which failed to reach Netflix’s top 10. Additionally, Meghan launched her lifestyle brand, As Ever, this month, completely independent of her husband. While their “professional separation” has sparked divorce rumors, many believe it is the best route for the couple to salvage their reputation after a scandalous post-royal journey.
