Dec. 11, 2025

Yawn for the Holidays: Meghan’s Netflix Fairy Tale Stuffed With Cringe, Not Christmas

Show Notes
Transcript

Royal experts say Meghan’s Holiday Special is less “family and service” and more “boho lifestyle princess rebrand,” dropping the Sussexes right in the path of Kate’s faith-driven carol service and the King’s traditional message. We break down every heavily curated moment: the love-note advent calendars, Doria’s gumbo, Harry’s “anti-salad” face, the tribute to late beagle Guy and Meghan’s hyper-personalized crackers that accidentally get British tradition wrong. Then The Washington Post’s Monica Hesse swoops in to compare Meghan to Wallis Simpson and ask the big question: how did we go from giddy royal revolution to… a mildly awkward, pre-taped cooking-and-crafts show?

Hear our new show "Crown and Controversy: Prince Andrew" here.

Check out "Palace Intrigue Presents: King WIlliam" here.

👑 Follow our hit series Crown and Controversy! Season 1 and 2 are fully available now for everyone. Season 3 has new episodes every Sunday on the regular feed. GET THE FULL SEASON 3 BEFORE REGULAR LISTENERS as a subscriber! Hit that "UNINTERRUPTED LISTENING" Banner on the top of the Apple player. AND listen to Crown and Controversy "NORWAY'S ROYAL REBELS" here and get the full season as a premium subscriber now.

👑 The Palace Intrigue Social Hub is Live! Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram or click the links to start your royal journey!

WEBVTT

1
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:12.400
Callarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I'm

2
00:00:12.439 --> 00:00:16.000
your host, Mark Francis. Meghan's Netflix Holiday special might not

3
00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:20.519
be great television content, but it is great podcast content,

4
00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:22.960
and therefore we encourage Netflix to sign Meghan up for

5
00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:27.640
another five seasons. Speaking to Fox News, Digital, royal expert

6
00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:30.640
Helena Child remarked, I believe Meghan aspires to be the

7
00:00:30.679 --> 00:00:34.479
new American Royalty. However, although amusing, I can't believe the

8
00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:38.320
American people take this seriously. She added that Meghan seems

9
00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:40.679
to be living her best life as a fictional Boho

10
00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:45.560
style princess and wannabe lifestyle guru, arguing that the program

11
00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:48.679
focuses heavily on its host rather than the values typically

12
00:00:48.759 --> 00:00:52.000
emphasized at this time of year. Her new holiday show,

13
00:00:52.119 --> 00:00:55.600
no doubt, spotlights Megan and how special she is welcoming

14
00:00:55.640 --> 00:00:58.640
her loved ones and making them feel comfortable. However, it

15
00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:01.880
makes many here in the UK uneasy that at a

16
00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:05.599
time when friends, family and giving are most important, she's

17
00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:10.760
highlighting her own estrangement from the royal family. Royal commentator

18
00:01:10.840 --> 00:01:14.920
Hilary Fordage suggested the new special reflects a deliberate branding exercise,

19
00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:18.040
telling Fox, this looks like a deliberate attempt to forge

20
00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:22.000
an American lifestyle princess brand. The Royal family won't comment,

21
00:01:22.040 --> 00:01:25.760
they'll simply ignore it, but this commercialization will likely further

22
00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:29.879
irritate Prince William. She noted that the tone differs markedly

23
00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:33.400
from the duty focused royal message found in Princess Catherine's

24
00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:37.400
faith based Carol service or the King's Holiday address, which

25
00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:41.519
are rooted in themes of unity in public service. The

26
00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:44.519
timing of the release places Meghan's special in close proximity

27
00:01:44.519 --> 00:01:47.000
to the Princess of Wales's annual together at Christmas Carol

28
00:01:47.079 --> 00:01:51.480
service won't help. Chard argued that Meghan's content stands in

29
00:01:51.560 --> 00:01:54.719
contrast to the work of her senior royals. Meghan does

30
00:01:54.719 --> 00:01:57.680
not live a life of service, she said, her holiday

31
00:01:57.719 --> 00:02:00.000
show can't be compared to the British Royal family's work.

32
00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:03.840
Princess Catherine's concert brings together sixteen hundred guests who have

33
00:02:03.879 --> 00:02:07.799
shown love and kindness within their communities. King Charles heartfelt

34
00:02:07.879 --> 00:02:11.719
Christmas broadcasts are messages of service and hope, very different

35
00:02:11.719 --> 00:02:15.759
from Meghan's holiday show. She added, if Meghan creates public change,

36
00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:18.479
we would root for Meghan, but Meghan's holiday show will

37
00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:22.960
not be on the British Royal Family's radar. In case

38
00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:25.520
you haven't seen the special yet, we'll spare you the trouble.

39
00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:29.560
The fifty six minute program blends family rituals, personal reflections,

40
00:02:29.560 --> 00:02:32.120
and a rare on camera moment with Harry, who appears

41
00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:36.280
briefly during a kitchen segment. The special highlights a number

42
00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:40.879
of the Duchess's holiday touch points. She revisits a British

43
00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:44.800
tradition she adopted during her time in the UK, explaining,

44
00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:47.199
living in the United Kingdom, it's just such a big

45
00:02:47.240 --> 00:02:49.680
part of the culture over there. It does really feel

46
00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:53.520
connected and sweet. Meghan assembles Christmas crackers for her family,

47
00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:57.400
including personalized trinkets for Arching and Lilibet and a little

48
00:02:57.479 --> 00:03:01.520
love letter Harry. Her children, though not featured on screen,

49
00:03:01.560 --> 00:03:05.199
are central to several scenes. Megan chowse the oversized advent

50
00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:08.599
calendars she has created for them, filled with handwritten notes

51
00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:11.159
such as I love you because you're so kind and

52
00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:14.919
I love you because you're so brave little findings. She adds,

53
00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:17.960
hopefully we'll have these for quite a long time. A

54
00:03:18.039 --> 00:03:22.080
tradition has to have a beginning, there is a strong

55
00:03:22.120 --> 00:03:24.919
nod to her own upbringing as she prepares her mother,

56
00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:28.599
Dria Ragland's Christmas Eve gumbo. My mum has been making

57
00:03:28.599 --> 00:03:31.680
gumbo for Christmas Eve for years now, she says, describing

58
00:03:31.719 --> 00:03:36.000
the recipe's Tennessee roots. Cooking alongside Tom Colichio, she reflects,

59
00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:39.439
my mum's family is from Tennessee around Chattanooga. I love

60
00:03:39.479 --> 00:03:43.439
soul food. Harry enters during this sequence, greeting Megan before teasing,

61
00:03:43.879 --> 00:03:45.960
you must have known I was coming, and later joking

62
00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:48.400
that her spicy aversion is so hot he can feel

63
00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:51.280
it punching through the top of my head. He admits,

64
00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:53.439
I'm not so sure it's as good as your mum's,

65
00:03:53.479 --> 00:03:56.800
but it's certainly close. The couple also touch on Harry's

66
00:03:56.800 --> 00:04:01.599
culinary dislikes. When Calichio presents a salad featuring Beats, Olive's

67
00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:04.719
fennel and Anchovi's, Megan observes, if I gave you the

68
00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:07.280
top things my husband hates to eat, they're all in here.

69
00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:10.840
Harry later refers to it as the anti salad. The

70
00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:14.319
program includes a quiet tribute to her late beagle and Guy,

71
00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:18.560
with an ornament dedicated to him. Featured during a tree

72
00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:21.319
decorating scene. For me, a tree is part of my

73
00:04:21.399 --> 00:04:24.959
memory and love the holiday season, Megan says. She also

74
00:04:25.079 --> 00:04:28.360
highlights a non negotiable Christmas morning brunch. I love the

75
00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:31.000
tradition of Christmas Morning brunch. I do it every year

76
00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:34.839
with my family. A gift wrapping segment offers a nod

77
00:04:34.920 --> 00:04:37.079
to her early days working at the paper source in

78
00:04:37.160 --> 00:04:41.279
Beverly Hills as she demonstrates techniques ranging from wax seals

79
00:04:41.319 --> 00:04:45.959
to Japanese forushiki, and as she decorates hand painted cookies.

80
00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:48.560
Later in the program, she reflects on the value of small,

81
00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:52.360
quiet rituals. These small moments in between are the things

82
00:04:52.360 --> 00:04:55.279
that are actually going to create the energy you want.

83
00:04:55.800 --> 00:04:57.920
Take care of yourself and you'll be able to take

84
00:04:57.959 --> 00:05:06.439
care of everybody else more. Palace just a moment. Viewers

85
00:05:06.439 --> 00:05:09.120
have quickly concluded the special was not filmed this year.

86
00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:12.319
The clearest indication comes from a brief appearance by Megan's

87
00:05:12.360 --> 00:05:17.319
rescue beagle Guy, seen wandering through the Montecito property early

88
00:05:17.639 --> 00:05:21.160
in the program. Guy died in January of twenty twenty five,

89
00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:24.959
shortly before Megan announced his passing, describing him as the

90
00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:28.199
best guy any girl could have asked for his cameo

91
00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:31.959
confirms that filming occurred before his death, echoing the timeline

92
00:05:31.959 --> 00:05:34.600
of seasons one and two, which was shot prior to

93
00:05:34.839 --> 00:05:37.439
his loss and dedicated to him with a message in

94
00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:41.000
loving memory of Guy. Both earlier seasons were filmed in

95
00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:43.519
the late spring and early summer of twenty twenty four,

96
00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:46.680
and production on the holiday episode followed a few months later,

97
00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:50.000
in the early weeks of twenty twenty four festive period.

98
00:05:50.680 --> 00:05:54.000
Since then, the Sussexes and Netflix have tried to head

99
00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:56.839
fakers into thinking this was an ongoing production, but it

100
00:05:56.879 --> 00:05:59.560
does appear to be as dead as an ex parrot

101
00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:03.519
in the hands of John Cleese. The specials opening sequence,

102
00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:06.680
a visit to a California tree farm which only operates

103
00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:10.680
from mid November, offers the first clue. Later guests, Will

104
00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:13.199
Gadara remarks that working on the show is one of

105
00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:16.920
the first festive things he has done, reinforcing the early

106
00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:21.680
season filming window. Royal watches are also observing. Meghan got

107
00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:25.319
one detail wrong. The Duchess is seen assembling handmade Christmas

108
00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:28.560
crackers for her family, selecting small gifts and personal notes

109
00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:32.399
to place inside the decorated cardboard tubes. While festive crackers

110
00:06:32.439 --> 00:06:35.519
are a familiar part of table settings across Britain, Meghan's

111
00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:40.720
personalized approach differs notably from the traditional format. Ordinarily, crackers

112
00:06:40.720 --> 00:06:42.959
are filled in advance and placed on the table without

113
00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:46.120
regard to who will receive them. The contents are claimed

114
00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:49.560
by whichever person ends up holding the center section when

115
00:06:49.560 --> 00:06:52.319
the cracker is pulled, meaning there is no way to

116
00:06:52.360 --> 00:06:55.439
guarantee who gets which item. In the UK, they are

117
00:06:55.480 --> 00:07:00.600
typically purchased ready made, rather than crafted at home. Dagon, however,

118
00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:04.199
a jointalize in tailoring each cracker. I love Christmas crackers,

119
00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:06.560
she says, the toy not the kind you eat. And

120
00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:08.800
I thought about filling them with things rather than just

121
00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:12.160
random jotgegis. Think about who's getting them, What do you

122
00:07:12.199 --> 00:07:14.519
want to put inside? Even a sweet little love letter,

123
00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:19.560
a little note tucked. In filming with restauranteur Will, Meghan

124
00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:22.600
reflects on how the tradition became familiar to her. When

125
00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:25.879
Gadara asks whether she has been making them for long,

126
00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:28.800
she replies, living in the UK, it's just such a

127
00:07:28.839 --> 00:07:31.839
big part of He presses, Is it a big part

128
00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:35.160
of culture there? Meghan continues for Christmas holidays, for sure.

129
00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:38.040
Typically people cross arms and do it so you're round

130
00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:39.600
the table and they will pull at the same time.

131
00:07:39.639 --> 00:07:43.360
It actually does feel really connective and sweet. She also

132
00:07:43.399 --> 00:07:46.680
recalls the typical contents they would always have almost a

133
00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:50.240
fortune cookie sized joke or riddle and something sweet. In practice,

134
00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:53.040
crackers traditionally contain a small trinket, a paper crowd, and

135
00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:58.040
a joke rather than anything edible. Meghan's versions include several

136
00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:01.399
personalized touches. For how Why, she prepares a cracker containing

137
00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:04.040
a little love letter, a chocolate, and a paper hat,

138
00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:07.319
while Archie receives a toy burger. She also adds confetti

139
00:08:07.399 --> 00:08:11.680
to each one, another departure from the usual format. While

140
00:08:11.720 --> 00:08:14.360
her segment is presented simply as an idea for viewers

141
00:08:14.399 --> 00:08:17.439
to try at home, Meghan's more curated approach may seem

142
00:08:17.639 --> 00:08:20.839
unconventional to those familiar with the long established British version,

143
00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:24.079
where the surprise is left entirely to the moment of

144
00:08:24.279 --> 00:08:28.800
the poll. In the Washington Post, Monica has writes, this

145
00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:32.639
can't be the future Megan Markle envisioned. Wallace Simpson seems

146
00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:35.679
like an entirely shady person, but from time to time,

147
00:08:35.720 --> 00:08:39.159
I find myself thinking about the strange contours of her life,

148
00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:42.320
which changed the course of British royal history. Nearly a

149
00:08:42.360 --> 00:08:46.279
century ago, a divorced American on her second marriage, she

150
00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:48.799
takes up with the King of England, who falls so

151
00:08:48.919 --> 00:08:51.279
stupidly in love with her that when she gives up

152
00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:54.399
her current husband, he gives up the throne. It's a

153
00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:57.799
thrilling love story that quickly becomes a tricky problem because frankly,

154
00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:00.360
there's not a lot of protocol for ex royalty. The

155
00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:02.679
first solution is France, but then there are rumors that

156
00:09:02.679 --> 00:09:05.559
the newly weds are kind of nazi Ish, so any

157
00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:08.519
new strategy requires getting them as far as possible from

158
00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:10.879
World War II. The next stop is the pre air

159
00:09:10.919 --> 00:09:15.120
conditioning Bahamas, where Edward is appointed governor and Wallace volunteers

160
00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:17.519
at the clinic and in photos always looks as though

161
00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:20.639
this isn't quite what she signed up for. But what

162
00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:24.759
if emia she had started a cooking show. Eight years ago,

163
00:09:24.840 --> 00:09:27.639
we exported Meghan, a divorced American to marry a prince

164
00:09:27.639 --> 00:09:30.320
who was at the time the world's most eligible bachelor.

165
00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:33.279
When she showed up on television screens with the Royal family,

166
00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:36.279
savvy and fashionable as all giddy up. Her presence made

167
00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:38.759
it clear how dowdy the rest of them were, how

168
00:09:38.840 --> 00:09:42.200
out of step. Meghan had a degree in international studies

169
00:09:42.200 --> 00:09:46.559
from Northwestern, a successful television career, and a multicultural background

170
00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:50.159
that more closely resembled Britain's growing demographics than the inbred

171
00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:54.519
background of these bucktooth Buckingham residents. It truly looked as

172
00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:57.480
though she might pull it off, saving this shambling dynasty

173
00:09:57.519 --> 00:10:01.039
from itself. But one thing led to another, the paparazzi,

174
00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:04.039
the tabloid whispers, the in laws, and soon Harry found

175
00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:07.799
himself where his great uncle found himself nearly a century ago,

176
00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:10.600
giving up his official place in the royal family so

177
00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:12.240
that he could make a happy life with the woman

178
00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:15.519
he loved. Once you have used the Royal family's private

179
00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:18.440
lose at Kensington Palace, it's hard to know where you

180
00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:21.320
fit into American society. It would be weird for her

181
00:10:21.320 --> 00:10:25.000
to suddenly show up on USA Network dramedy again. What

182
00:10:25.240 --> 00:10:27.720
she's going to go back to being a suitcase girl

183
00:10:27.799 --> 00:10:31.159
on deal or No Deal? And then you have it?

184
00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:33.679
Would you like to email us our addresses the palace

185
00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:37.000
intriguet email dot com. Please follows on Spotify, Apple, the

186
00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:39.360
Afterward Choice and leaves a nice review from joining the show.

187
00:10:39.559 --> 00:10:42.320
I'm Mark Francis My thanks to John McDermott, This Palace

188
00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:44.159
Intrigue and good t names

Yawn for the Holidays: Meghan’s Netflix Fairy Tale Stuffed With Cringe, Not Christmas

Listen On

Recent Episodes