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

0:03 Callarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I'm your host, Mark Francis. Meghan's Netflix Holiday special might not be great television content, but it is great podcast content, and therefore we encourage Netflix to sign Meghan up for another five seasons. Speaking to Fox News, Digital, royal expert Helena Child remarked, I believe Meghan aspires to be the new American Royalty. However, although amusing, I can't believe the American people take this seriously. She added that Meghan seems to be living her best life as a fictional Boho style princess and wannabe lifestyle guru, arguing that the program focuses heavily on its host rather than the values typically emphasized at this time of year. Her new holiday show, no doubt, spotlights Megan and how special she is welcoming her loved ones and making them feel comfortable. However, it makes many here in the UK uneasy that at a time when friends, family and giving are most important, she's highlighting her own estrangement from the royal family. Royal commentator Hilary Fordage suggested the new special reflects a deliberate branding exercise, telling Fox, this looks like a deliberate attempt to forge an American lifestyle princess brand. The Royal family won't comment, they'll simply ignore it, but this commercialization will likely further irritate Prince William. She noted that the tone differs markedly from the duty focused royal message found in Princess Catherine's

1:33 faith based Carol service or the King's Holiday address, which are rooted in themes of unity in public service. The timing of the release places Meghan's special in close proximity to the Princess of Wales's annual together at Christmas Carol service won't help. Chard argued that Meghan's content stands in contrast to the work of her senior royals. Meghan does not live a life of service, she said, her holiday show can't be compared to the British Royal family's work. Princess Catherine's concert brings together sixteen hundred guests who have shown love and kindness within their communities. King Charles heartfelt Christmas broadcasts are messages of service and hope, very different from Meghan's holiday show. She added, if Meghan creates public change, we would root for Meghan, but Meghan's holiday show will not be on the British Royal Family's radar. In case you haven't seen the special yet, we'll spare you the trouble.

2:25 The fifty six minute program blends family rituals, personal reflections, and a rare on camera moment with Harry, who appears briefly during a kitchen segment. The special highlights a number of the Duchess's holiday touch points. She revisits a British tradition she adopted during her time in the UK, explaining, living in the United Kingdom, it's just such a big part of the culture over there. It does really feel connected and sweet. Meghan assembles Christmas crackers for her family, including personalized trinkets for Arching and Lilibet and a little love letter Harry. Her children, though not featured on screen, are central to several scenes. Megan chowse the oversized advent calendars she has created for them, filled with handwritten notes such as I love you because you're so kind and I love you because you're so brave little findings. She adds, hopefully we'll have these for quite a long time. A tradition has to have a beginning, there is a strong nod to her own upbringing as she prepares her mother, Dria Ragland's Christmas Eve gumbo. My mum has been making gumbo for Christmas Eve for years now, she says, describing the recipe's Tennessee roots. Cooking alongside Tom Colichio, she reflects, my mum's family is from Tennessee around Chattanooga. I love soul food. Harry enters during this sequence, greeting Megan before teasing, you must have known I was coming, and later joking that her spicy aversion is so hot he can feel it punching through the top of my head. He admits, I'm not so sure it's as good as your mum's, but it's certainly close. The couple also touch on Harry's

3:56 culinary dislikes. When Calichio presents a salad featuring Beats, Olive's fennel and Anchovi's, Megan observes, if I gave you the top things my husband hates to eat, they're all in here. Harry later refers to it as the anti salad. The program includes a quiet tribute to her late beagle and Guy, with an ornament dedicated to him. Featured during a tree decorating scene. For me, a tree is part of my memory and love the holiday season, Megan says. She also highlights a non negotiable Christmas morning brunch. I love the tradition of Christmas Morning brunch. I do it every year with my family. A gift wrapping segment offers a nod to her early days working at the paper source in Beverly Hills as she demonstrates techniques ranging from wax seals to Japanese forushiki, and as she decorates hand painted cookies.

4:46 Later in the program, she reflects on the value of small, quiet rituals. These small moments in between are the things that are actually going to create the energy you want. Take care of yourself and you'll be able to take care of everybody else more. Palace just a moment. Viewers have quickly concluded the special was not filmed this year. The clearest indication comes from a brief appearance by Megan's rescue beagle Guy, seen wandering through the Montecito property early in the program. Guy died in January of twenty twenty five, shortly before Megan announced his passing, describing him as the best guy any girl could have asked for his cameo confirms that filming occurred before his death, echoing the timeline of seasons one and two, which was shot prior to his loss and dedicated to him with a message in loving memory of Guy. Both earlier seasons were filmed in the late spring and early summer of twenty twenty four, and production on the holiday episode followed a few months later, in the early weeks of twenty twenty four festive period.

5:50 Since then, the Sussexes and Netflix have tried to head fakers into thinking this was an ongoing production, but it does appear to be as dead as an ex parrot in the hands of John Cleese. The specials opening sequence, a visit to a California tree farm which only operates from mid November, offers the first clue. Later guests, Will Gadara remarks that working on the show is one of the first festive things he has done, reinforcing the early season filming window. Royal watches are also observing. Meghan got one detail wrong. The Duchess is seen assembling handmade Christmas crackers for her family, selecting small gifts and personal notes to place inside the decorated cardboard tubes. While festive crackers are a familiar part of table settings across Britain, Meghan's personalized approach differs notably from the traditional format. Ordinarily, crackers are filled in advance and placed on the table without regard to who will receive them. The contents are claimed by whichever person ends up holding the center section when the cracker is pulled, meaning there is no way to guarantee who gets which item. In the UK, they are typically purchased ready made, rather than crafted at home. Dagon, however, a jointalize in tailoring each cracker. I love Christmas crackers, she says, the toy not the kind you eat. And I thought about filling them with things rather than just random jotgegis. Think about who's getting them, What do you want to put inside? Even a sweet little love letter, a little note tucked. In filming with restauranteur Will, Meghan reflects on how the tradition became familiar to her. When

7:22 Gadara asks whether she has been making them for long, she replies, living in the UK, it's just such a big part of He presses, Is it a big part of culture there? Meghan continues for Christmas holidays, for sure. Typically people cross arms and do it so you're round the table and they will pull at the same time. It actually does feel really connective and sweet. She also recalls the typical contents they would always have almost a fortune cookie sized joke or riddle and something sweet. In practice, crackers traditionally contain a small trinket, a paper crowd, and a joke rather than anything edible. Meghan's versions include several personalized touches. For how Why, she prepares a cracker containing a little love letter, a chocolate, and a paper hat, while Archie receives a toy burger. She also adds confetti to each one, another departure from the usual format. While her segment is presented simply as an idea for viewers to try at home, Meghan's more curated approach may seem unconventional to those familiar with the long established British version, where the surprise is left entirely to the moment of the poll. In the Washington Post, Monica has writes, this can't be the future Megan Markle envisioned. Wallace Simpson seems like an entirely shady person, but from time to time, I find myself thinking about the strange contours of her life, which changed the course of British royal history. Nearly a century ago, a divorced American on her second marriage, she takes up with the King of England, who falls so stupidly in love with her that when she gives up her current husband, he gives up the throne. It's a

8:54 thrilling love story that quickly becomes a tricky problem because frankly, there's not a lot of protocol for ex royalty. The first solution is France, but then there are rumors that the newly weds are kind of nazi Ish, so any new strategy requires getting them as far as possible from World War II. The next stop is the pre air conditioning Bahamas, where Edward is appointed governor and Wallace volunteers at the clinic and in photos always looks as though this isn't quite what she signed up for. But what if emia she had started a cooking show. Eight years ago, we exported Meghan, a divorced American to marry a prince who was at the time the world's most eligible bachelor. When she showed up on television screens with the Royal family, savvy and fashionable as all giddy up. Her presence made it clear how dowdy the rest of them were, how out of step. Meghan had a degree in international studies from Northwestern, a successful television career, and a multicultural background that more closely resembled Britain's growing demographics than the inbred background of these bucktooth Buckingham residents. It truly looked as though she might pull it off, saving this shambling dynasty from itself. But one thing led to another, the paparazzi, the tabloid whispers, the in laws, and soon Harry found himself where his great uncle found himself nearly a century ago, giving up his official place in the royal family so that he could make a happy life with the woman he loved. Once you have used the Royal family's private lose at Kensington Palace, it's hard to know where you fit into American society. It would be weird for her to suddenly show up on USA Network dramedy again. What

10:25 she's going to go back to being a suitcase girl on deal or No Deal? And then you have it? Would you like to email us our addresses the palace intriguet email dot com. Please follows on Spotify, Apple, the Afterward Choice and leaves a nice review from joining the show. I'm Mark Francis My thanks to John McDermott, This Palace Intrigue and good t names