How 'feminist' Meghan Markle has reinvented herself as a 'new Martha Stewart', according to expert

Daily Mail​

4 days ago

Meghan Markle, a self-proclaimed feminist, has reinvented her image as a homemaker and lifestyle influencer, according to royal experts.
As a member of the Royal Family, Meghan vowed to continue her work for women's advocacy even when she stepped down from official royal duties with Prince Harry.
But since the launch of her eight-part Netflix series and lifestyle brand, As Ever, Meghan has appeared to turn her public persona to jam and flower sprinkles.
These claims were made as part of Channel 5 's Meghan: Duchess For Sale? which aired on July 6 and explored the Duchess's money-making ventures.
Jack Royston, Newsweek's royal correspondent, said: 'That was her big rebrand.
'All of a sudden, she went from being the feminist who got angry that women were depicted as only being in the kitchen and then she reinvented herself as the traditional, at-home, in-the-kitchen cooking and hosting kind of image.'
Nick Ede, a brand culture expert, said: 'With Love, Meghan, is Meghan being the new Martha Stewart.
'She loves home, she loves entertaining and she wants to show people how to elevate everyday situations by offering them lifestyle advice, showing them how to cook different meals and interviewing people that she finds interesting along the way.'
Who is Martha Stewart?
While Martha Stewart may not be a familiar face to some Brits, she is a household name in the US.
According to PBS, Martha Stewart is America's most trusted lifestyle expert and teacher.
Like Meghan, Stewart wears many hats and is a businesswoman running a catering company, a writer and a television personality.
She is the founder of Martha Stewart Living, focusing on home and hospitality.
In 2004-2006 Stewart served a five-month prison sentence and two years of supervised release related to a stock trading case.
Before marrying Harry, Meghan gave a speech to UN Women encouraging women to become leaders.
Meghan spoke about her accidental road to becoming an advocate at a star-studded celebration in March 2015 for the 20th anniversary of the Beijing women's conference that adopted a roadmap to achieve equality for women, which is the framework for UN Women's activities.
Her opening words drew loud applause and cheers: 'I am proud to be a woman and a feminist.'
But ten years later, Meghan's Netflix series focuses on 'tips and tricks' to be a better homemaker and host.
The show received more than 2.6million views in its first week and formed part of her reported $100million, five-year deal with Netflix.
Through Meghan's brand As Ever, which was briefly known as American Riviera Orchard and her Netflix series, it is clear that Meghan is still toeing the line between being a royal and being an influencer.
The similarity in styling between Meghan's As Ever products and King Charles' Highgrove and Sandringham brands stunned some royal observers.
While Charles' brands send their proceeds to charity, Meghan's products feature a high price point and are not affiliated with a charity.
Most recently, the Daily Mail exclusively revealed that the jam is manufactured by The Republic of Tea.
The company, which also makes her honey and tea bags, is headquartered in Larkspur, California, 350 miles away from Meghan's Montecito mansion.
However its factory is 2,000 miles away in Illinois.
Meghan has also been accused of using the Sussex name to make money and promote her brand.
In With Love, Meghan the Duchess corrected Mindy Kaling with her title - a clip which was shared and chastised on social media.
'It's so funny you keep saying Meghan Markle, you know I'm Sussex now,' she awkwardly responded.
When Mindy appeared confused, Meghan continued: 'You have kids, and you go, "No, I share my name with my children." I didn't realise how meaningful it would be, but it means so much to say, "This is our family name. Our little family name."'
After being corrected, Mindy replied: 'Well, now I know and I love it.'
Meghan also sent a gift basket to podcast host Jamie Kern Lima, which included a note referencing her royal title, HRH The Duchess of Sussex.
This went directly against an agreement made with the late Queen after Meghan and Harry stepped down as senior working royals.
Harry and Meghan previously agreed not to use their HRH titles for commercial purposes following their exit from the British Royal Family in 2020.
The gift basket was sent to Meghan's friend, CEO of IT Cosmetics Jamie, when she had in-laws staying and the Duchess wanted to help.
A screenshot of the hamper has since circulated online after featuring on Jamie's podcast - and features the Duchess' homemade jam.
Halfway through the chat the host revealed Meghan sent her a gift box of food and the thank you card around a year ago.
The basket also includes two jars of Straus ice cream, some flowers, mint, and the note with Meghan's royal title embellished on it.
Royal fans have reacted furiously to the name on the card with one writing on X: 'I thought they couldn't use HRH?'
Jamie said the basket was sent to her home by Meghan 'about a year ago… to see if that helps lighten my load'.
It was reported that Meghan still calls herself Her Royal Highness to friends but has denied she is flouting a warning by the late Queen.
MailOnline spoke with a royal expert who claimed that while Meghan called herself a feminist, it is Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who has stepped up and dedicated her work to feminist causes.
Richard Fitzwilliams said: 'Meghan is struggling to be an influencer, Sophie has influence in ways that really matter, which Meghan could have been.
'Meghan has always boasted about how she promotes feminism.
'Yet contrast the occasional speech she makes in comfortable surroundings with the remarkable work of Sophie who actually visits areas of the world such as Chad which have been devastated by war and attempts to comfort the women who are victims of rape and exploitation.
'While Meghan sends pots of jam to celebrities, it is the Duchess of Edinburgh who meets survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and displaced women in a landmark visit to Ukraine.'
Earlier this year Meghan opened a ShopMy storefront to earn commission on products through affiliate links.
But despite the negativity Meghan has faced for her lifestyle content, this is not the first time she has made money through this style of content.
Meghan began writing her blog, The Tig, in 2014, during a time when sites such as BuzzFeed and Zooey Deschanel's HelloGiggles were extremely popular.
Online archives show Meghan posted articles relating to beauty, travel, recipes, workouts and interviews with celebrities.
Between The Tig and her role as Rachel Zane in Suits, Meghan had built a fortune.
Nick Ede said in the Channel 5 documentary: 'The Tig was very similar to Gwyneth Paltrow 's Goop and it felt that it was authentically Meghan.
'She actually saw that you could monetise it. You could look at how you could do affiliate links.'
It's nothing new for bloggers to turn their page into their own personal brand.
It seemed almost inevitable that Meghan would follow the likes of Ree Drummond and Martha Stewart who turned their brand to homeware, TV shows and book deals.
However, according to bestselling author Tom Bower, the content on The Tig did not always accurately reflect Meghan's personal life or, at times, even her values.
In his book, Revenge: Meghan, Harry And The War Between The Windsors, he writes: 'As a purely commercial venture she understood her market and how to compartmentalise between her real life and the fantasy life she offered her increasing number of followers.
'Conjuring fantasies was her unique selling point.'
Likewise, Meghan has faced criticism for portraying an unrealistic lifestyle in her new show, where she wears glamorous, often white outfits while carrying out simple kitchen tasks.
According to Bower, it took Meghan a year to 'successfully' become an influencer with The Tig.
As part of her strategy to capitalise on her celebrity status, the former actress closely studied Hollywood's elite to 'absorb and copy' their success.
And it seems that she may have taken a similar approach with her Netflix series, since viewers drew several comparisons between the show and former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson's series, Pamela's Cooking With Love.
When Meghan began dating Harry, The Tig stopped producing content and eventually ceased to exist.
It is likely that even if Meghan had not become a member of the Royal Family, she would still be making lifestyle content.
But perhaps the difference now is that Meghan had the opportunity to use her platform for good instead of simply fame and notoriety.