‘Misjudged': Truth about Meghan Markle's downfall
In the trailer promoting the show's premiere, cast member Panthea Parker is warned by her husband not to ask King Charles any questions about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex when they attend a Buckingham Palace garden party. It's a pity because that conversation would have made far juicier fodder for an episode of the Housewives than any previous champagne-fuelled shenanigans. (And that's saying something because there have been some doozies over the years.) Such is the power of Meghan Markle.
Love her or hate her, our modern-day Mrs Simpson is always a compelling character to watch. And Meghan certainly gives us a lot of entertainment. In addition to the many documentaries and TV panel discussions devoted to analysing Meghan's rise and fall in the House of Windsor, the royal couple have been generating their own content.
Since Megxit, there has been the infamous tell-all with Oprah Winfrey, Harry's biography Spare, podcast appearances, and the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, where the pair detailed their side of the family feud. There's also been the lifestyle series With Love, Meghan where the Suits star shared simple recipes as well as tips for hosting children's parties from inside her tastefully elegant Montecito home.
News.com.au commentator and royal expert Daniela Elser understands the appetite for all things Meghan Markle.
'On camera, she's a natural,' she explains. 'I think that's a talent that you have or you don't, and she has it in spades. She is incredibly beautiful, she's hugely stylish, and she clearly feels very comfortable there. In With Love, Meghan, she is obviously truly passionate about cooking, about food and gardening, and that comes across. I think the parts of that show that worked well were when she was in the kitchen with chefs like Roy Choi or Alice Waters, more so than when she was doing things like making a balloon arch.'
While people have been quick to criticise all these appearances as proof Meghan is out of touch and shameless in her quest for attention, we keep lapping it up. And so, does she deserve to be the target of such vitriol? No. Should she execute a bit more discretion before posting videos of herself bumping and grinding in the delivery suite? Absolutely. Or maybe Meghan is just a girl standing in front of the world asking them to love her. So how does she win us back? Not with tips for welcoming house guests with lavender-scented towels and gift baskets, it seems.
Evan Nierman, Founder and CEO of global PR firm Red Banyan, told Us Weekly magazine that it would be very hard for Meghan to turn the tide of public opinion back around now. 'Meghan took what could have been a real-life fairy tale and turned it into an ugly 'tell-all', almost like ruining a Disney movie,' he said. 'She misjudged how much goodwill she could burn before people lost interest, and now she's facing the reality that rebuilding a reputation is far harder than maintaining one.' Time will tell. And I, for one, will be watching with interest. Meanwhile, here's some Meghan sparkle available on Tubi.
Harry & Meghan: A Modern Royal Romance: Created to celebrate their impending wedding, this 2018 documentary charts the love story of Prince Harry and the Suits star.
Hollywood Princesses: Grace and Meghan: This 2023 documentary analyses the journeys of two actresses – Grace Kelly and Meghan Markle – who traded Hollywood for a Palace. Meghan Markle: Unforgiven: Although she was initially seen as a 'breath of fresh air' for the royal family, this 2023 documentary examines how the global love affair with Meghan has turned sour.
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