Can Netflix’s “With Love” Spark a New Image for the Duchess of Sussex?

It’s a depiction of domestic happiness.

The Duchess of Sussex, gathering blooms, chopping vegetables, and icing cakes in a preview for her upcoming Netflix show.

There’s also a moment of her collecting honey and embracing her spouse, Prince Harry.

Meghan seems to have reinvented her image. Public relations specialist Chloe Franses describes her fresh appearance as akin to the “traditional wife” social media movement, inspired by 1950s homemakers.

In this regard, it marks a shift for Meghan, who has been recognized as a feminist and a Hollywood star.

However, Franses argues it’s a return to Meghan’s origins, as the duchess was once a lifestyle blogger prior to marrying Harry.

And, as always with Meghan, it’s generating debate. Franses commends it as “genuine,” while media relations expert Alex Silver labels it “tone deaf.”

So what’s the purpose of her new series, With Love, and will it succeed?

A particularly notable aspect of the preview is that it’s Meghan alone, rather than alongside Harry.

Since they withdrew as senior royals in 2020 and relocated to California, the couple has pursued multiple joint initiatives, including establishing a production company and a charitable foundation.

However, with this latest show, it seems they increasingly wish to engage in individual projects professionally – aiming to create two distinct income channels.

“They seem to have differentiated their brands,” asserts Pauline Maclaran, a professor of marketing and consumer behavior at Royal Holloway.

“I believe it’s likely to be significantly more successful, as I feel the two of them together weren’t achieving any strong recognition.”

The rebranding also represents a departure from royal existence.

Since stepping back from royal duties, Harry and Meghan have continued to discuss the monarchy – including during their 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview and Harry’s book Spare.

Nevertheless, in this new series, Meghan “is not utilizing her royal connections” any longer, according to Maclaran.

Instead, it emphasizes lifestyle and wellness – themes she had previously explored before meeting Harry through her lifestyle blog The Tig.

On The Tig, Meghan shared insights on beauty, nutrition, fashion, recipes, travel tips, and advice on love and life.

Though The Tig was shut down in 2017, PR professionals suggest that a return to lifestyle could be a clever strategy.

“This is a commonly pursued path for a public figure, particularly one whose lifestyle is aspirational yet also relatable,” remarks Franses.

Others hold a more doubtful viewpoint.

“There are numerous more intriguing and substantial global occurrences that are taking place, which she could be addressing,” states Silver. “She could’ve been highlighting charitable initiatives or something similar.

“I believe she is solely focused on herself. As a public relations expert, I can’t comprehend how she fails to gauge the environment.”

Venturing into the lifestyle domain has also proven detrimental for others in the public sphere.

Brooklyn Beckham’s inaugural photography book was widely ridiculed on social media, for instance – with one image of an elephant drawing particular criticism.

This is not Meghan’s initial venture into the corporate realm – a sector laden with peril and opportunity.

The couple’s past business endeavors consist of a multi-million pound agreement with Netflix.

They were featured in another Netflix production titled Harry & Meghan, which delved into their relationship. Both were also recognized as executive producers for the recent Polo documentary, though it received low ratings from critics, including those from The Guardian and The Telegraph.

Spotify’s ambitious investment in Meghan also faltered.

In July 2023, the streaming giant and the Sussexes’ Archewell Audio announced their mutual separation.

At that moment, analysts indicated there hadn’t been a sufficiently large audience for Meghan’s Archetypes podcast to warrant its continuation.

Last March, she initiated a different lifestyle brand named American Riviera Orchard. It currently has over 600,000 followers on Instagram and showcases nine posts from its inception – but there have been no updates since.

With this latest undertaking, some have conjectured that Meghan aims to unlock additional business prospects for herself, like collaborations with major grocery chains and brands.

If that’s the case, she would be emulating others such as Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow, with her immensely prosperous lifestyle platform Goop.

“This is evidently all regarding her personal commercial ambitions,” notes Silver.

“They are conscious that their revenue will dwindle at some point. Their lifestyles are quite extravagant, associating in affluent circles, and they wish to avoid being the impoverished relative.”

Concerning the new television show, royal authority Victoria Murphy asserts she “[doesn’t] believe there’s any doubt that individuals will initially tune in and it will perform well”.

However, she states the authentic challenge lies in whether it attracts a consistently sizable following and genuinely cultivates a robust global brand for Meghan beyond the royal sphere.

Maclaran concurs, expressing her belief that the show will resonate with particular segments of the audience, especially in the US.

“A significant portion of the public may not find this compelling, but I doubt that’s her goal – I think she will be aiming to connect with other mothers similar to herself.”

Silver, for her part, contends that Meghan may be looking to “detoxify” her brand with the new program.

However, she doubts the show will connect with the wider audience.

“I can’t envision this becoming a widely viewed affair,” says Silver.

Perhaps the response to the preview reveals everything we need to comprehend regarding how this current endeavor is expected to be perceived.

After its release on Thursday, thousands of pages were devoted to it.

The Daily Mail, for example, dissected each detail of every shot in the teaser, much of it unflattering.

The duchess, it appears, remains a figure of endless fascination – particularly for British tabloids. Nonetheless, she possesses a dedicated following on social media.

For her critics, they may claim this is superficial and shallow, portraying Hollywood at its lowest.

Conversely, for her supporters, they might argue it’s wonderful to witness her return, demonstrating precisely what the Royal Family is lacking.

In essence, this is likely to reaffirm whatever perceptions individuals already hold about Meghan, on either side of the discussion.

Additional reporting by Guy Lambert and Nadine Yousif.