MEGHAN Markle is set to star in her very own cooking show on Netflix but had been “pipped to the post” by former pal Victoria Beckham.
But whilst the release date of the Duchess of Sussex’s upcoming show hasn’t been revealed, we recently saw the announcement of Victoria’s new Netflix documentary.
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The House of VB will hit screens next year – and will provide a compelling insight into one of the most recognised women in the world and her journey to build a fashion empire.
Through access to Victoria herself, an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at her business, never-before-seen archive detailing her fashion journey, her family and those closest to her, the series will tell the story of the Spice Girls’ reinvention as a Creative Director of her own brand.
But after Meghan and Victoria’s ‘bitter rift’, according to Ingrid Seward, royal expert and author, Meghan will be ‘furious’ that Victoria’s show will air on Netflix before hers.
The editor of ‘Majesty’ magazine tells Fabulous: “I’m sure she would have been furious because she likes to be in control.
“I think she’d be annoyed that Victoria had pipped her to the post.
“She’d have to be magnanimous about it deep down inside. She might be annoyed, but she cannot show it, and you know she’s enough of an actress to know that she can’t possibly show it.
“She has to say ‘isn’t it wonderful and isn’t Victoria wonderful?’
“I think to say anything else would be a grave error, and she knows that.
“Of course, she’d be annoyed, but there’s absolutely nothing she can do about it because she doesn’t have a hand in the scheduling of these shows.
“Meghan saying ‘I want to go first’ is not going to make any difference to them.
“I think Meghan has to see it as maybe Victoria Beckham paving the way for her.”
The Sussexes reportedly signed a lucrative five-year contract with Netflix in September 2020 worth £80million to produce “documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted shows and children’s programming”.
Meanwhile, the Beckhams – worth £769million – signed a £16million deal with Netflix for their fly-on-the-wall series.
Meghan’s cooking show is her second project with Netflix after her 2022 reality docuseries, Harry & Meghan, which gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at their life.
‘Riches to rags’
But according to Ingrid, the mum-of-two, who is based in California with Prince Harry, 40, and their two children, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, in a sprawling £12 million, nine-bedroom mansion in Montecito, is ‘only interesting when she’s with Harry’.
Ingrid says: “Meghan is only really interesting to the world when she’s with Harry, and this is without Harry, so she’s got to make this show very personal for people to be interested.
“She’s got to keep relating back to her children, and to Harry and her life since Harry, not before.”
How confident Meghan Markle hit the spotlight aged 12
MEGHAN Markle proved herself as a feminist long before hitting the spotlight – pushing for change at just 12.
Footage of the US actress as a school student has surfaced, with the young woman having written letters demanding for a cleaning ad to change their sexist ad’s phrasing from “women” to “people”.
Meghan had taken issue with Ivory’s ad for dishwasher soap, that claimed “women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans”.
Taking up a pen and paper, the determined student wrote to the company, asking for them to make a change – and they did.
Nickelodeon footage of Meghan explaining just why she had decided to speak out has since resurfaced, with the fresh-faced student already well-spoken and thoughtful.
Speaking to the camera, she explained: “I said – wait a minute, how could someone say that?”
She said that she realised a number of commercials would hurt people’s feelings, and was determined to make a change.
In the 1993 interview, she said: “I don’t think it is right for kids to grow up thinking that mom does everything.
“If you see something that you don’t like or offended by on television or any other place, write letters and send them to the right people and you can really make a difference, not just for yourself but for lots of other people.”
But Ingrid recognises that Meghan’s ‘riches to rags’ story is slightly different to that of the Beckham’s.
She continues: “If Victoria Beckham’s is a success, which I’m sure it will be, I think it’s got more chances of boosting Meghan’s.
“The Beckhams are so popular and they haven’t really upset anyone in the way that Meghan has, so they’re starting with a clean slate.
“They are so incredibly successful, and it’s all through their own hard work. And people love that it’s a rags to riches story, whereas Meghan’s is a riches to rags story.
“She started up right after marrying Harry. I don’t think before that anyone was particularly interested in her. I mean, if only she could see that herself.
“But before her marriage, she had Suits for success, but that’s all anyone knew her for.
“Being linked to Harry, it makes her far more interesting, whether people want to like her or dislike her, which they seem to prefer the latter.”
The Beckham and Sussex feud
The Beckhams and the Sussexes enjoyed a close friendship, but cracks have formed in the last few years.
The Duke of Sussex allegedly called David, 49, to accuse him and his wife Victoria, 50, of leaking stories, leaving David ‘furious.’
David was also “snubbed” by Harry after flying for 22 hours from London to Sydney at the royal’s request, for the 2018 Invictus Games.
Cracks first started emerging in the pair’s friendship in spring 2022 when the former footballer invited Prince William and Kate to his son Brooklyn’s wedding – and not Harry and Meghan.
Prince Harry’s ‘snub’ of David Beckham in Australia
AFTER flying for 22 hours from London to Sydney at Prince Harry’s request, David Beckham was puzzled why the prince had not met him.
But the prince had had no plans to see the former England football captain, nor even of being pictured with him, claimed Tom Bower.
It was October 2018, and Harry was hosting the Invictus Games.
Since David had played a prominent role bringing the 2012 Olympics to Britain and an important part in the 2010 unsuccessful bid for the football World Cup, it seemed natural for Prince Harry to ask David to join him at the celebrated competition for injured servicemen.
As a man who loved the royals, David would never refuse such an important request.
But having flown half-way around the world, he was perplexed why officials after he arrived at the sporting venue were playing a dance to keep him happy, but away from Harry.
She wanted no competition in the media from David, and especially not from his wife, Victoria.
The reason for the distance was Meghan, the newly married Duchess of Sussex.
At the time, a source said: “David’s attachment and history go back with William and Kate and they have a very strong relationship and they were their choice of wedding guests.
“It was always about them, it was never about Meghan and Harry.
“They are the people David and Victoria are attached to and it’s always been about them because they’ve had a long history together.”
A chance of reconciliation?
And when it comes to a chance of a reconciliation between Meghan and Victoria, Ingrid suggests: “I only think they would reconcile if they come across each other, and I’m not sure that they really do.
“I think if they came across each other at some social event, Meghan would be all smiles, because we know she does that, but I can’t think that their paths would particularly cross again.
Meghan and Harry are in the descendant, not the ascendant
Ingrid Seward
“I think that Meghan’s probably got enough problems of her own to worry about whether she keeps on side with someone that obviously doesn’t like her anymore.
“I think the Beckhams have distanced themselves from Meghan and Harry, but for the obvious reasons that we all know, you know Meghan and Harry are in the descendant, not the ascendant.
“[Posh] is actually too busy. She’s got a business. She’s got a very successful husband. She’s got houses all over the place. She’s got children. I don’t think she probably has any time to think about it really.”
‘The delay isn’t good’
Meghan’s non-fiction show, which according to Deadline will feature Meghan celebrating “the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship”, seems to complement the Duchess of Sussex’s upcoming lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.
A title for the show or the format has not been revealed yet, but a source told Us Weekly that the series “is going to be a take on her and the joy of living. [There will be] little things she’s learned in terms of being a modern-day hostess.”
In July, a Hollywood source told the Daily Beast that production had wrapped and said: “It all went well and it is in the can.”
Everything we know about Meghan Markle’s new business, American Riviera Orchard
MEGHAN Markle has launched a new Instagram brand called American Riviera Orchard.
Industry insiders said the site will focus on home, food, garden and lifestyle goods.
A source told the Mail: “It’s a lifestyle and cooking brand called American Riviera Orchard.
“The brand is meant to coincide with the launch of a new cookery show for Netflix.
“Meghan will be making, and selling, products such as jams. And at some point there will be a book and blog etc.”
The release date has yet to be made public, but Ingrid recognises that the delay could be problematic for the Duchess.
She shares: “We have no idea when it’s coming out. I would imagine it might be this year.
“I think it would have suited her better if it had all come a bit quicker.
“We haven’t really seen anything from Meghan for ages and ages. I mean, we’ve obviously seen Harry, but we haven’t seen a show from Harry.
“I think the delay isn’t good for them.”
The longer the delay, the less interest people will have in it
Ingrid Seward
But in order to get the public on side, Ingrid adds: “I feel that Meghan has to do something positive, I think she really needs to. And I think Netflix delaying this is not gonna help her.
“I think she needs something positive out there before she can move on with anything else.
“I mean, she probably is moving on with other things, but Meghan needs to make a positive, nice show.
“I think people will watch it out of curiosity, but what format it’s taking, we don’t really know yet.
“We’re presuming it’s probably a series, but the longer the delay, the less interest people will have in it.”
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