Now it’s Meghan the ‘trad wife’: How feminist Duchess has rebranded herself a housewife influencer for new Netflix cookery show with vision of domestic bliss

Meghan Markle has been known for years as a champion of feminism and social justice, using her platform to advocate for women’s rights and global causes.

From her Archetypes podcast exploring gender stereotypes to writing letters to world leaders about gender equality, the Duchess of Sussex has been a steadfast voice for empowerment.

Yet her latest venture, a Netflix cooking series titled With Love, has sparked accusations of a dramatic rebranding for Meghan – from feminist trailblazer to the queen of the ‘tradwife’ trend.

The new show, described as a ‘celebration of food, family and togetherness’, features Meghan as the epitome of domestic perfection.

Set in a chic yet cozy kitchen decorated with pastel shades and vintage-inspired decor, Meghan guides viewers through recipes while sharing heartwarming anecdotes about family life.

Think glowing candles, artfully arranged charcuterie boards and perfectly fluffy throw pillows. It’s a far cry from the feminist rabble-rouser who once wrote to Procter & Gamble at the age of 11 demanding that they change a sexist ad.

The “trad-wife” trend, a phenomenon gaining traction on social media, idealizes a return to traditional domestic roles for women.

Influencers like Alena Kate Pettitt, author of The Darling Academy, and viral housewives like Nara Smith (nearly 16 million followers on TikTok and Instagram) and Hannah Neeleman (nearly 20 million) have built online empires sharing aspirational content about housekeeping, baking, and to cook. family life.

Their feeds are filled with idyllic snapshots of spotless homes, healthy dinners, and moments of motherly joy—all wrapped in a comforting aesthetic that harkens back to the 1950s.

Critics have noted that Meghan’s Netflix show is closely aligned with this movement. From the polished apron she wears in the trailer to the intimate glimpses of her life with Prince Harry and their children, it seems carefully crafted to present a vision of harmonious domesticity.

The message? Meghan, who once railed against society’s expectations for women, now finds fulfillment in the role of homemaker.

However, the pivot has not gone unnoticed by critics, who claim it runs counter to Meghan’s feminist ethos.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said the clip was ‘Disneyfied’ and ‘all about’ Meghan. He noted that if the mother-of-two had remained as a senior member of the royal family, she “could have helped in a meaningful way.”

He also warns that Meghan and Harry are entering a “make-or-break” period as their current media deals are about to expire.

“If their multi-million dollar Netflix deal is not renewed this year, it would be a disaster for them,” he notes.

This isn’t the first time Meghan has reinvented herself. She was Meghan the Hollywood actress, Meghan the Royal disruptor, Meghan the podcast host and now Meghan the traditional woman/influencer.

However, the move is seen by many as an attempt to bounce back from a series of setbacks that have plagued her and Prince Harry’s brand in recent months.

The past two years have proven challenging for the Sussexes, marked by notable missteps, including the cancellation of Meghan’s much-hyped Spotify podcast Archetypes, reportedly due to a lack of impactful content.

Their joint Netflix documentary, Heart of Invictus, focused on Prince Harry’s beloved Invictus Games, but failed to generate the buzz expected from their multimillion-dollar deal.

Perhaps most notable was the failure of their Netflix project Polo, a docuseries about Harry’s polo escapades, where they inexplicably only appeared towards the end, leaving audiences disappointed.

And on top of that, Meghan’s lifestyle brand Riviera Orchard, once seen as a cornerstone of her post-royal ventures, is mired in trademark disputes and a lack of tangible progress.

These hurdles have made their future in Hollywood uncertain, especially with their Netflix contract set to expire in 2025.

MailOnline can reveal she has chosen to film the eight-episode series ‘With Love, Meghan’ in a kitchen and house that is not her own, despite living around the corner.

The 43-year-old Duchess chose a sprawling estate just two miles from the £11 million Montecito estate she shares with Prince Harry and their children, Archie and Lilibet.

The mansion where her Netflix show was filmed last year, an idyllic $8 million (£5 million) estate nestled in a gated community, features eight hectares of avocado trees and lemon groves and is owned by Montecito’s influential Cipolla family.

Tom and Sherrie Cipolla, stalwarts in the high society circles of the American Riviera, do both in their seventies. They are prominent philanthropists with a $20 million real estate portfolio, including a physical therapy practice with annual revenues of more than $1.3 million.

Their 4,500 sq ft home, with four bedrooms and four bathrooms, has beautiful French doors that open to a patio, lawn and breathtaking mountain views.

And based on a trailer posted to her new Instagram account last night, this is the stage for Meghan to showcase her cooking and housekeeping skills, including some British-inspired recipes like a classic Eton mess and a Victoria sponge.

In it, she gives fans a taste of her cooking, baking, cocktail making, flower arranging and party planning using the £15,000 stove, £600 pans, £60 chopping boards and entertaining friends in the property’s beautiful rooms, garden and orchards.