Meghan Markle admits ‘people took it very personally’ after making gesture
Mindy Kaling pays a visit to Meghan in the second episode of With Love, Meghan
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has admitted that she inadvertently caused some friction between friends when she tried to make a friendly gesture, which is shown in her new lifestyle documentary.
With Love, Meghan was released on Netflix at 8am GMT today, Tuesday March 4, after a slight delay with release due to the LA wildfires. The lifestyle documentary was originally supposed to air on January 15.
The new Netflix series is mainly a cooking show, with a hint of gardening, and largely shows Meghan in her element as hostess, preparing kids parties and having friends round.
Episode two, Welcome to the Party, opens with Meghan foraging berries in her garden and collecting them in a large wicker basket. She describes her jam-making journey and how she loves that her kids associate coming home from school with the smell of home-made jam.
When asked what her favourite flavour of jam is, Meghan said: "My grandmother used to make apple butter, so I like that because it's connected to something sentimental. But I think my kids will now connect this to coming home from school and smelling sweetness that wafts through the house when you are slow-cooking fruit." Then she joked: "'Oh, there she is. Mom's making preserves again'".
Mindy Kaling, star of The Office US and friend of Meghan's, visits the Duchess of Sussex in the second episode of With Love, Meghan. While waiting for her friend to arrive, Meghan briskly prepares a frittata and a yoghurt compote for the pair to eat together.
The Duchess of Sussex admitted: "I wake up every morning and I really take a lot of pride in making breakfast for my family. Mornings are fast. Got to get the kids to school. So I think that's why I'm comfortable with this pace."
When Mindy arrived, the pair had a quick catch up and enjoyed the frittata and yoghurt together, before the conversation moved to Meghan's homemade preserve. Meghan began a soft launch of her then-called American Riviera Orchard brand in April last year by sending celebrity friends jars of her homemade strawberry jam numbered up to 50.
Mindy admitted: "When I received that in the mail, a box of your preserves, it was probably one of the most glamorous moments of my life. But then I looked at the label and it said there were like 50.
"And then I, of course, as a very hierarchical person, was like 'who are these other 50? Does having a lower number make me more special?'"
Meghan gasped and replied: "Oh my god, I did not think about it," to which Mindy responded: "So I wasn't ranked? It was not a ranking? Just random number?"
The Duchess of Sussex confirmed: "It was not a ranking, it was just, 'let me share them'. And then, people started to take it very personally." Kaling admitted that she was one of those people taking it personally as she "straight up went on Instagram to see who the other people were, zooming in to see what numbers they got".
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Later on in the episode, Meghan corrects Mindy when she refers to her as "Meghan Markle", saying: "It's so funny you keep saying Meghan Markle, you know it's Sussex." And she explained the importance of sharing her surname with her husband and kids.
All eight episodes of With Love, Meghan are now streaming on Netflix.