Prince Harry’s backseat approach to Meghan Markle’s new venture is ‘for the best’

The Duchess of Sussex has been keeping fans in suspense about her upcoming Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, after releasing the trailer in early January.

It showed a glimpse of her private life with her close friends, including Mindy Kaling, but one person who appears to have taken a step back from the limelight is her husband Prince Harry, who made only a few rare appearances.

According to Edward Coram James, CEO at Go Up, his absence might be “for the best” as they develop their individual brands.

While With Love, Meghan has been postponed due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, we’ve turned to Edward to find out what this might mean about the royal couple, who have been married for five years.

Prince Harry’s absence

“Harry not being very involved in Meghan’s show is for the best right now. Their joint brand has taken hit after hit in recent years, and whether With Love, Meghan ends up being a big success or not, it’s a solid chance for Meghan to show she can thrive on her own.

“As for Harry, I think his best move is to carve out more independence from Meghan in both his public and professional life. He’s the only one who can truly shape his career and legacy at this point. By focusing on the work he’s passionate about – veterans, conservation, and mental health – he could leave all the Megxit tabloid drama behind.”

The couple stepped back as senior members of the royal family in 2020 and moved to Montecito, where they now live in a  £11 million home with their two young children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Meghan’s Netflix guests

© Netflix

While With Love, Meghan was not filmed inside their family home – the royal chose a nearby estate – fans would expect to see more of Harry. Instead, she was supported by a “strategic squad” of people who tied in with pivotal moments in her life. 

“It’s strategic,” Edward explained, adding: “Meghan knows her brand has taken some hits, so this is about softening her image and giving people a reason to like her again. By bringing in these specific friends, she’s signalling that she’s just a woman with a supportive, talented group of people around her. 

“Think Taylor Swift’s 1989 era when she rolled out her ‘squad.’ It’s very curated, but it’s also smart.

“Daniel Martin ties her to her royal wedding – the pinnacle of her global visibility. Abigail Spencer is the reminder of her Hollywood roots, grounding her as someone who made a name for herself pre-royalty. Mindy Kaling? That’s a signal to her audience that she’s aligned with strong, successful women in entertainment.”

Daniel was responsible for Meghan’s natural, barely-there wedding makeup in 2018. In 2024, he told Us Weekly that they “keep in touch all the time” despite not working together for nearly two years.

© Netflix

Abigail, meanwhile, met Meghan in 2007 at an audition and went on to co-star in Suits from 2011 to 2019. The actress described Meghan as “one of my dearest friends” in an interview with E! News.

Mindy, who was two months post-partum when she filmed alongside Meghan, told Deadline: “She’s just such a thoughtful, creative person with stuff at home and she has a garden,” adding the royal “unsurprisingly blew me out of the water” with her cooking skills.

Mindy also shared a behind-the-scenes insight into the making of With Love, Meghan, stating: “Harry was there, but he didn’t cook for me. But I hear he’s actually a pretty good cook. He knows his way around a kitchen.”

Former projects

© Netflix

Meghan has launched several projects both before and after marrying into the royal family, including her lifestyle blog The Tig, Archetypes podcast and brand American Riviera Orchard.

These were also solo endeavours, but Edward said Meghan has learnt from each of them to create her latest Netflix series.

He explained that American Riviera Orchard “has suffered so many setbacks” but Meghan could similarly launch products in her new cooking show. Meanwhile, she likely wants to replicate the “authenticity” of The Tig, which he said could be challenging due to her luxurious lifestyle.

“With Love, Meghan feels like a return to her The Tig roots. However, what worked then was its authenticity. Meghan’s got an ultra-luxurious lifestyle now, and it’s hard to ignore that. 

“Empowerment, if it’s coming from a position of extreme wealth, can start to feel like a bit of a fantasy. The risk is alienating a large portion of her audience who may feel like they can’t apply any of these lessons to their own lives,” he warned.

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