Meghan Markle'’s Netflix Holiday Special Lands As William And Kate Lead the German State Visit

Meghan Markle’s holiday Netflix special, With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration, drops today – complete with crafts, cookies, cameos and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Harry kitchen kiss – but critics say this Christmas outing may be a make-or-break test for her brand. We look at the guest list, the Archewell spin, and fresh reports that Netflix and WME see the coming year as crucial as Meghan lines up brief on-screen cameos to boost As Ever. Then we turn to Windsor, where the German President’s state visit puts the Prince and Princess of Wales front and centre once again, fuelling new talk of how differently the Wales and Sussex households are now positioning themselves on the world stage.

Hear our new show "Crown and Controversy: Prince Andrew" here.

Check out "Palace Intrigue Presents: King WIlliam" here.

👑 Follow our hit series Crown and Controversy! Season 1 is fully available now for everyone. Season 2 has new episodes every Sunday on the regular feed. GET THE FULL SEASON 2 BEFORE REGULAR LISTENERS as a subscriber! Hit that "UNINTERRUPTED LISTENING" Banner on the top of the Apple player. AND listen to Crown and Controversy "NORWAY'S ROYAL REBELS" here and get the full season as a premium subscriber now. 

👑 The Palace Intrigue Social Hub is Live! Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram or click the links to start your royal journey!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Callaroga Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I
am your host, Mark for answers. Meghan Michael's Netflix holiday
special with Love Meghan Holiday Celebration arrives today, marking her
return to the screen for a festive edition of her
lifestyle series. The Totally Not Christmas special follows the release

(00:26):
of the show's debut season in March, which was widely criticized,
and a second season in August, which was filmed at
the same time as the first, despite being positioned as
an additional season. Prince Harry did not appear in that
second season, but he does make a cameo in the
holiday installment. He appears briefly in the sixty five second

(00:46):
trailer as the couple share a kiss in the kitchen.
I love the holiday season, Meghan says in a voiceover
in the trailer. It's about finding time to connect with
the people we love, embracing traditions and making new ones.
Features Meghan trying festive crafts, decorating, and baking. She's seen
placing gifts into red and white advent calendars labeled Archie

(01:07):
and Lily for their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilabit.
Guest appearances will include tennis player Naomi Osaka, chef Tom Calichio,
restauranteur Will Gidara, and close friends Kelly Zafschen and Lindsay Roth.
The trailer also shows Meghan selecting a Christmas tree and
leaving biscuits and hot chocolate for Santa by a fireplace.
In addition to the trailer, Netflix also shared an official

(01:29):
poster in November showing Meghan in an Emerald one children
gown at a holiday table decorated with garlands and glass baubles.
A press release from Archwell Productions says the special will
invite viewers to join Meghan in Montecito for a magical
holiday celebration. Together, friends and family deck the halls, create
holiday feasts, craft heartfelt gifts, and share lots of laughs

(01:54):
with simple how toos to follow at home. It's a
holiday wonder with warmth, tradition and a generous dose of joy.
The timing of the specials release coincides with the major
Royal inventors. The Royal family is set to welcome the
President of Germany to Windsor Castle during his state visit
to the UK. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams tells The Mirror

(02:17):
she is not made a great successive with love so far,
so her Christmas show is a test because if she
doesn't get an atalist for it, it's doomed. He also
cites the lack of style power on the cooking shows.
You do not find well known names. As far as
I can see, she has got one a list friend,
Serena Williams, who she has been friends with for a
long time, but she hasn't got a list backing in Hollywood,

(02:41):
Megan is preparing to make a series of brief on
screen appearances in new films and television projects as part
of a wider effort to strengthen the profile of her
lifestyle brand. Executives at Netflix, together with advisors at the
Hollywood agency w MEE, are encouraging the Duchess of Sussex
two take on selective guest roles in order to bolster

(03:02):
the visibility of her as ever Lion. A senior Hollywood
source said Megan is very much facing a make or
break year with her brand, and as her commercial partners,
Netflix has a vested interest in seeing her succeed. The
production executive emphasized that these appearances should not be interpreted
as the beginning of a return to acting. This is not,

(03:22):
as some have suggested, Megan dipping her toe in the water,
Brian to a full blow and return to the screen.
It's actually just the start of a campaign to raise
her profile prior to establishing her as a leading influencer
an entrepreneur, a direction her advisors and handles at wammea
helping her follow. W me is understood to be receiving
a high volume of offers for Megan and is helping

(03:43):
her decide which cameos and interviews best aligned with her
commercial ambitions. The Hollywood source added, Netflix boss Ted Sarandis
and the rest of the board see the coming years
crucial for her. The hope is that holding hands with Netflix,
she really hits the big time as the celebrity, influencer
and entrepreneur. That's the aim. A Sauce at rival Studio

(04:05):
Disney told The Mail on Sunday. People find it curious
that Megan seems to be professionally wooing Jeff Bezos, but
to be brutally frank, who can blame her? Bezos has
all the money in the world and is one of
the few people who can afford to bankroll any future
project of hers. A separate sauce at WMME added the
Duchess as a smart businesswoman and very much control of
her career and where she sees it going. Of course,

(04:27):
people are talking about her connection to Jeff Bezos and
the fact she's chosen to star in an Amazon film,
but there are very few big players in town, and
she has two of them, Netflix and Amazon. She's a
canny businesswoman. Underestimate her at your peril, more balanced and
just a moment. By the way, if you're sick of

(04:50):
commercials and want to buy yourself a little Christmas gift,
why not buy a subscription to Callaogushark Media for just
four ninety nine a month. You get this show and
hundreds and hundreds of US commercial free. And it's four
ninety nine a month. You get the first month free.
Just hit that button up top there on the Apple
Player that says listen uninterrupted and give us a try,

(05:11):
and we really really appreciate the support you give to us.
Behind the scenes. Here. Meggot's special overshadow is a visit
from the President of Germany this week, as the King
is hosting the first incoming state visit by a German
head of state in twenty seven years. Frank Walter Steinmeier
will be received by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle.
The King last visited Germany in twenty twenty three, accompanied

(05:33):
by the Queen, for his first overseas state visit since
acceding to the throne. He received a standing ovation after
becoming the first British monarch to address the Bundestag, telling
members he wished to renew the pledge of friendship between
our nations. The program begins today when William and Kate
will represent the Monarch at Heathrow Airport, officially receiving the

(05:54):
President and First Lady on British soil before accompanying them
to Windsor. Their presence at the arrival is becoming some
of a hallmark. The Waleses undertook similar duties during the
French and American state visits earlier this year, reflecting their
increasingly visible role at the forefront of the United Kingdom's
most significant diplomatic relationships. Royal commentator Tracy Chevron notes the

(06:16):
Chief saying for the third time this year, William and
Kate have been placed front and center of a state visit,
demonstrating their growing status at the heart of the monarchy.
While the King and Queen are still the main players
when foreign presidents come to visit, the Prince and Princess
of Wales are playing ever more prominent roles. In July
it was William and Kate who were on the tarmac
at RAF Northolp to greet French President Emanuel mcron and

(06:39):
wife Bridget before traveling to Windsor with them, and in
September they welcomed the US President Donald Trump and First
Lady Milennia when they stepped out of the Marine one
helicopter at Windsor Castle. With the King still undergoing treatment
for cancer, it's no surprise that his son and heir
is stepping up and taking on greater responsibilities, something we
can expect to see him in k doing a lot

(07:00):
more of in the future. We can also expect a
lot of opinion pieces about the diverging roles taken by
the Sussex and Wales families. Once the official welcome has
taken place, the King and Queen will greet the President
and Miss bunden Bender on Dechet Road as ceremonial gun
salutes of fire, both at Windsor and from the Tower
of London. A carriage procession will then convey the Royal

(07:22):
hosts and their guests into Windsor Castle for a formal
welcome and a review of the Guard of Honour in
the Quadrangle. The first afternoon includes a luncheon in the
State Dining Room with members of the Royal family, followed
by a private tour of a Royal collection exhibition focused
on historic tiers with Germany, curated especially for the occasion
in the Green Drawing Room. Away from Windsor, the President

(07:45):
will hold meetings with the Prime Minister and attend engagements
with UK and German business leaders. Meanwhile, the First Lady
will visit Judith Kerr Primary School in South London, the
market's connection to the celebrated German born British author of
The Tiger Who Came to Tea. The day's proceedings will
culminate in a state banquet at Windsor Castle, where white tie,

(08:06):
military orders and tiaras will be the order of the evening.
The Princess of Wales has already made headlines twice this
year in striking gowns paired with the lovers not Tiara.
She may opt for a German designer or observe the
colors of Germany's flag as a diplomatic gesture. Both the
King and the President will deliver speeches before the traditional
four course dinner begins. On Thursday, the President and Miss

(08:29):
bunden Bender will privately visit Saint George's Chapel to lay
flowers at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth the Second. They
will then join the King and Queen for a reception
highlighting community volunteering held in partnership with the Big Help Out.
A viewing of the state sleigh follows the ornate winter
carriage designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria, a reminder

(08:52):
of the royal family's German heritage and of the Christmas
traditions that cross the Channel with them, including the exchange
of gifts on Christmas Eve. After completing their joint engagements,
Majesties will take leave of their guests. The President and
First Lady will continue to Westminster, where they will lay
a wreath at the grave of the Unknown Warrior before
addressing members of both houses at the Palace of Westminster.

(09:16):
Further visits include the German Embassy, the Royal Courts of Justice,
where Miss bunden Bender will meet the Lady Chief Justice
for a discussion on women in law and engagements at
Bobby Moore Academy and the v and A Storehouse. On
Thursday evening, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim
Lawrence will join the President and First Lady at a

(09:36):
banquet at Guildhall hosted by the Lady Mayor and the
City of London Corporation, and the visit concludes on Friday
with a poignant ceremony at Coventry Cathedral. The German President
will lay a wreath in the ruins of the original cathedral,
destroyed during the Second World War, alongside the Duke of Kent,
before touring the modern cathedral and attending a prayer service

(09:56):
dedicated to peace and reconciliation. The itinerary and with visits
to Siemens Health, then Ears and the University of Oxford
before the President and First Lady return home. The state
visit reciprocates their Majesty's first overseas tour, when they traveled
to Germany in March of twenty three, a reminder of
the long and deeply woven relationship between the two nations,

(10:19):
and of the growing role the Prince and Princess of
Wales now play in representing the modern monarchy on the
international stage. I have it. If you'd like to email
us addresses The Palace Intrigue at gmail dot com. Please
follow us Spotify, Apple or the app of your choice
and leave us a nice review from enjoying the show.
I'm Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is

(10:41):
Pallas Indriguantans