December 11, 2025 • 10 mins
Royal experts say Meghan’s Holiday Special is less “family and service” and more “boho lifestyle princess rebrand,” dropping the Sussexes right in the path of Kate’s faith-driven carol service and the King’s traditional message. We break down every heavily curated moment: the love-note advent calendars, Doria’s gumbo, Harry’s “anti-salad” face, the tribute to late beagle Guy and Meghan’s hyper-personalized crackers that accidentally get British tradition wrong. Then The Washington Post’s Monica Hesse swoops in to compare Meghan to Wallis Simpson and ask the big question: how did we go from giddy royal revolution to… a mildly awkward, pre-taped cooking-and-crafts show?
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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 and 2 are fully available now for everyone. Season 3 has new episodes every Sunday on the regular feed. GET THE FULL SEASON 3 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.
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Callarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I'm
your host, Mark Francis. Meghan's Netflix Holiday special might not
be great television content, but it is great podcast content,
and therefore we encourage Netflix to sign Meghan up for
another five seasons. Speaking to Fox News, Digital, royal expert
(00:27):
Helena Child remarked, I believe Meghan aspires to be the
new American Royalty. However, although amusing, I can't believe the
American people take this seriously. She added that Meghan seems
to be living her best life as a fictional Boho
style princess and wannabe lifestyle guru, arguing that the program
focuses heavily on its host rather than the values typically
(00:48):
emphasized at this time of year. Her new holiday show,
no doubt, spotlights Megan and how special she is welcoming
her loved ones and making them feel comfortable. However, it
makes many here in the UK uneasy that at a
time when friends, family and giving are most important, she's
highlighting her own estrangement from the royal family. Royal commentator
(01:10):
Hilary Fordage suggested the new special reflects a deliberate branding exercise,
telling Fox, this looks like a deliberate attempt to forge
an American lifestyle princess brand. The Royal family won't comment,
they'll simply ignore it, but this commercialization will likely further
irritate Prince William. She noted that the tone differs markedly
from the duty focused royal message found in Princess Catherine's
(01:33):
faith based Carol service or the King's Holiday address, which
are rooted in themes of unity in public service. The
timing of the release places Meghan's special in close proximity
to the Princess of Wales's annual together at Christmas Carol
service won't help. Chard argued that Meghan's content stands in
contrast to the work of her senior royals. Meghan does
(01:54):
not live a life of service, she said, her holiday
show can't be compared to the British Royal family's work.
Princess Catherine's concert brings together sixteen hundred guests who have
shown love and kindness within their communities. King Charles heartfelt
Christmas broadcasts are messages of service and hope, very different
from Meghan's holiday show. She added, if Meghan creates public change,
(02:15):
we would root for Meghan, but Meghan's holiday show will
not be on the British Royal Family's radar. In case
you haven't seen the special yet, we'll spare you the trouble.
The fifty six minute program blends family rituals, personal reflections,
and a rare on camera moment with Harry, who appears
briefly during a kitchen segment. The special highlights a number
(02:36):
of the Duchess's holiday touch points. She revisits a British
tradition she adopted during her time in the UK, explaining,
living in the United Kingdom, it's just such a big
part of the culture over there. It does really feel
connected and sweet. Meghan assembles Christmas crackers for her family,
including personalized trinkets for Arching and Lilibet and a little
(02:57):
love letter Harry. Her children, though not featured on screen,
are central to several scenes. Megan chowse the oversized advent
calendars she has created for them, filled with handwritten notes
such as I love you because you're so kind and
I love you because you're so brave little findings. She adds,
hopefully we'll have these for quite a long time. A
(03:18):
tradition has to have a beginning, there is a strong
nod to her own upbringing as she prepares her mother,
Dria Ragland's Christmas Eve gumbo. My mum has been making
gumbo for Christmas Eve for years now, she says, describing
the recipe's Tennessee roots. Cooking alongside Tom Colichio, she reflects,
my mum's family is from Tennessee around Chattanooga. I love
(03:39):
soul food. Harry enters during this sequence, greeting Megan before teasing,
you must have known I was coming, and later joking
that her spicy aversion is so hot he can feel
it punching through the top of my head. He admits,
I'm not so sure it's as good as your mum's,
but it's certainly close. The couple also touch on Harry's
culinary dislikes. When Calichio presents a salad featuring Beats, Olive's
(04:01):
fennel and Anchovi's, Megan observes, if I gave you the
top things my husband hates to eat, they're all in here.
Harry later refers to it as the anti salad. The
program includes a quiet tribute to her late beagle and Guy,
with an ornament dedicated to him. Featured during a tree
decorating scene. For me, a tree is part of my
memory and love the holiday season, Megan says. She also
(04:25):
highlights a non negotiable Christmas morning brunch. I love the
tradition of Christmas Morning brunch. I do it every year
with my family. A gift wrapping segment offers a nod
to her early days working at the paper source in
Beverly Hills as she demonstrates techniques ranging from wax seals
to Japanese forushiki, and as she decorates hand painted cookies.
(04:46):
Later in the program, she reflects on the value of small,
quiet rituals. These small moments in between are the things
that are actually going to create the energy you want.
Take care of yourself and you'll be able to take
care of everybody else more. Palace just a moment. Viewers
(05:06):
have quickly concluded the special was not filmed this year.
The clearest indication comes from a brief appearance by Megan's
rescue beagle Guy, seen wandering through the Montecito property early
in the program. Guy died in January of twenty twenty five,
shortly before Megan announced his passing, describing him as the
best guy any girl could have asked for his cameo
(05:28):
confirms that filming occurred before his death, echoing the timeline
of seasons one and two, which was shot prior to
his loss and dedicated to him with a message in
loving memory of Guy. Both earlier seasons were filmed in
the late spring and early summer of twenty twenty four,
and production on the holiday episode followed a few months later,
in the early weeks of twenty twenty four festive period.
(05:50):
Since then, the Sussexes and Netflix have tried to head
fakers into thinking this was an ongoing production, but it
does appear to be as dead as an ex parrot
in the hands of John Cleese. The specials opening sequence,
a visit to a California tree farm which only operates
from mid November, offers the first clue. Later guests, Will
(06:10):
Gadara remarks that working on the show is one of
the first festive things he has done, reinforcing the early
season filming window. Royal watches are also observing. Meghan got
one detail wrong. The Duchess is seen assembling handmade Christmas
crackers for her family, selecting small gifts and personal notes
to place inside the decorated cardboard tubes. While festive crackers
(06:32):
are a familiar part of table settings across Britain, Meghan's
personalized approach differs notably from the traditional format. Ordinarily, crackers
are filled in advance and placed on the table without
regard to who will receive them. The contents are claimed
by whichever person ends up holding the center section when
the cracker is pulled, meaning there is no way to
guarantee who gets which item. In the UK, they are
(06:55):
typically purchased ready made, rather than crafted at home. Dagon, however,
a jointalize in tailoring each cracker. I love Christmas crackers,
she says, the toy not the kind you eat. And
I thought about filling them with things rather than just
random jotgegis. Think about who's getting them, What do you
want to put inside? Even a sweet little love letter,
a little note tucked. In filming with restauranteur Will, Meghan
(07:19):
reflects on how the tradition became familiar to her. When
Gadara asks whether she has been making them for long,
she replies, living in the UK, it's just such a
big part of He presses, Is it a big part
of culture there? Meghan continues for Christmas holidays, for sure.
Typically people cross arms and do it so you're round
the table and they will pull at the same time.
(07:39):
It actually does feel really connective and sweet. She also
recalls the typical contents they would always have almost a
fortune cookie sized joke or riddle and something sweet. In practice,
crackers traditionally contain a small trinket, a paper crowd, and
a joke rather than anything edible. Meghan's versions include several
personalized touches. For how Why, she prepares a cracker containing
(08:01):
a little love letter, a chocolate, and a paper hat,
while Archie receives a toy burger. She also adds confetti
to each one, another departure from the usual format. While
her segment is presented simply as an idea for viewers
to try at home, Meghan's more curated approach may seem
unconventional to those familiar with the long established British version,
where the surprise is left entirely to the moment of
(08:24):
the poll. In the Washington Post, Monica has writes, this
can't be the future Megan Markle envisioned. Wallace Simpson seems
like an entirely shady person, but from time to time,
I find myself thinking about the strange contours of her life,
which changed the course of British royal history. Nearly a
century ago, a divorced American on her second marriage, she
(08:46):
takes up with the King of England, who falls so
stupidly in love with her that when she gives up
her current husband, he gives up the throne. It's a
thrilling love story that quickly becomes a tricky problem because frankly,
there's not a lot of protocol for ex royalty. The
first solution is France, but then there are rumors that
the newly weds are kind of nazi Ish, so any
new strategy requires getting them as far as possible from
(09:08):
World War II. The next stop is the pre air
conditioning Bahamas, where Edward is appointed governor and Wallace volunteers
at the clinic and in photos always looks as though
this isn't quite what she signed up for. But what
if emia she had started a cooking show. Eight years ago,
we exported Meghan, a divorced American to marry a prince
who was at the time the world's most eligible bachelor.
(09:30):
When she showed up on television screens with the Royal family,
savvy and fashionable as all giddy up. Her presence made
it clear how dowdy the rest of them were, how
out of step. Meghan had a degree in international studies
from Northwestern, a successful television career, and a multicultural background
that more closely resembled Britain's growing demographics than the inbred
background of these bucktooth Buckingham residents. It truly looked as
(09:54):
though she might pull it off, saving this shambling dynasty
from itself. But one thing led to another, the paparazzi,
the tabloid whispers, the in laws, and soon Harry found
himself where his great uncle found himself nearly a century ago,
giving up his official place in the royal family so
that he could make a happy life with the woman
he loved. Once you have used the Royal family's private
(10:15):
lose at Kensington Palace, it's hard to know where you
fit into American society. It would be weird for her
to suddenly show up on USA Network dramedy again. What
she's going to go back to being a suitcase girl
on deal or No Deal? And then you have it?
Would you like to email us our addresses the palace
intriguet email dot com. Please follows on Spotify, Apple, the
(10:37):
Afterward Choice and leaves a nice review from joining the show.
I'm Mark Francis My thanks to John McDermott, This Palace
Intrigue and good t names
Callarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I'm
your host, Mark Francis. Meghan's Netflix Holiday special might not
be great television content, but it is great podcast content,
and therefore we encourage Netflix to sign Meghan up for
another five seasons. Speaking to Fox News, Digital, royal expert
(00:27):
Helena Child remarked, I believe Meghan aspires to be the
new American Royalty. However, although amusing, I can't believe the
American people take this seriously. She added that Meghan seems
to be living her best life as a fictional Boho
style princess and wannabe lifestyle guru, arguing that the program
focuses heavily on its host rather than the values typically
(00:48):
emphasized at this time of year. Her new holiday show,
no doubt, spotlights Megan and how special she is welcoming
her loved ones and making them feel comfortable. However, it
makes many here in the UK uneasy that at a
time when friends, family and giving are most important, she's
highlighting her own estrangement from the royal family. Royal commentator
(01:10):
Hilary Fordage suggested the new special reflects a deliberate branding exercise,
telling Fox, this looks like a deliberate attempt to forge
an American lifestyle princess brand. The Royal family won't comment,
they'll simply ignore it, but this commercialization will likely further
irritate Prince William. She noted that the tone differs markedly
from the duty focused royal message found in Princess Catherine's
(01:33):
faith based Carol service or the King's Holiday address, which
are rooted in themes of unity in public service. The
timing of the release places Meghan's special in close proximity
to the Princess of Wales's annual together at Christmas Carol
service won't help. Chard argued that Meghan's content stands in
contrast to the work of her senior royals. Meghan does
(01:54):
not live a life of service, she said, her holiday
show can't be compared to the British Royal family's work.
Princess Catherine's concert brings together sixteen hundred guests who have
shown love and kindness within their communities. King Charles heartfelt
Christmas broadcasts are messages of service and hope, very different
from Meghan's holiday show. She added, if Meghan creates public change,
(02:15):
we would root for Meghan, but Meghan's holiday show will
not be on the British Royal Family's radar. In case
you haven't seen the special yet, we'll spare you the trouble.
The fifty six minute program blends family rituals, personal reflections,
and a rare on camera moment with Harry, who appears
briefly during a kitchen segment. The special highlights a number
(02:36):
of the Duchess's holiday touch points. She revisits a British
tradition she adopted during her time in the UK, explaining,
living in the United Kingdom, it's just such a big
part of the culture over there. It does really feel
connected and sweet. Meghan assembles Christmas crackers for her family,
including personalized trinkets for Arching and Lilibet and a little
(02:57):
love letter Harry. Her children, though not featured on screen,
are central to several scenes. Megan chowse the oversized advent
calendars she has created for them, filled with handwritten notes
such as I love you because you're so kind and
I love you because you're so brave little findings. She adds,
hopefully we'll have these for quite a long time. A
(03:18):
tradition has to have a beginning, there is a strong
nod to her own upbringing as she prepares her mother,
Dria Ragland's Christmas Eve gumbo. My mum has been making
gumbo for Christmas Eve for years now, she says, describing
the recipe's Tennessee roots. Cooking alongside Tom Colichio, she reflects,
my mum's family is from Tennessee around Chattanooga. I love
(03:39):
soul food. Harry enters during this sequence, greeting Megan before teasing,
you must have known I was coming, and later joking
that her spicy aversion is so hot he can feel
it punching through the top of my head. He admits,
I'm not so sure it's as good as your mum's,
but it's certainly close. The couple also touch on Harry's
culinary dislikes. When Calichio presents a salad featuring Beats, Olive's
(04:01):
fennel and Anchovi's, Megan observes, if I gave you the
top things my husband hates to eat, they're all in here.
Harry later refers to it as the anti salad. The
program includes a quiet tribute to her late beagle and Guy,
with an ornament dedicated to him. Featured during a tree
decorating scene. For me, a tree is part of my
memory and love the holiday season, Megan says. She also
(04:25):
highlights a non negotiable Christmas morning brunch. I love the
tradition of Christmas Morning brunch. I do it every year
with my family. A gift wrapping segment offers a nod
to her early days working at the paper source in
Beverly Hills as she demonstrates techniques ranging from wax seals
to Japanese forushiki, and as she decorates hand painted cookies.
(04:46):
Later in the program, she reflects on the value of small,
quiet rituals. These small moments in between are the things
that are actually going to create the energy you want.
Take care of yourself and you'll be able to take
care of everybody else more. Palace just a moment. Viewers
(05:06):
have quickly concluded the special was not filmed this year.
The clearest indication comes from a brief appearance by Megan's
rescue beagle Guy, seen wandering through the Montecito property early
in the program. Guy died in January of twenty twenty five,
shortly before Megan announced his passing, describing him as the
best guy any girl could have asked for his cameo
(05:28):
confirms that filming occurred before his death, echoing the timeline
of seasons one and two, which was shot prior to
his loss and dedicated to him with a message in
loving memory of Guy. Both earlier seasons were filmed in
the late spring and early summer of twenty twenty four,
and production on the holiday episode followed a few months later,
in the early weeks of twenty twenty four festive period.
(05:50):
Since then, the Sussexes and Netflix have tried to head
fakers into thinking this was an ongoing production, but it
does appear to be as dead as an ex parrot
in the hands of John Cleese. The specials opening sequence,
a visit to a California tree farm which only operates
from mid November, offers the first clue. Later guests, Will
(06:10):
Gadara remarks that working on the show is one of
the first festive things he has done, reinforcing the early
season filming window. Royal watches are also observing. Meghan got
one detail wrong. The Duchess is seen assembling handmade Christmas
crackers for her family, selecting small gifts and personal notes
to place inside the decorated cardboard tubes. While festive crackers
(06:32):
are a familiar part of table settings across Britain, Meghan's
personalized approach differs notably from the traditional format. Ordinarily, crackers
are filled in advance and placed on the table without
regard to who will receive them. The contents are claimed
by whichever person ends up holding the center section when
the cracker is pulled, meaning there is no way to
guarantee who gets which item. In the UK, they are
(06:55):
typically purchased ready made, rather than crafted at home. Dagon, however,
a jointalize in tailoring each cracker. I love Christmas crackers,
she says, the toy not the kind you eat. And
I thought about filling them with things rather than just
random jotgegis. Think about who's getting them, What do you
want to put inside? Even a sweet little love letter,
a little note tucked. In filming with restauranteur Will, Meghan
(07:19):
reflects on how the tradition became familiar to her. When
Gadara asks whether she has been making them for long,
she replies, living in the UK, it's just such a
big part of He presses, Is it a big part
of culture there? Meghan continues for Christmas holidays, for sure.
Typically people cross arms and do it so you're round
the table and they will pull at the same time.
(07:39):
It actually does feel really connective and sweet. She also
recalls the typical contents they would always have almost a
fortune cookie sized joke or riddle and something sweet. In practice,
crackers traditionally contain a small trinket, a paper crowd, and
a joke rather than anything edible. Meghan's versions include several
personalized touches. For how Why, she prepares a cracker containing
(08:01):
a little love letter, a chocolate, and a paper hat,
while Archie receives a toy burger. She also adds confetti
to each one, another departure from the usual format. While
her segment is presented simply as an idea for viewers
to try at home, Meghan's more curated approach may seem
unconventional to those familiar with the long established British version,
where the surprise is left entirely to the moment of
(08:24):
the poll. In the Washington Post, Monica has writes, this
can't be the future Megan Markle envisioned. Wallace Simpson seems
like an entirely shady person, but from time to time,
I find myself thinking about the strange contours of her life,
which changed the course of British royal history. Nearly a
century ago, a divorced American on her second marriage, she
(08:46):
takes up with the King of England, who falls so
stupidly in love with her that when she gives up
her current husband, he gives up the throne. It's a
thrilling love story that quickly becomes a tricky problem because frankly,
there's not a lot of protocol for ex royalty. The
first solution is France, but then there are rumors that
the newly weds are kind of nazi Ish, so any
new strategy requires getting them as far as possible from
(09:08):
World War II. The next stop is the pre air
conditioning Bahamas, where Edward is appointed governor and Wallace volunteers
at the clinic and in photos always looks as though
this isn't quite what she signed up for. But what
if emia she had started a cooking show. Eight years ago,
we exported Meghan, a divorced American to marry a prince
who was at the time the world's most eligible bachelor.
(09:30):
When she showed up on television screens with the Royal family,
savvy and fashionable as all giddy up. Her presence made
it clear how dowdy the rest of them were, how
out of step. Meghan had a degree in international studies
from Northwestern, a successful television career, and a multicultural background
that more closely resembled Britain's growing demographics than the inbred
background of these bucktooth Buckingham residents. It truly looked as
(09:54):
though she might pull it off, saving this shambling dynasty
from itself. But one thing led to another, the paparazzi,
the tabloid whispers, the in laws, and soon Harry found
himself where his great uncle found himself nearly a century ago,
giving up his official place in the royal family so
that he could make a happy life with the woman
he loved. Once you have used the Royal family's private
(10:15):
lose at Kensington Palace, it's hard to know where you
fit into American society. It would be weird for her
to suddenly show up on USA Network dramedy again. What
she's going to go back to being a suitcase girl
on deal or No Deal? And then you have it?
Would you like to email us our addresses the palace
intriguet email dot com. Please follows on Spotify, Apple, the
(10:37):
Afterward Choice and leaves a nice review from joining the show.
I'm Mark Francis My thanks to John McDermott, This Palace
Intrigue and good t names
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