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After months of anticipation and one unexpected postponement, Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle show debuted on Netflix today.
As expected, With Love, Meghan has met with mixed reviews (more on that later), but the real measure of its success will be the sort of viewership numbers it delivers for the world’s largest streaming service.
Meghan and Prince Harry need a hit here, not only to keep their Netflix deal (thus far, only the first of the couple’s four projects has been a success), but also to prove that they’re still relevant and relatable to average Americans.
But Meghan might have forgotten about that part of the mission statement when she corrected friend Mindy Kaling on the proper way to address her in one awkward scene from the show.
Meghan Markle in a scene from her upcoming Netflix cooking show. (Netflix)
Meghan corrects Mindy for calling her by the wrong name
The eminently relatable Mindy seemed to understand the assignment, and she emphasized Meghan’s commoner side with remarks like, “People wouldn’t believe that Meghan Markle ate at Jack in the Box.”
But while that’s obviously how Meghan is most often addressed, it seems she’s not a fan of her maiden name.
“It’s so funny, too, that you keep saying Meghan Markle. You know I’m Sussex now,” Meghan said to Mindy before explaining how “meaningful” the name is.
“You have kids and you go, ‘No, I share my name with my children,’” Markle noted. “It just means so much to go, ‘This is our family name, our little family name.’”
Minkdy Kaling drops in on Meghan Markle on the latter’s new Netflix show ‘With Love, Meghan.’ (Netflix)
A contrite Kaling replied, “Now I know. And I love it.”
Perhaps anticipating the mixed reaction to that moment, Meghan addressed the name situation in a People magazine interview that came out just hours before the show’s premiere.
“I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H, and I all have together. It means a lot to me,” she said referring, of course, to son Archie, daughter Lilibet, and Harry.
“I think as the kids get older, they’re so excited about, ‘Oh my gosh, Mama and Papa, how did you meet?’ I think that will come with time as they get older, but for right now a huge part of our love story is that we share the name Sussex,” Meghan continued.
What’s in a name?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in a scene from her new Netflix show. (Netflix)
The name issue has been a source of controversy in the past, as Archie and Lilibet were initially denied the titles of “prince” and “princess.”
The kids were initially called Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.
Their titles were updated to Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex following Queen Elizabeth’s death and King Charles’ ascension to the throne.
As for the initial reaction to Meghan’s latest creative project, most of the initial reviews have been negative, but it’s worth noting that many of them come from the UK and appear to be politically motivated.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala 2024 at JW Marriott LA Live on October 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles)
For her part, Meghan mostly steered clear of politics throughout the eight-episode series, but as TMZ notes, she may have thrown some subtle shade in the final scene.
While toasting the success of the project, Meghan delivered a speech about “that creativity that I’ve missed so much.”
She also talked about how much she’s “missed California” and the fact that broken things “can be fixed, sealed, and healed.”
It’s not exactly a big middle finger to King Charles, but you can be sure that some folks are interpreting it that way.
Meghan Markle Corrects Mindy Kaling on How to Address Her During Awkward ‘With … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.