This has been rumored for months but we haven’t gotten a solid confirmation or announcement before now: The Duchess of Sussex is doing a cooking show! Not only that, but Prince Harry is producing a show about polo! For months now, industry sources have previewed Meghan’s eventual move to lifestyle/cooking, but we kept waiting and waiting for the official announcement. I even thought it would all come out as a package deal: a cooking show, a kitchen/cookware line from American Riviera Orchard, plus a “Meghan’s Montecito Kitchen” cookbook. Instead, ARO got soft-launched first, and then the cooking show, and we’re still waiting to hear about a cookbook!
Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry are cooking up two new projects with Netflix. Deadline can reveal that the pair have two non-fiction projects in production at the streamer. They form part of the overall deal that her and husband, Harry, The Duke of Sussex, signed with the company in 2020 via their Archewell Productions banner. The first series will see The Duchess, otherwise known as Meghan Markle, celebrate the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship.
It will be produced by Sony Pictures Television’s The Intellectual Property Corporation, which is behind series including Hulu’s The D’Amelio Show and A&E’s Leah Remini: Scientology & the Aftermath.
Selena + Chef’s Leah Hariton will serve as showrunner with Michael Steed, who has helmed episodes of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, directing. Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and Chanel Pysnik will exec produce for Archewell Productions alongside Hariton and Aaron Saidman and Eli Holzman for IPC. It comes after Meghan launched her new business venture American Riviera Orchard.
The second series follows the world of professional polo. Shot primarily at the U.S. Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida, at The USPA National Polo Center, the series will explore the world of the sport, which is known primarily for its aesthetic and social scene. It will pull the curtain back on the grit and passion of the sport, capturing players and all it takes to compete at the highest level. Prince Harry has been known as a keen polo player and is often photographed playing internationally. The series will be produced by Boardwalk Pictures, the production company behind series such as Netflix’s Chef’s Table, Pepsi, Where’s My Jet? and Sex, Love & Goop. Miloš Balać, who has worked on FX’s hit docuseries Welcome to Wrexham, will serve as showrunner.
Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will exec produce alongside Pysnik for Archewell Productions, with Andrew Fried, Sarina Roma, and Dane Lillegard exec producing for Boardwalk Pictures and Balać and Ian Samplin also exec producing. Both untitled shows are in early stages of production.
The polo show… my guess is that Harry is probably a fan of Netflix’s Full Swing and/or Drive To Survive, which delve into the worlds of pro golf and Formula 1, respectively. Harry thought “we could do that with polo!” I think that’s really cool, honestly. Tennis tried to create a Drive To Survive-like show with Break Point, but producers didn’t know what the f–k they were doing and they ended up platforming and whitewashing two of the most problematic abusers on the men’s tour. Polo is a great sport for this kind of docuseries treatment because polo is largely inaccessible to general sports fans, and the show could introduce a wider audience to the sport and actually grow the sport too.
As for Meghan’s show… she will “celebrate the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship.” OMG, she’s going to have friends over to cook with her and maybe we’ll see her gardens in Montecito! Y’all know Abigail Spencer will appear on the show.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks to guests at the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace in London on September 20, 2018.,Image: 534009010, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex helps to prepare food at the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace in London on September 20, 2018.,Image: 534009013, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Meghan (C), Duchess of Sussex helps to prepare food at the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace in London on September 20, 2018.,Image: 534009034, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex helps to prepare food at the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace in London on September 20, 2018.,Image: 534009087, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex helps to prepare food at the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace in London on September 20, 2018.,Image: 534009088, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (C) and Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex gather for a family picture during the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace in London on September 20, 2018.,Image: 534009189, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 21: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the Hubb Community Kitchen to see how funds raised by the ‘Together: Our Community’ Cookbook are making a difference at Al Manaar, North Kensington on November 21, 2018 in London, England.,Image: 534664062, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 21: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has a drink as she visits the Hubb Community Kitchen to see how funds raised by the ‘Together: Our Community’ Cookbook are making a difference at Al Manaar, North Kensington on November 21, 2018 in London, England.
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 21: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the Hubb Community Kitchen to see how funds raised by the ‘Together: Our Community’ Cookbook are making a difference at Al Manaar, North Kensington on November 21, 2018 in London, England.
SIGN ME UP to watch both of these!! I love horses and cooking and Meghan and Harry! So perfect!
Polo is rough on the horses. That’s all I’m going to say on the subject.
Agreed 🙁
I had no idea, but it would never occur to me to play this kind of game with horses. Also, the reason why it’s not widely accessible is because it costs a fortune to play polo. You need more than one of a specific type of horse, to start. But I like watching shows about things I don’t have access to, and I’m sure there is a whole polo world of people out there and it might be fun to get an insight into this scene.
Yes, I’m really disappointed that Harry is giving animal abuse a platform… Very sad.
But I’m really looking forward to Meghan’s show. Can’t wait!! They said it’s in the early stages of production, but maybe we’ll be lucky and it will come out in a few weeks/months! Finger’s crossed!!
This world is rough on horses, and keeping them is extremely expensive. Most people who work with horses love them. There are good and bad owners, but the horses that make it to the top ranks of polo love playing the game.
Polo clubs love saying that the horses love playing polo. Obviously, there is no objective data for making this assertion. And the ones which must be euthanized are never asked if they loved it.
There’s a lot to be said about how horses in polo, racing and showing are treated, abused and discarded once they’re too old. Very sad and shameful.
Do you know how many unwanted horses are sent to the slaughterhouse each year? It was 100k+ in the 1990s but is now down to the 20ks. If a horse doesn’t have a rich human being paying for it, there is no where for it to live. So you can’t just say, riding horses is bad when the alternative is death.
We all know whatever happens, randos will come out of the woodwork and talk about Harry and horse abuse while LOVING QE2 adoration of her race horses (and we know what happens to race horses). I know you’re a Harry fan, but this will become a bat, another bat.
No one here said riding horses is bad. I am speaking only about “polo ponies”.
Maybe Harry will address the concern over the perceived treatment of the Polo Ponies. Let’s not jump to conclusions…… Like the derangers
Yeah, I wonder if the polo series will find an audience. The level of wealth required to participate and the demands on the horses are each off-putting. Hard to get invested at an emotional level, for me anyway.
Not saying horses are not important, but Harry should only focus on this cause which is kids in AFRICA…I understand what is being said, but how much is a person supposed to do…plus stop giving derangers ideas to beat Harry with.
I am more concerned about some of the inhumane things that are done to humans.
Are you a horse owner?
I have no interest in horse racing, or indeed much knowledge, but surely the horses that go over the big jumps and are often shot because they have fallen have a much worse plight. This is a sport much loved and supported across the world. Also only accessible to the wealthy. Is polo worse? Not a criticism a genuine question.
Having ridden an x polo pony on 4 or 5 occasions I would highlight that they are a breed all to themselves also.
My friend is lucky enough to home retired polo ponies whenever she can.
A ride through a forest or along a beach on a polo pony is like nothing I had experienced on a ex thoroughbred racehorse.
Polo ponies are swift, competitive and will attempt to be the star of every occasion. Without encouragement.
I recognise that some owners are horrific and should be rightly dragged. I would also say for many teams top flight polo ponies are treated like gold and they in themselves are fearsome competitors.
Not a rider but one of my children was till we could no longer afford to compete… it gets very expensive as soon as they get good.
So my thought – which will not be popular – is that most horses don’t live an ideal existence even the ones who are not competing and well treated by a single owner. They are herd prey animals and would ideally be in a temperate climate roaming in pack not stuck inside a stall or a ring.
Have you ever known any “polo ponies?” I have and they were extremely loved. Yes, they are extreme athletes but most of them I’ve known have gone on to eating their heads off for the full 35 year span of their lives. You cannot generalize about horse care, it depends on the owner.
Thank you Agnes. I once had a couple of rich friends who played polo and believe me, their horses were spoiled, loved, fed very well and enjoyed a long retirement where they were ridden in the country for pleasure. They don’t go to the glue factory the minute their polo days are over. There are far more horses that get injured and put down at the Calgary Stampede every damn year. Go after the stampede organizers.
Yes, thank you. There are many, many bad things in horse sports but the smaller the sport, the better the animals fare, in my opinion. Polo is a pretty small sport. Thoroughbred racing is a very large sport. Last I’ll say about that.
This!
Look rising is hard on horse bodies but we live in polo country (Buenos Aires) and people who play polo are largely lovers of horses and dote on them.
I’m so excited for this series and I hope they film here!!!
Equally excited for the cooking show.
I took riding lessons once through my city’s adult ed. I had ridden, jumped… recreationally, not competitively, years before and figured basic class would be a good and low cost, low stress way to dip a toe back in.
The guy running it was a polo player and had a team he’d go south with in the winter, and played in matches in Hamilton nearby.
Most of the horses we rode were former polo ponies, though likely not the top ranked ones. I wouldn’t say they lived in luxury but were cared for well enough. One time towards the end of the class he had some of us “play” polo – a super basic slow version , basically walking or trotting up to the ball and trying to hit it and hoping it went somewhere near a teammate.
What was funny is that the horses were really into it and were chasing the ball around, sometimes breaking into a canter/gallop in this little ring. We were all laughing that basically all we had to do was stay on and try to hit the ball when our horses ran up to it.
Daughter of a farrier to a polo yard here…the stories he would come home with…polo ponies are treated as a disposable commodity in general. there may be a few exceptions, but the leg injuries they incur from this sport is extremily high and most yards will just put them down rather than invest in vetinary care as its cheaper. Polo ponies and racehorses get a raw deal. yes people can say theyre loved etc- but its the actual sport and the playing of the sport that does the most damage…if you love them you won’t play polo.
Like everyone I’m also excited. I’d love to learn more about polo. I have family who do a lot with horses and put a lot into their mutual love, but not polo since there’s really none in our area. Plus I do appreciate new recipes.
What’s up with all the names and companies working with them? They are unpopular in Hollywood. (s)
Every time they come out with an appearance with extremely powerful people or with a deal with extremely powerful companies I just laugh and laugh and laugh at the fools who insist everyone hates HM.
I’m going to go out on a limb & say that comment was (s)arcasm…but there are those detractors who find their way out of their hovels to say that the Sussexes are poison
Yay! It’s about time, I’m happy for them. This family is so charismatic, giving, warm and talented to be hiding in Montecito. They light up wherever they are, on screen or in person, their charisma and star power is unmatched. I’m so happy and thankful that we’ll get to watch and see more of them on screen. Well done!
It’s like getting “The Tig” back, in show form (minus the travel). Count me in! Can’t wait for the first airing!
Anna M your comment really nailed it. I’m looking forward to Meghan’s show more. see the above pictures of the cookbook launch and all the relaxed smiling faces. My God what fools the royal family.
@ One of the Mary’s, me too! I’m sure that their show alone will provide a lot of content for the Royal Rota and sustain or revive a bunch of careers. As you can see, they have nothing to write about on the remaining royals and many of the Rota are losing their jobs or moving to America chasing the star power couple, as correspondents, even after claiming that H & M are dull with nothing to write home about, 🤦♀️
OMG cooking, gardening and entertaining is all I love! I wanna see those dishes on beautiful table settings, garden cut flowers, home cooked meals and how she entertains her friends!!!!! And the dessert baking!!!!! Yay!!!! Candles and playlists!!!!
And a polo series is so refreshing, new and cool
Same! I can’t wait for it all! Gardening, yes please. Cooking and baking, yep. Hosting friends and entertaining, count me in! And just to see Meghan living her best, posh, loved-up life – I cannot wait. This is who she’s always been so I’m so happy she’s free to return to this life and that she’s inviting us all in for a small sliver of it.
I just came back to say again how excited I am. I love California cooking /food/lifestyle and I’m so excited to be able to watch someone whose values align with my own. I can’t wait!
She also has exquisite taste, so I know it’s going to be fabulous. Like seriously fabulous. Her kitchen her flower arrangements – it’s all so gorgeous.
bring on the embroidered linen and fresh, juicy SoCa lemons and olive oil!
In Miami this weekend the Royal Polo Club is doing a fundraiser for Sentebale.
The tickets will probably sell out in minutes. Plus the celebs who love them and want that royal shine must be falling over themselves to donate and be a part of anything they do, and I attend the F R too if I was in Miami.
I’ve started polishing my pots and pans in anticipation of the cooking/gardening/anything goes show.
I’ll be sharpening my (virtual) knives too…
… but only to hit back at Delulu Derangers.
It’s not like we’ve seen Meghan cook on live TV before – outside, in front of lots of people – with that creepy guy ML who has since been fired long ago.
Oh this is exciting, I love cooking shows. As a woman, cooking wasn’t something that was passed on to me. My mother and grandmother never had me in the kitchen with them. Or taught me anything. So even at my late age. I am still a chicken nuggie girl.
If I can take any knowledge from people that know what they are doing in a healthy way. That will be fantastic! And what better background is Montecito, CA.
I don’t know a thing about Polo but love horses so that will be fun to watch gorgeous horses and learn about this sport.
My mother was the same. We weren’t allowed in the kitchen with her because she didn’t want us underfoot. I encouraged my kids to help, or even to just watch and keep me company. My daughter is a fantastic cook, better than I am. We both enjoy having her kids help in the kitchen. They love it and learn a lot, not just how to mix and stir things.
My mum kicked us out of the kitchen too. My sister because an amazing cook, I did not. I cook two, maybe 3 dishes somewhat well, and just rotate them. I believe my son learned how to cook in self-defense. He’s a better cook, with more imagination than I.
So looking forward to this cooking show and seeing Meghan in her element doing what she enjoys. The same with Harry.
I can’t wait for Meghan’s cooking show. It’s going to be fun watching her and her all inclusive guests. Oh my goodness the horrible things the British tabloids are going to say about her.
Or they will say that Kate inspired her or she owes everything to Charles. Well, I guess they did inspire her to get the hell out of the UK, lol.
@MSIAM. Touché and LOL!
I’m excited for Meghan’s cooking/gardening/lifestyle show, and while I don’t know a thing about polo, I’ll watch that as well!
You just know that seeing Harry play polo (maybe with his Argentinian brother Nacho) will be the cause of much incandescent screaming and plate smashing over in Windsor.
Nacho may very well see a huge bump in international interest in him.
Architectural Digest did a story on his stables at his home in Argentina in 2017.
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/polo-champion-nacho-figueras-argentina-stables
I certainly hope they center a great deal of the series on Nacho…..I’m just saying.
@Becks1 – no kidding!
While looking for the AD clip, I came across a few Nacho did to publicize the annual VC Polo Classic. The first is a fun one from the Today Show last year (the match was held in NYC/Jersey City), which also mentions a program he’s involved with for at risk kids in Philly (I hope Harry talks about some of this):
https://www.today.com/video/nacho-figueras-talks-annual-veuve-clicquot-polo-classic-178986565780
But I find this one from 5 years ago that he did in LA with his wife Delfina really interesting. They’re not much older than H&M (all in their 40’s now) but at this point have been married 20 years. For anyone curious where Harry might have seen a healthy relationship modeled, outside his toxic family (and where that “list” might have come from!) here’s a clue. (They also mention H&M briefly.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7aPWgvk_K4
Cue William sobering up for a polo event in 3…2…
This is exciting.
I’m very excited to see what she will do with this.
This is such a great fit for her. We’ve been talking about a cooking show for her for years on this blog!
Food is clearly something she is passionate about and something she is comfortable with. Looking forward to seeing her recipes and her guests.
I’m less about the polo show(I don’t love what it does to animals) but I’m sure it will show the glamour of that world and sub culture.
Polo ponies are extremely well cared for, there’s money for it. They may not get the cuddles and spa treatment of a teenage girl horse barn, but they also don’t get abandoned when teenage girl goes to college. It really can’t be generalized though, it depends on the owner. Horses were meant to roam the plains, wild and free. Most enjoy the mental stimulation of the game.
Thanks for your comments, Agnes. You sound like you know horses. I had never thought about how sad it must be for a horse to lose their loving teenage girl to college. They are such sensitive and intelligent creatures. Heartbreaking. 💔
If you want to go after something that abuses horses and other animals, go after stampedes and rodeos. Each year dozens of horses are so badly injured in accidents at these events that they have to be put down. They are the true abusers of animals.
True. And unfortunately horses in history were bred to be war animals, from the mongol hordes thru the Romans and medieval cavalries. The idea of My Pretty Pony is a recent one.
I also don’t like rodeos.
I think people should be able to make measured comments without people jumping down their throats. This is a ton of “what aboutism”.
While i don’t know a ton about polo, my friends went to Argentina and spent some time watching games and learned a bit about the sport and people in the sport mentioned that it can be very difficult on horses. (Again why players have to keep several horses) So yeah. Hopefully, that also is covered in the series.
sunny it’s not jumping down anyone’s throat to have a different POV. Polo players keep strings of polo ponies so they can switch when the horse gets tired. Any kind of athletic work is hard on any body, human or animal. It’s a sport, and only animals with aptitude for it play it. It takes a ton of training and money to get to top level for both horse and rider. Responsible owners are not going to abuse some creature they’ve invested so much time, money, and love into to. Whether or not it’s “right” to ride a horse is the big question. But if they aren’t ridden, they aren’t bred or kept.
I had never heard of avocado toast until it became a Meghan thing. Didn’t even know what they were, in truth. LOL. Now whenever I have a few extra $$ for groceries, I include avocados. Never used to buy them.
Also, fell in love w/avocado/hard boiled egg mixture on toast. Huge Yummy!!
I’m excited! I wonder if it will actually film in her montecito kitchen? I’d guess it films somewhere else but idk how it all works. Either way, I can’t wait.
I wonder if she’ll do it like the Pioneer Woman/Ree Drummond does – she uses another building on her property for all her filming and all her cookbook photos (if you look back at her first cookbook, most of the pictures are from her “real” kitchen.) We went out there years ago and someone who works on the ranch was there (they cycle in to make it feel authentic I think, lol) and he made a comment about the lodge like “don’t think they’ve ever cooked a meal in here” – meaning it was a set, nothing else.
Meghan has that guest house on her property so maybe she’s had that kitchen designed for the show (if it has a kitchen?) or my guess is if she uses her actual main house kitchen, it will be fairly sterilized for the shooting – no family pictures, fridge completely cleared of magnets, etc.
Or maybe not? Who knows? We’ll find out soon enough!
I do hope it’s separate. Can’t help but think it would feel like when you’re selling your house and have to keep things perfect for showings. Always feels like the house is already half-sold, not your own.
I’d love it to be filmed somewhere at their montecito space just bc it looks gorgeous. But at the same time, I could see wanting a separation of filming and home. Maybe somewhere close by with a similar vibe? I don’t cook much but I’m gonna watch it and who knows? I don’t think anyone but Meghan could get me trying though. I’m greedy though. I’m hoping for a suits reunion with Meghan cooking with them and inviting them for dinner. And I also want a travel/food show with Meghan and Harry at some point😂
We’ve already seen snippets of her real kitchen with Ashleigh and Archie making cookies. But I agree with others that it’ll be a set kitchen somewhere on the property. That makes the most sense so it can be set up exactly in the way she’ll need for filming a TV show.
I would imagine it would be less disruptive to your regular life to film elsewhere.
The polo show sounds interesting. I don’t know anything about polo, so I’m curious to see it.
Like any sport, I’d rather watch it on TV than in person, so I can have better views! Plus, BTS stuff is always fascinating.
Very happy about this. I love cooking shows and am looking forward to one that’s not about competition (using eels and licorice, you have 60 seconds to make a 4-star dessert – go!!). I’ll watch the polo show, too.
Yeah, I feel new cooking shows are becoming increasingly rare, and in general I miss them. Show me trained chefs cooking and how they are cooking etc – the competition shows are getting old.
I’m so looking forward to the cooking show and the friends she’ll have around cooking and enjoying delicious meals in beautiful surroundings. Chef José Andrés? The cast from Suits? Serena? Priyanka? Padme? Nacho? There will be a total jealous meltdown and throwing of pots and vases in wherever Will and Kate are.
I hope the KP staffers stock up on pillows because the Wailses are going to burn through them at a rapid pace.
And I cannot WAIT for the meltdown. Heads will explode all across Salty Isle, and I’m here for it.
Them: 🤯😠
Me: 🤣😏
I can imagine Meghan and her guests enjoying all kinds of delicious meals and pastries, most of which Kate probably can’t or won’t even touch. Sharing good food with friends is a joyful event. I doubt Kate knows such joy.
I’m excited for both Meghan and Harry. I actually never considered thought enough about polo being bad for the horses though. I am all about animals. The only thing I could see positive about the sport and animals is that I’m sure the horses are loved and get a lot of attention from trainers?? I would hope so. I don’t know enough about the sport or how they go about it.
Anyhow, besides that I am truly happy for them both. I’m glad Meghan is able to do what she is passionate about. Get ready for the British media screams. And William is going to be trying to compete again. It will be interesting if Khate somehow resurrects from the “dead” to try and come out and copy/compete with Meghan. Somehow, I doubt it this time.
Unfortunately, if horses don’t have a “job,” they usually can’t be kept alive. There are few wild places for them. They are extremely expensive to keep, even at a so-so Midwestern barn the board is now almost 1k a month per horse. Hay costs, labor costs, land for grazing costs, truck and tractor costs, a million etcetera costs. Unless you own your own farm and can keep a few for lawn ornaments… Even then, you can NEVER leave them unattended, say goodbye to vacations. Most people who say horses are abused by various horse sports have never had a thing to do with the actual upkeep of horses.
Thank you for pointing this out. I am not a horse person but my sister is. She did barrel racing in rodeos with her horse. He is now retired, and she would have to pay a ridiculous amount to keep him at the ranch he lives at in his retirement. Instead, she works there part-time, and that work pays the fees that normally she would have had to pay for his upkeep.
H, yes it’s a total decades-long commitment to own a horse! They aren’t portable like dogs, even with a 80k horse trailer! I’m glad your sister gets to be with her horse still.
Couldn’t care less about the polo show (I hate horse racing for being so dangerous for horses but no idea about their health impacts from polo).
But yessss to a Meghan cooking/lifestyle show. Congrats to us, we manifested this!
Every horse sport can potentially harm the horse (and human): barrel-racing, cow work reining, show-jumping, dressage, eventing, trail-riding. But the bond between horse and rider is magical otherwise some people would not be horse-crazy.
🙂 Decades ago my dad dated a barrel-racer. I remember going out to her place to go riding, but none of us were allowed near that barrel racing horse! That horse was special! And it was beautiful! I remember another friend who had a 30th birthday party for her horse. To be so lucky to have Tosh in her life all those years was really something special.
I did dressage and the relationship is on par with our dogs. Just pure love and a lot of money.
Horse and Hound (lol the Julia Robert’s movie!) explains, “ The point of dressage is to demonstrate harmony and trust between horse and rider, which is achieved using correct, gentle training. The FEI, the international governing body of horse sport, has rules in place to ensure that any training methods that could compromise horse welfare are not permitted.”
I also turned a trainer in who was too rough on her horses. Most of us though absolutely loved our babies.
I’ve never loved anyone as much as I’ve loved my horse, including my husband! And he knows that lol. I think the general public’s idea of “having a horse” doesn’t touch on the work and time and resources involved. People involved in any horse sport know, and they do not take horses for granted, and I’ve only met two or three abusers. It’s like parenting, there’s always going to be a-holes.
@Agnes My daughter has a rescue horse, who we both love and adore. She was so underfed when we brought her home, she looked like a weanling instead of the almost 16 month old she supposedly was.
We have loved and coseted her until she grew tall and healthy!
If we didn’t have land, we couldn’t do it. But she will always be cared for. ♥️
People don’t understand the investment in time and money any horse is. But so worth it.
I am looking forward to learning more about Polo and yes horses need mental stimulation of jobs, or tricks etc.
A smart horse left alone is a danger to themselves and others. Boredom creates opportunities for injury.
Thank you for your thoughtful posts.
@Doppelgangers I’m so glad you rescued your horse! I’m really excited to see the horses in this polo series. THEY will be the real stars! Though watching Nacho in action won’t be too hard to bear, either 😉
I am so excited for both of these. Meghan’s show seems to me that it will kind of have a Barefoot Contessa vibe, or a Giada at home (whatever that show of hers was), where she’s cooking for a dinner party and there’s a scene at the end where everyone is eating, but maybe more focus on the entertaining part of it? I am super excited though.
The polo show sounds interesting and like a natural fit for Archewell given Harry’s experience with the sport. I’m laughing at all the derangers insisting Meghan doesn’t know anything about polo…..uhhh, but Harry does, and he’s also involved??
Maybe it’s different when you’re rich and beautiful, but the idea of someone filming me in my kitchen when I’m preparing for a dinner party is horrifying. I’m a mess, my kitchen is a mess, there’s always some minor disaster that needs addressing at the last minute.
I’m excited about the director though. Parts Unknown is still one of my favorite shows.
LOL, well its still obviously staged! this isn’t going to be a reality show with the Kardashians trying to chop cucumbers or whatever (was that Kendall? I never watch any of their shows but that one pops up into my algorithms and I have to watch it every time because Kris’s “you go girl” gets me every.single.time.) so I expect it to have the same kind of vibe as Ina or Giada where they’re like “oh and I just wandered to the garden and cut this bouquet and look, the table is perfect!”
Or who knows, maybe we will see Meghan and her kitchen in total disaster mode! lol.
It’s definitely different when you’re rich! And I agree with Becks that it’ll be aspirational and not a reality show (and not even as much behind the scenes as we saw in their Netflix special where Meghan was in her robe or no makeup or whatever).
It’s making me think of all the pictures we have of Meghan in Toronto walking home from purchasing flowers where both Meghan and the flowers are looking gorgeous. I think that’ll be the vibe.
I actually worked on a cooking show several years ago and all of the food was pre made and some of it is fake because food doesn’t photograph well.
They just film the host cooking and talking, behind the scenes there’s tons of people working to make it look effortless!
I know much about polo as a sport and never had much interest, but will still play the show episodes, whether I find it interesting or not, just to contribute to ratings. I’m petty in both big and small ways.
All I know is I want the Rosser brothers to make an appearance (or several), because hot DAMN, between them and Harry’s real brother, Nacho, I am a FAN!
But even if they don’t, I’m petty too and I’ll be watching to boost Harry’s ratings and contribute in my small way to the incandescent raging of one cracked Huevo, stomping his eggcup.
I’m so excited to see Meghan’s cooking show! I’m not much of a cook myself but maybe I’ll be inspired to cook more by Meghan. Harry’s show on polo also looks quite interesting. I’m sure there are plenty of pillows being thrown over on Salty Island. Harry and Meghan just keep shining and prove Love Wins!
I have visions of Meghan wandering California orchards picking fruit with the sun streaming through the trees, then driving back to her kitchen to whip up a tart, with her exquisite voiceover telling me how to roll a crust and slice a pear/apple/peach into paper thin slices. And the polo show? YES.
After seeing that clip of Meghan cooking on the Today show, I am SO EXCITED for this because she does California food – fresh with good spices and pretty easy going. Her food looks amazing and I miss California food style so much!
Hopefully we can buy some of the food items from ARO too. I’ve never enjoyed any of the cooking shoes because they’re so much about personality and I just didn’t mesh with the people but this is my jam. (Pun intended for the ARO jam pundits and critics.)
Our girl is now 100 percent of herself. It’s wonderful to see her life blossomed and glow with happiness and contentment
I think that is what I am most excited for.. we get Meghan back. The real Meghan no longer the abused broken princess that had to flee for her safety and sanity, we will see the healed Queen in her element. I will always support this woman in everything she does just to keep her safe from that family.
The show runner and producer choices make sense. THIS is getting in the groove!
And you don’t create teams like this overnight. This is how things actually get done. I do love a cooking show, and I’d be interested in the polo just because it’s a world I know nothing about.
Into veg gardens at the moment so I hope this means we’ll get a look at theirs in lovely Montecito, and get some ideas.
Congrats to Meghan and Harry! Maybe it will finally dawn on some folks that the Sussexes are too booked and busy to “miss” certain folks or feel “sad”. But probably not.
Given Meghan’s attention to detail and privacy, pretty sure she will be cooking at another location- not her home. Maybe that “set” is already built and ready to go. Also thinking- maybe the Sussexes have already invested in a nearby farm/orchard to help source their produce. So exciting!!
Yes to all of this. Go Meghan! And Polo players (harry, nacho, ++) are handsome. This could kick off new trends and attract all kinds of new audiences for them. Reminds me of netflix F1 and premier league soccer documentaries. Wonder if it will be backstories too. Anyway, hope they show how well the horses are cared for too.
I cannot wait for Meghan’s show!! She is so down-to-earth and fun and genuinely seems to love good food — it will be great to see her hanging with people who love and appreciate her …
OK facts snout polo ponies, they are treated better than a lot of humans, and those that travel the world, travel in style. When the series drops a couple of things will happen. You will see Harry in his element and learn how knowledgeable about polo he is.
You will also see derangers accuse Harry of mistreating his polo pony and cutting its sides with his spurs!, that crap started to circulate the minute he left the Royals and played in his first match after leaving them behind. It took the vet, (there are always 2 vets and animal ambulances on stand by incase a horse has an accident)
The vet wrote an article about it saying (in a polite way) that they were talking absolute shit, the horse was injured in a collision with a fence, Harry stopped the minute he saw his polo pony was hurt and wouldn’t ride it again, also, there are NO ACTUAL spurs, the shank is there for decorative purposes in a top flight tournament but there are no spinners on them.
Thanks Mary Pester — the people who are squealing loudest about how cruel and dangerous polo is to horses clearly know nothing about it. They should vent their anger on stampedes and rodeos, dozens of horses are badly injured and put down every year at these godawful events.
Mentioned above about AD doing a piece on Nacho’s Argentinian stables. Here’s a video of what it looks like. Obviously, not every facility (or owner) is like this, but it’s an amazing (and expensive!) set up and as MP points out, the horses get top notch treatment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed236d6OLbA
Here’s a useful quick summary about the game. Nacho’s stable was built to house 40+ horses (enough for a team of 4 riders). Players use multiple mounts per match, because they change horses after each 7 1/2 minute section.
https://kingfamilyvineyards.com/the-game-of-polo/
I know surprisingly little about polo for someone who grew up literally within walking distance of the polo field at Bethpage (you’d have to climb the fence first, which at the time wasn’t hard, my brothers did it to go sledding in the park), but didn’t realize it as polo wasn’t something people aspired to in my neighborhood! It was the golf courses that were the big deal (saw the 2002 US Open there held for the first time at a public course).
Looking forward to Harry’s polo piece as well as Meghan’s cooking show.
Thank you for sharing the link Windy River! I think I almost teared-up watching the film about Nachos stables. Wow.
Thank you for this.
I swear to GOD Meghan has become the queen of teasing!! She announced a podcast deal but we don’t know what the podcast will be about. ARO goes live with a quick 10 sec clip and we get hints of cooking and gardening. Now this announcement about cooking/gardening/entertaining show???? The curiosity and anticipation is driving me crazy!
LOLOLOL go ahead Duchess keep torturing us. I have no choice but to remain seated and wait until you are ready to take my money.
There’s probably a million things Kate can’t and won’t eat but I fully expect tabloids to soon write articles on how Kate cooks and eats food too dammit!
Oh but she makes chutney for Xmas presents!
Chutney!! Curry!!
ROAST CHICKEN!!!!!!!!!!!
lmao for days.
Cooking with my Suit friends please 🙏
I am so happy for The Sussexes. CONGRATULATIONS! Makes me excited for ARO!!
You can tell that she really enjoys cooking and hosting from her previous life before marrying PH, even that her very first project as a new member of the RF was about the joy of cooking and how it brings people together in a time of sorrow. I wonder if we will see some of the ladies from Grenfell and a cooking moment with them with updates! I am sure knowing how Meghan approaches projects there will be some uplifting and giving back to the community aspect of the show! There is a void for a show like this on Netflix and I hope we get to see some dynamic cooking/foodie cultures from the commonwealth- parts that don’t usually get the spotlight! Just a few weeks ago we were watching Eva Langoria’s searching for Mexico food series and we said it would be awesome if Meg did a show like that but including the Commonwealth!
Curious to see BTS of the world of Polo, again there is void for this, the sport can benefit as F1 did. The show runner for this Polo series is perfect! I read somewhere that search interest in Polo in the US went up when H and N were doing the summer polo series in Santa Barbara and when they played in Singapore , so this direction aligns with the data! It will elevate Sentabale as well!
A tiny part of me is always sad as they keep moving forward in their lives and further away from the RF that they will never be working members of the RF. just because I really did love their Royal Tours, the tours were always so holistic, electric, and engaging and you ended up learning so much about the places they visited. like I never followed royal tours before until theirs. Back then I was hoping to see them do tours in the Caribbean , India and Asean regions just to see how they would connect with the people. BUT I know, I know, I know it is not a healthy setup as TBF, giving that the institution is based on inherited hierarchy, their star power was just too strong for the BRF, even at their dimmest they would outshine as people are drawn to them and natural human jealousies and reactions from others would set in. It’s just with the thomas putnam-styled royal media who played on those natural jealousies of the others for headlines , amplified all that and took it to a very nasty nasty place that just sowed so much division. I can’t imagine how dependent they would have been on others for monetary support if they had stayed. I really respect their grit to go out , full face in the wind of hate against them to carve out something for themselves. Succeed or Fail, I am rooting for them! Time will be on their side- the arc of the moral universe is long, but it always bends toward justice.
Predictions that will come true: The British Media, British critics, and royalists will trash them, there will be outlandish speculations about how everyone working with them are unhappy with diva ways, their articles will be binary, cue them saying something snobby about pursuing commercial endeavors as royals while the articles will be simultaneously supporting other royals doing commercial endeavors, so no need to even read the British outlets NOR the comments below the announcements on social media. No longer consuming speculative media.
I am ready for positive season by just consuming the content!
All of this Foodiejoy . She doesn’t have to hide her light so that others higher in the pecking order can shine . And when Meghan is on screen, in her element, talking about things she loves , glowing with happiness ..she will be such a star . That’s when you watch the incandescent ones imploding with frustration because they cannot stop her anymore . And Harry looks so good on a horse , that his brother will bust a gasket trying to keep up . Ignore , do what you do best . With your combined charm , grace, heart and talent , you are unbeatable ..we are all thrilled to be able to see more of Harry and Meghan
I echo everyone’s excitement about Meghan’s cooking show. What I find especially cool about this though is that this is *exactly* the direction Meghan was headed even before Harry. She already had a successful lifestyle brand and was exploring her next move after Suits. She was always going to balance a lifestyle brand with her humanitarian interests. She and Harry formed a power couple, but I defy anyone to argue she’s capitalizing on the BRF with this move. Unlike, you know, all them pesky minor royals.
Now I am a huge fan of Meg but I really wish she wasn’t doing this at this point. Maybe later but right now it’s going to make her a huge target for ridicule. I think her ability to appear and disappear with only very important events was perfection. This is going to be an overshare and walking right into daily exposure to the RR and into her life. Also it’s over saturated as it is with cooking shows and maybe if it was connected to a charitable cause at the same time it would be more on brand. I think it’s a notch down to where is now.
I hope Megan does a zoom peice with some of the Grenfell disaster ladies she spent time cooking with, or features some of the recipes from the book she had published for them, full of their recipes es and it raised a hell of a lot of money for the Grenfell disaster fund.
Sidenote, bone then produced a coffee table book of “pictures °😂😂
yupyup, I don’t know why this is viewed as a ‘notch down’. I think it’s a great fit for Meghan, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it is done. Meghan believes food is something that brings people together–and it does. I have a feeling there’s more to this than cooking.
@Saucy&Sassy great point. Maybe is sound like run of the mill cooking show but then she will Meghan it up and make it more then it sounds and I still hope it spotlights her causes and her charity work in some way. Something that sets a new bar for cooking shows. It’s so meh right now. I miss Anthony B.
I wish people stop victim blaming. Even if Meghan stays silent for the rest of her days, the tabloids are gonna write about her, they don’t care about the truth, if they don’t have any info, they are gonna write lies like they always do. Meghan shows a great example of not caring about liars and haters and living your best life. She is gonna do what she wants to do like any free person in this world. Not every thing she does is gonna be charity because like all of us, she needs to make money for her family’s future and safety. 24/7 security isn’t cheap and not everyone working in Hollywood can afford it. I stopped clicking hate news a long time ago, if you do that too, all you are gonna see a woman doing a job in entertainment business.
Yeah and I’m getting sick of it. Meghan and Harry can’t control the tabloids or the RF’s insane jealousy.
They’re moving on with their fabulous lives and I’m sorry but it’s not a step down at all to do a lifestyle type show. Lol. Like Serena does a cooking show. Like stars do.
Well said comment👏🏽👏🏽 thank you SevenBlue!
Will u promise one thing: that you will keep this nic so that when M’s projects are unveiled later in the spring & everyone sees the superlative success, as are all M’s projects (which u wd know if u knew anything about he r)that you will return here, suitably chagrined and eat crow in front of us all.
Pretty please? 🙄
It’s exactly in line with a lot of her projects before she met Harry. I still love reading her restaurant recommendations and recipes (you can find them reproduced on various blogs).
So I see no reason why it’s a notch down or oversharing. It’s just cooking, lol.
No,matter what she does bots and derangers will criticized she can’t live in a way that she would be afraid of what the usual critics say about her. She could not even pose for a trophy presentation without the dm going at it.
Desperately waiting for the article on H&M’s new polo outing photos so we can fangirl over that AMAZING outfit!
I know, right!! So glamorous!! This applies to them both at that polo outing. Glam personified.
Counting the hours!
I am super excited about the cooking show and her home brand. I tried one or two of her recipes in the past, and I am not much of a cook, but they turned out outstanding. As in I made some for mother and she hid the leftovers from the rest of the family. This is going to rock my world.
It is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, not Duchess Meghan.
She is Duchess Meghan, Princess Meghan and like Diana, a Queen of our hearts
It absolutely kills some people that She is still HRH lol
Ashley, actually, I believe it is Meghan The Duchess of Sussex.
One thing we can say who don’t live in the UK is that we can call her whatever we choose to. We’re not hemmed in by history requiring us to say something specific.
I am totally here for Meghan as the next Martha Stewart, and if it makes the British press and a bunch of racists angry, I’ll be even happier to support her out of anti-support for them.