Since stepping back from their royal duties in 2020, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have slowly but surely seen their inner circle get smaller and smaller. Once surrounded by a mix of royals and Hollywood A-listers, the Sussexes have been reportedly attempting to re-open the door on certain friendships, like with Victoria Beckham and John Travolta, without much luck. Still, it seems the two are making friendship moves in Hollywood, and some insiders claim that Markle’s upcoming cooking show on Netflix, which has already caught flack before a trailer has even aired, might be the Sussexes’ saving grace when it comes to widening their social circle of influence.
“Meghan really enjoyed being back in front of the camera. She was totally in her element, demonstrating her skills in the kitchen and sharing tips on how to be the perfect hostess,” a source noted to OK Magazine. For those who don’t know, Markle has plenty of TV experience under her belt. She was a suitcase girl on Deal or No Deal in the early aughts, and then she made her big break on the TV drama Suits, which has just finished filming its revival season.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have seen several high-profile friendships fizzle out or ended in ghosting. Markle has reportedly tried to fix her relationship with the Beckhams without any reply back. The Sussexes were also not invited to the Clooney Foundation’s annual Albie Awards in September 2023. George and Amal Clooney, who once defended Markle against media vilification, seem to have distanced themselves from the couple, just like other Hollywood A-listers. Markle’s efforts to secure A-list guests for her now-canceled Spotify podcast, Archetypes, were also pretty rough, and were met with a notable snub from Taylor Swift.
Despite these setbacks, it doesn’t seem like the Sussexes are doomed to be Hollywood social pariahs for eternity. The source claims that Prince Harry, along with tennis superstar Serena Williams and former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, might even pop by as guest stars on Markle’s new show. “It’s very likely a famous face or two will appear on the show in some form or another,” the source claimed.
PR expert Lynn Carratt weighed in on the potential impact of the series, stating that it will “provide a glimpse of her softer side as it celebrates the joys of cooking and entertaining friends.” She later noted that the Duchess “has gone from a woman with political ambition to making jam, so it will be great for viewers to get an inside track on where her passions lie.”
However, Carratt also voiced some reservations, worrying that “the documentary will showcase her seemingly perfect life, and the public may prefer a more relatable story.” And let’s be real, while the Sussexes might be dealing with a lot with the royal family and other public optics, the two do lead a fairly charmed life in one of the most expensive places to live in the continental U.S., so the concern isn’t completely invalid.
Still, cooking shows seem to speak to everyone, so maybe the Sussexes are on the right track if they’re looking to be embraced by Hollywood once again. Only time (and some guest stars) will tell.
Before you go, click here to see every single time the royal family shaded Meghan Markle and Prince Harry since they stepped down as royals. 
