Meghan insists she's not an influencer or tradwife as she opens up about Montecito life ahead of Netflix show
3 March 2025, 21:40 | Updated: 3 March 2025, 21:42
The Duchess of Sussex has opened up about the "learning curve" she experienced with her lifestyle series and brand, admitting there had been "tons of twists and turns".
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Speaking ahead of the launch of her Netflix show, Meghan said she did not identify as an influencer nor a tradwife - short for traditional wife.
She instead thanked those who "gave me the grace to make mistakes and figure it out".
With Love, Meghan airs on Netflix from this Tuesday after being delayed from January due to the LA wildfires.
The show is being seen as a make-or-break moment for the Sussexes, who signed a multi-million pound deal with Netflix in 2020.
Meghan renamed her lifestyle brand As Ever, switching from the name American Riviera Orchard just weeks before the launch after facing trademarking setbacks.
Read more: Royal aide who accused Meghan of bullying stands by his claim as he speaks out for the first time
"I appreciate everyone who gave me the grace to make mistakes and figure it out, and also to be forgiving with myself through that. It's a learning curve," Meghan told People magazine.
She described how there were "tons of twists and turns - even with the name", adding "I was figuring it out in real time."
Meghan also told how she had found making the series "super joyful", saying: "As a woman, a mom and a wife, to be able to find yourself again ... is a wonderful feeling."
On whether she was an influencer, Meghan said: "I see myself as an entrepreneur and a female founder, and if the brand ends up influential, then that's great."
But the duchess, who has been accused of promoting the tradwife trend, said she did not see herself as a tradwife.
She described how she liked to do a "hybrid" and detailed how she preferred to present takeaway food as beautifully as possible.
"I like being able to do a hybrid but even when I get takeout, I will try to plate it beautifully," she said.
Harry is understood to only make a fleeting appearance in the final episode of the eight-part series.
Meghan used to run a lifestyle website called The Tig before joining the royal family, which she used as a platform to discuss social issues such as gender equality in addition to articles on travel, food and fashion.
"Well, I loved The Tig, but I certainly love my husband more," Meghan said, adding she has spotted a "spark" in Harry's eye as he sees her returning to what she was doing when they first met.
Meghan also tells how her son Prince Archie, five, told her "Mama, don't work too hard" as he was sleeping next to her in bed.
Archie helped on with the clapperboard while visiting the set with Princess Lilibet and Harry, and some elements of the series were filmed in the Sussexes' chicken coop, garden and orchard.
The duchess has faced criticism over authenticity for filming the show inside a Californian farmhouse, rather than in her own Montecito home.
The magazine paints a picture of the Sussexes' family life in Montecito, with quiet lunch day dates between Harry and Meghan, the couple watching the series Shrinking, Black Doves and The White Lotus, and Meghan making friends with fellow mothers and having playdates.
