In a move that surprised exactly no one, Meghan Markle celebrated her 44th birthday on August 4 and managed to upstage herself with a new photo, a product launch, and a casual sidestep of cooking show controversy, all before finishing her birthday bubbles.
The Duchess of Sussex’s lifestyle brand As ever marked the occasion with a freshly minted, previously unseen photo of Meghan sporting a breezy linen dress and a wide-brimmed hat. With the caption, “She pours her heart, vision & magic touch into every detail,” which is how most people describe their efforts at brunch, but okay.
In true multi-tasking duchess form, the post also announced a major As ever update, because birthdays aren’t just for cake, they’re also for commerce. Subscribers were alerted that the wildly in-demand 2024 Napa Valley Rosé (a wine so exclusive it apparently evaporated within an hour last time) would be available again on August 5. Also returning soon: fruit spreads, teas, shortbread mix, and honey, aka the bougiest pantry imaginable.
“There is so much to celebrate,” the brand’s email chirped, “Cheers to birthdays, a new vintage, and the last golden weeks of summer.” Yes, summer is ending, but fear not: your cupboard will be restocked just in time for emotionally-driven tea drinking in September.
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As for how Meghan actually spent her birthday? The Sussexes were reportedly spotted at a local beach with their son, Prince Archie, age six, who was having surf lessons. Nothing says “laid-back California royalty” like catching a few waves before mom’s rosé drop.
Meanwhile, in a subplot no one asked for but everyone is vaguely curious about, Pamela Anderson has weighed in on claims that With Love, Meghan, the duchess’s Netflix lifestyle show, is suspiciously similar to Pamela’s Cooking with Love, which aired earlier this year on Amazon. The two shows do share some similarities: both feature cooking, friends, and aspirational vibes. One was shot at Pam’s home on Vancouver Island, the other at a rental farmhouse conveniently close to Meghan’s Montecito palace.
Asked about the alleged copycatting on Watch What Happens Live, Anderson scored the duchess’s supposed plagiarism at a “one” out of ten and shrugged, “I didn’t invent cooking shows.” Touché, Pamela. Cooking shows existed long before both duchesses and baywatchers.
Season two of With Love, Meghan is expected to hit Netflix in September, assuming the platform and the Sussexes renew their rumoured five-year, $150 million deal, which expires next month. Will they re-sign? Will Meghan release another flavour of jam? Will Prince Archie master surfing before kindergarten?
Only time, Instagram, and carefully curated press releases will tell.
Images: Netflix
