Meghan Markle described how she likes to spend Christmas morning in her new Netflix special with Prince Harry making a surprise cameo to joke about her cooking
12:01 ET, 08 Dec 2025Updated 14:24 ET, 08 Dec 2025
Meghan Markle has been very vocal about her discontent while living in the U.K., but there is one tradition she did like, which came up during her recent holiday special on Netflix (Image: Netflix)
Meghan Markle revealed her genuine feelings about one significant element of her royal life in her new Christmas-themed Netflix special, with numerous royal observers highlighting her frank revelation.
The Duchess of Sussex’s holiday program debuted on the streaming platform last week, featuring Meghan alongside various celebrity guests as they enjoyed festive-themed crafts and cooking to mark the Christmas season. Prince Harry even popped up, stopping in the kitchen on the day of filming to give his wife a quick smooch.
During a segment creating Christmas crackers from scratch, Meghan made a reference to when she was a working royal in the U.K., reports the Mirror.
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Though Meghan’s time as a working royal is now well in the past, she acknowledged in the show that annually she takes inspiration from one significant experience of celebrating the festive period in the U.K.
She enjoyed two Christmases at Sandringham in 2017 and 2018, and while hosting restaurateur Will Guidara, she explains that they are going to create their own customized Christmas crackers. Christmas crackers are made from a cardboard tube that is twisted at the ends, and when pulled, they make a snapping sound, with all of the goodies inside spilling out.
Meghan may not have been keen on royal life, but she fell in love with the tradition of Christmas crackers (Image: Netflix)
Going into the DIY craft, Will wasn’t all that familiar with Christmas crackers with Meghan stepping in to explain.
She said, “Living in the U.K., it’s a big part of the culture for sure.”
She added, “Typically, people cross their arms and do it. So they sit around the table, and they all pull at the same time. The way that I started to know them was they’d always have some sort of fortune cookie-size joke or riddle. And something sweet.”
While Meghan has frequently mentioned aspects of her royal life that she found challenging, former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror that the Duchess’s admission indicates that she had some pleasant memories during her time as a working royal.
Jennie said, “It’s nice to hear her reminisce quite fondly about at least part of her time in the U.K.. I don’t think she’s sending out any particular message by talking about Christmas crackers at the dinner table, but it’s good to know that there were at least moments in her life as part of the Royal Family that she enjoyed.”
Harry also made a special appearance in the Christmas-themed episode — his longest cameo in any of Meghan’s Netflix shows — joining in to make playful jokes about his wife’s cooking.
Toward the end of the episode, Harry shows up as Meghan prepares holiday-themed dishes with Top Chef judge Tom.
He shares with the Duchess how it has become a tradition in his family on Christmas Eve to make a special salad containing beetroot, black olives, and fennel.
Meghan laughs as she discloses that they are all flavors she loves but seldom eats, as all of those foods are not to Harry’s liking. And just as they put the final touches on the dish, which also includes anchovies and pickled vegetables, Harry arrives in the kitchen, greeting her with a kiss.
Meghan also prepares gumbo, revealing that it has become a family tradition for her mother, Doria, to make the dish on Christmas Eve. After sampling it, Harry declared, “It is delicious, I’m not so sure it’s as good as your mum’s, but it’s certainly close.”
Meghan responded with: “What!” as Harry laughed, to which she added: “My mom will love you for that. What a good thing to say about your mother-in-law.”
According to Jennie, Harry’s brief but genuine appearance in the program demonstrates his steadfast support and pride for the career Meghan has built since the couple stepped back from Royal duties in 2020.
The royal expert explained, “I think it would be rather odd if Harry hadn’t made an appearance in a show that’s all about family and fun at Christmas. He only shows up briefly, but I think it’s an indication that he’s fully supportive of Meghan’s new career and proud of what she’s achieved.
“I don’t imagine she had to work too hard to persuade him to take a cameo role, as they still strike me as a very happily married couple who want to support one another.”