Meghan Markle is embracing all levels of holiday cheer with a one-off episode of her show, With Love, Meghan. In this special drop we get to see The Duchess of Sussex deck the halls, create festive feasts and get stuck into seasonal crafting. At first glance it may appear that the Duchess is allowing us into her home for all of this festive fun, but all is not as it seems…
Meghan has made the decision to film the episode at a rental property, the same as she did for her existing two seasons. She's come under some heat for this decision, reigniting an online debate about the authenticity of the setting. One Reddit user asking: "Kind of a silly question, but I'm genuinely confused; why did MM [Meghan Markle] not film at her actual house???" Although one fan did defend the choice, writing: "Having a film crew in the house for weeks on end would have been very disruptive to the family/kids." And she's previously revealed that this is the exact reason behind the decision…
© NetflixIn an interview with People, Meghan opened up about her choice not to shoot at her private home she shares with Prince Harry and children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
"I wanted to protect that safe haven," she explained in March 2025, when season one was released. "We're a close-knit family, and I love those moments - putting Lili down for a nap, having lunch together, having sacred time together at the end of the day. Our kitchen is where mama just cooks for the family, and with a crew of 80-plus people, that’s a lot of people to have in your house!"
Eagle-eyed fans will note that the couple also chose to film their interview segments on their Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, at a rental, rather than their own residence. However, there were equally lots of real looks inside their impressive $29 million Montecito family abode.
© JAKE ROSENBERG/NETFLIXWhere was With Love, Meghan filmed?
© NetflixThe $8 million mansion that is the backdrop to With Love, Meghan belongs to high society couple Tom and Sherrie Cipolla, according to Mail Online. Throughout the two series and the holiday special, the property's luxury rooms, amazing garden and extensive orchards are showcased. Most of the clips are shot in the kitchen which is a pretty outstanding space with Caesarstone countertops and shaker cabinets. We can see why Meghan chose it as a location for filming!
What is Meghan Markle's real kitchen like?
© InstagramWhile Meghan's real-life kitchen is not as modern or highly polished as the one on screen, her traditional cooking space inside her own mansion is still rather grand. I've written about a lot of royal and celebrity kitchens in my time at HELLO! and Meghan's is filled with A-list-approved features – an island with a beautiful rack for saucepans to be displayed above and a pot filler over the stove. The kitchen-diner has wooden cupboards, stone and blue tiles on the walls and plenty of space for cooking up a storm.
The kitchen doesn't appear to have changed much since Harry and Meghan purchased the house back in 2020, as it resembles the photo shown on Giggster, a rental platform where the property was featured before.
