PRINCE Harry has been blasted as “product placement” after appearing in Meghan Markle’s new cooking show to bolster viewings, an expert claims.
The Duchess of Sussex has released a teaser for her new show, With Love, Meghan, with her husband making a surprise cameo in the trailer.
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Royal author Hugo Vickers slammed the cameo as a desperate bid for views and a promotion tactic.
He told The Sun: “It’s my suspicion is that it is crucial from the point of view of the show that he makes some sort of an appearance.
“The reason that we watch these things is because of him, because he’s Prince Harry – and she’s married to Prince Harry.
“So if you like product placement, there he was, the genuine prince.”
In the short clip, Meghan can be seen dancing in the kitchen and preparing various dishes.
She appears to be doing a plethora of relatable activities including making shopping lists and taking the dogs out.
Even the couple’s beloved Beagle, Guy, appeared in the teaser who passed away earlier this year.
The end of the footage shows Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, walk out the door holding shopping bags.
Hugo Vickers said that including a short clip of the Prince will pique the interest of royal-fans, giving the show even more publicity, that it wouldn’t necessarily get without the cameo.
Without Harry, the show or even Meghan Markle wouldn’t reach the heights of fame that it would do without him, according to the expert.
“I always thought when she married him that she probably had a little plan,” he added.
“He is the reason that she has the identity that she now has.
“I always thought that she was looking for global fame and she certainly got it.”
The cooking show is set to be released on March 4 after being delayed due to the Los Angeles fires and will offer eight 33-minute episodes.
However, the project has already received backlash from viewers who have accused the lifestyle series of ripping of Pamela Anderson‘s cooking show.
Pamela’s series Cooking With Love and the Princess’ show With Love, Meghan both share similarities with the royal slamming the latter for being a copycat.
Both shows have almost indistinguishable themes, shots, language and behaviours including almost identical opening sequences.
The hosts both walk into the garden, look at the plants before waving to the chefs and their loved ones to join them in the kitchen.
Audiences have wondered what makes the Princess’ show different to other lifestyle shows and are eager to see a more authentic side to Meghan.
Hugo Vickers said that pretty much everything will have been done before so she’s not necessarily to be blamed for the blunder but should have been more careful.
He added: “I do think the one thing the one thing that she’s got, which the others don’t have, is Prince Harry.”
Various Hollywood pals will visit Meghan’s place in the series and try her simple yet “elevated” food and listen to her cooking, gardening and hosting tips.
Amongst her famous pals will be Mindy Kaling, Daniel Martin and Meghan’s friend and Suits co-star Abigail Spencer – as well as the most prominent figure of them all, her husband.
Netflix described the series as the royal sharing “personal tips and tricks, embracing playfulness over perfection” and showing “how easy it can be to create beauty.”
“She and her guests roll up their sleeves in the kitchen, the garden, and beyond, and invite you to do the same,” the streaming service announced.
The show was announced shortly after Meghan’s brand As Ever was launched which sells a range of homeware items including jams, cocoa powder, and cocktail ingredients.
However, this also was not smooth sailing for the Royal as a Chinese clothing company and a New York-based store run businesses under the same name.
The branding issue prevented Meghan from selling clothes under As Ever and she even faced issues with the logo, which looked very similar to the flag of Majorca.
The mayor of Porreres in Majorca has revealed she is considering legal action over trademarking issue, supposedly mimicking the town’s centuries’ old coat of arms.
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