5 Shocking Reasons Why 'With Love, Meghan' Season 2 Ratings Tanked On Netflix

The highly anticipated second season of Meghan Markle's lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan, has reportedly delivered a significant blow to the Duchess of Sussex's standing at Netflix, with viewership numbers suggesting a sharp decline from its debut season. As of December 18, 2025, the latest data circulating among industry analysts and media outlets paints a picture of a series struggling to find its footing amidst a crowded streaming landscape and intense public scrutiny, raising serious questions about the future of her multi-million dollar deal with the streaming giant.

The show, which focuses on the Duchess's passion for cooking, gardening, and entertaining, premiered its second season to much fanfare but failed to capture the audience momentum needed to secure a coveted spot on the Netflix Top 10 list. The disappointing performance of the second installment, following the initial mixed reception of Season 1, has become a central talking point in discussions surrounding the commercial viability of content produced by Archewell Productions.

Meghan Markle: A Quick Biography and Production Profile

Before diving into the ratings debacle, it’s essential to understand the person and the production company behind the series, which provides context for the immense pressure surrounding its performance.

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• Full Name: Rachel Meghan Markle
• Title: Duchess of Sussex (by marriage to Prince Harry)
• Date of Birth: August 4, 1981
• Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
• Education: Northwestern University (Theater and International Relations)
• Early Career: Actress, best known for her role as Rachel Zane on the legal drama Suits (2011–2018).
• Royal Status: Married Prince Harry in 2018; stepped back as a senior working member of the Royal Family in 2020.
• Production Company: Co-founder of Archewell Productions with Prince Harry.
• Major Netflix Projects: Harry & Meghan (Docuseries, 2022), Heart of Invictus (Docuseries, 2023), and With Love, Meghan (Lifestyle Show, Premiered 2025).

The Startling Drop: Season 2 Viewership Data Unpacked

The ratings for With Love, Meghan Season 2 have been a source of intense media speculation, with multiple reports highlighting a significant downturn in audience engagement compared to the show's debut. The initial buzz surrounding the Duchess of Sussex’s foray into lifestyle content appears to have faded quickly.

Comparing Season 1 and Season 2 Metrics

The first season of the show, which premiered on Netflix on March 4, 2025, was already under the microscope. Initial reports from audience measurement firms indicated that Season 1 drew approximately 526,000 households in its debut week, according to Samba TV data.

While another report suggested the show accumulated 5.3 million views, placing it at number 383 on Netflix's list of most-watched shows for 2025, this wide range of metrics underscores the difficulty in pinning down exact streaming success.

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The real concern, however, lies in the performance of Season 2, which returned on August 26th. Industry sources indicated that the second season had at least 500,000 fewer viewers in its first week compared to the first season.

This dramatic fall-off suggests a failure to retain the initial audience, a critical metric for any streaming service looking to renew a series. The show's inability to break into the highly competitive Netflix Top 10 further cemented the narrative of a struggling series.

The Five Factors Driving the Low Ratings

Several interconnected factors are cited by analysts and media experts as contributing to the disappointing With Love, Meghan Season 2 ratings, moving the conversation beyond simple public interest and into the realm of content strategy and audience fatigue.

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1. The "Lifestyle Fatigue" and Content Saturation

The genre of celebrity-hosted lifestyle programming, while popular, is extremely saturated. Critics argue that With Love, Meghan failed to offer a unique selling proposition that could distinguish it from established shows by figures like Martha Stewart or other popular YouTube and streaming personalities. The content, which featured the Duchess preparing seafood and sharing post-wedding recipes, was perceived by some as being too generic or too late to the trend.

2. The "Curiosity Cliff" Effect

Many viewers who tuned in for Season 1 were driven by sheer curiosity about the Duchess of Sussex's private life and her first major solo project under the Archewell banner. This initial curiosity, however, did not translate into sustained interest for the second season. Once the novelty of seeing Meghan Markle in a new, unscripted setting wore off, the fundamental appeal of the lifestyle content itself was not strong enough to bring back the audience.

3. Intense Public Scrutiny and Media Bias

Meghan Markle remains one of the most polarizing figures globally, and this intense scrutiny inevitably impacts her commercial projects. The show has been described as "critically panned," suggesting that a significant portion of the negative press and online commentary is driven by a pre-existing bias against the Duchess. This environment makes it challenging for any of her projects to receive a fair, objective assessment from the wider public and media.

4. Lack of a Clear, High-Stakes Narrative

In contrast to the explosive success of the docuseries Harry & Meghan, which drew massive viewership by offering a high-stakes, behind-the-scenes look at their royal exit, With Love, Meghan is a gentle, low-stakes lifestyle show. While the former satisfied the public's appetite for royal drama and personal revelations, the latter offered domestic tranquility, a narrative that, while authentic to the Duchess's passions, may not have been compelling enough for a mass streaming audience.

5. Conflicting Project Focus and Audience Confusion

The Duchess and Prince Harry’s Archewell Productions have multiple projects in development, including an adaptation of a novel and the documentary Heart of Invictus. The simultaneous release of a holiday special, With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration, further diluted the focus. Some reports even suggested the special was compiled from "leftover footage," which could signal a lack of cohesive strategy and confuse the audience about the show's main purpose and structure.

The Future of Archewell and Netflix: Beyond the Lifestyle Show

The poor performance of With Love, Meghan Season 2 has put the spotlight squarely on the future of the multi-year deal between Archewell Productions and Netflix. The deal, which has an expiration date rumored to be around September 2025, requires the production company to deliver commercially successful content.

The good news for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is that their production slate is diversifying. They have announced a new project: an adaptation of the novel Meet Me at the Lake, which they are set to executive produce. This move into scripted content is a significant pivot and a potential lifeline for their partnership with the streamer.

Industry experts suggest that Netflix's decision on a third season of the lifestyle show will be heavily influenced by the critical success and viewership of these upcoming, more diverse projects. The streaming giant is primarily interested in high-impact, global hits, and while With Love, Meghan may have served as a soft launch, the pressure is now on Archewell to deliver a major win to justify the substantial investment and secure a long-term future in Hollywood.