Meghan Markle Opens Up About Her Mother's Cooking — But Her Past Comments Tell a Different Story
Markle had previously revealed startling details about her upbringing on a tight budget, recalling her experience with the $4.99 salad bar.
Meghan Markle has always been open about her childhood struggles, especially the influence of living with a single mother, Doria Ragland. In a 2021 Open Letter to the US Congress advocating for paid parental leave, Markle revealed startling details about her upbringing on a tight budget, recalling her experience with the $4.99 salad bar at Sizzler and reflecting on her family's efforts to afford even basic meals. However, during her recent appearance on MasterChef Australia, the Duchess of Sussex painted a happy picture of her lifestyle in California. This did not sit well with viewers, who were quick to call out the disparities, since Markle had shared a different view about leading a 'lonely child' life in her Emmy-nominated Netflix series With Love, Meghan.
The Duchess has repeatedly remarked that "feeding people" is her love language, and she seemed to emphasize this point during her cameo as a judge on the popular culinary competition show. She highlighted that her mother was the inspiration for instilling fresh Californian farm produce and home cooking as a habit that she now shares with her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. "I grew up in California and so, as you know, we have incredible produce, so you just start to love farm-to-table at an early age," she noted.
The Duchess continued by praising her mother's exceptional cooking skills and revealed that, as a youngster, she grew up watching numerous cookery shows. "Food and cooking are how I show my nurturing and love for my friends, family and my kids," she added. She went on to encourage the contestants to draw inspiration from their childhood memories as they prepared the dishes. It all seemed heartwarming until the viewers spotted the Duchess ' double standards.
The remarks made during the show stood in stark contrast to Markle's statements in her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, from the prior year. "I was a latchkey kid," she had highlighted on the lifestyle show. "I grew up with a lot of fast food and also a lot of TV-tray dinners." In another statement that the Duchess probably forgot, she had mentioned her mother's love for fast food. "I used to eat a lot of Pollo Loco, Taco Bell... Jack In The Box, because my mom loved their tacos." Beating her statement about Ragland being an amazing cook, Markle had disclosed that microwave meals were "normal" while growing up, according to GBN News.
Meanwhile, Markle bragged about her own parenting style by disclosing that her children loved eating greens, especially Brussels sprouts. She also highlighted the fact that they indulged in cheat meals by making desserts from fresh garden produce. "If you can pick it, you can have it," Markle stated, referencing her instructions for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
