The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, caused quite a stir among Royal enthusiasts when she made her Instagram comeback over the New Year. Shortly after, she unveiled the first trailer for her brand new Netflix show on her profile.

Meghan, who inked a multi-year contract with the streaming behemoth alongside Prince Harry in 2020, is making a return to the lifestyle genre with an eight-part series. The show, titled ‘With Love, Meghan’, will see her delve into hosting and entertaining tips, aided by a host of celebrity friends.

Originally slated for a January release, the launch was postponed due to the devastating wildfires that ravaged the LA area – Meghan’s childhood home. In a statement, Meghan expressed gratitude towards Netflix for supporting the decision to delay the launch, stating, “I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California,”.

Instead of promoting her new venture, which marks a return to her pre-royal life—she ran a popular lifestyle blog called ‘The Tig’ covering wellness, food, and travel—Meghan has been actively involved in aiding those displaced or rendered homeless by the catastrophic fires.

A groundbreaking shift in content is on the horizon for an upcoming series, as a new report reveals plans to spotlight the humanitarian efforts aiding displaced communities—a stark pivot from the show’s initial vision of transforming the mundane into the magnificent. “It is understood the show is being edited ‘to include Meghan’s philanthropic work around the fires’ which included visiting victims in Altadena, California,” according to the Daily Mail.

Yet, despite her commendable actions, Meghan has not been immune to criticism, reports The Mirror. 

Some have scrutinised her involvement in wildfire relief, prompting one Royal commentator to note the paradox that both she and Harry face saying that they are “damned if they do, damned if they don’t”

The couple’s volunteer work made headlines, but not without controversy; actor Justine Bateman branded them “disaster tourists” and condemned their presence as a mere “repulsive photo op”.

However Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo was left deeply impressed by Prince Harry’s extraordinary gesture to assist an evacuated bedridden senior citizen—unaware that he was receiving aid from royalty. Gordo was so moved by Harry’s kindness that he even suggested the Duke would earn his vote should he ever decide to enter politics.

Meghan has also made efforts to assist those affected by the fires. When a 15 year old girl lost her cherished T-shirt from a recent Billie Eilish concert, Meghan leveraged her celebrity connections to secure a replacement for the young woman, and she succeeded.

In an Instagram video, Meghan revealed that mutual acquaintances had relayed her message to the singer-songwriter, who promptly sent a collection of merchandise for the teenager who had been rendered homeless by the fire – including a signed copy of her new album, Hit Me Hard and Soft. While many Royal enthusiasts admired Meghan’s attempts to brighten the girl’s day and commended her, other reactions were harsh, with some heavily criticising her video.

One social media user labelled it “disaster marching”, while another deemed it “tone deaf”. “Someone’s lost their home and she is gushing about how amazing she is,” another posted.

Despite the criticism on social media, those directly affected by Meghan’s assistance have a more positive outlook. Avery Colvert, 14, who established the Altedena Girls charity in response to the devastating fires, told Marie Claire that she “just started to break down crying,” when she learned that Archewell – Meghan and Harry’s foundation – wanted to assist them.

Avery commented, “Meghan is so incredibly kind…She was so excited to help.”

The 14 year old dismissed the notion that Meghan was seeking a photo opportunity as “ridiculous”, stating that those levelling such accusations did not witness how actively involved the Duchess was during her visit. She further revealed that Meghan even styled girls with donations and “was there for multiple hours in a day”.