Meghan Markle has revealed why she chose not to film her new Netflix show in her £11 million California mansion. She bought the Montecito property with Prince Harry in 2020, raising Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet there, but it does not feature in her new series, With Love, Meghan. The Duchess explained that, while the show is a “love letter to California” and was filmed in her neighbourhood, she wanted to “protect” her real home.

She told PEOPLE: “I wanted to protect that safe haven. 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.”

In the new series, viewers catch a glimpse of Meghan’s home life as she cooks, hosts a brunch, and even does beekeeping.

And while filming didn’t occur inside her actual home, she integrated aspects of her personal life into the show by using the family chicken coop, garden, and orchard as backdrops.

She revealed: “They [Archie and Lilibet] would also come with my husband and visit me on-set, and I loved that my children were able to watch me working and see the balance of that and understand what Mama does and is working to create and share.

“It was really special because up until then, they hadn’t seen me at work.”

The eight-episode series featured many famous faces, such as American actresses Mindy Kaling and Abigail Spencer, however Prince Harry was notably missing.

The Duke of Sussex only appeared briefly in the final episode, in which Meghan hosted a brunch to celebrate the launch of her new lifestyle brand, As Ever.

Harry gave his wife a kiss before joining a small group of her closest friends, and was seen raisinig a toast to her accomplishments.

With Love, Meghan has so far received a mix bag of reviews, with the Rotten Tomatoes average score being a less than impressive 33%.