No, Meghan Markle Does Not Need To Apologize For Her Latest Controversy

It seems that Meghan Markle is facing controversy once again, but this time, there is no need for her to apologize.

There are plenty of things to criticize in her new Netflix reality series, "With Love, Meghan," but her cookware is not one of them.

It’s starting to feel as if not a day goes by that the Duchess of Sussex isn’t criticized for something. Recently, her Netflix reality show “With Love, Meghan” has come under fire due to her decision to use Le Creuset cookware while preparing dishes with her famous friends.

According to some on social media, the cookware is too high-priced for most, setting an unrealistic standard for most aspiring home chefs. In an interview with The New York Timespublished on April 2, Markle seemed at a loss for how to address the controversy, especially when the publication informed her that the social media posts explained that it was too expensive for many Black women to afford over traditional cast-iron cookware.

Markle threw up her hands in response to the question, asking, “This is a thing? In 2025?” It prompted her mother, Doria Ragland, to respond, “Everyone is coming in hot these days.”

There has been a lot of support for Markle amid this latest controversy. MSNBC editor Michele Norris tackled the subject on Threads, asking, “Why is anyone surprised or disturbed that she would have beautiful color-coordinated cookware?”

“Does anyone drag Ina or Martha for their cookware?” she continued, bringing up Martha Stewart. “Sure, it would be nice to see a bi,g heavy, well-seasoned black skillet up in there. But did anyone expect that? So yes, Le Creuset is beautiful, but it is not merely performative cookware.”

Media strategist Elise Roberts also came to her defense, telling Today in March, “I thought to myself, ‘Well, wait, are we not supposed to have nice things?’ And by ‘we,’ I mean Black women. I went down this rabbit hole and saw the broader discussion and I was like, ‘Well, I have a collection,’ and my newest addition to my collection was this big, beautiful peach Dutch oven.”

“We are not new to this. We have made the best out of very little when we had no choice but to do that, and now that we are thriving, we too deserve nice things,” she added.

Elsewhere in the interview, Markle seemed frustrated by insinuations that she was not relatable. “Don’t they know my life hasn’t always been like this?” she asked as she gestured to the kitchen of the Montecito, California home that she shares with her husband, Prince Harry, and their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.

In an episode featuring actress Mindy Kaling, Markle revealed that she grew up eating “fast food and TV tray dinners, microwaveable kids’ meals.” She said that her childhood included “a lot of fast food,” while naming Taco Bell and Jack in the Box.

“People wouldn’t believe that Meghan Markle ate at Jack in the Box,” Kaling joked in response. The brand later took to social media to share a clip of the scene with the caption, “Eat like royalty with my 2 tacos. With love, Jack Box.”

There are many things in her Netflix reality series that make her seem out of touch with the everyday individual, such as her ability to create an entire balloon archway by hand for a children's outdoor party. Absolutely no one has time to blow up all of those balloons by hand and then put them together, especially if they have little crafting or party planning experience. While those criticisms are warranted, the backlash over her cookware is not.

I checked out my pantry and it turns out that I have three - yes, three! - pieces of Le Creuset cookware in my household, including their Signature Round Dutch Oven that retails for $260 to $625, depending on the size you get. Clearly, I picked it up for a heavy discount during a Black Friday sale, but it seems strange to say that a matching set of Le Creuset cookware is totally out of touch. I wouldn’t go spending over $100 on a Classic Whistling Kettle, but the brand has it labeled as a Best Seller, so what do I know?

If you are someone who doesn't cook a lot and relies heavily on fast food, then yes, spending a few hundred on a Dutch Oven seems like a completely unnecessary purchase, especially if you live in the city where kitchen space is a luxury most cannot afford. But Markle's show isn't attempting to appeal to that audience. Instead, she's attempting to target the suburban moms who might just have a little too much time on their hands to attempt creating a balloon archway for their kid's next birthday party. And you know what? I bet she has at least one piece of Le Crueset cookware in her kitchen, too.