Meghan Markle's birthday 'gimmick' quietly shelved after major mistake
Meghan Markle is celebrating her 44th birthday today, and is likely spending the day quietly celebrating at home with her husband Prince Harry, and their two children Archie and Lilibet.
While this year's birthday is a lowkey affair for the Sussexes, Meghan's milestone 40th birthday in 2021 was a different story. To celebrate the day, Meghan launched an online initiative to help women get back to work after the height of the pandemic.
The launch of the project came alongside an online video starring Melissa McCarthy, and a cameo from Prince Harry. However, the project was quietly shelved after it never got off the ground. It comes after Prince Harry's devastating loss in royal rift was exposed as Meghan 'holds the cards'.
The project was titled '40x40', with Meghan asking 40 of her famous friends to commit 40 minutes of their time to mentor and support women as they re-entered the workforce. Meghan then hoped to create a domino effect of counselling wider than her circle.
But soon after the Archewell campaign went live, there was radio silence from the Duchess of Sussex, and the project was quietly shelved.
With the ambitious project disappearing behind the scenes, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail that he believes the initiative was nothing more than a 'gimmick' designed to "boost Meghan's appeal".
Fitzwilliams said that part of the appeal of the project, other than it being a unique way to celebrate Meghan's 40th birthday, was the fact that she had many famous faces onboard to promote gender equality.
Some of the names tied to the project were Adele, Melissa McCarthy, Princess Eugenie, Stella McCartney and Serena Williams. However, Fitzwilliams said that the A-list names were not enough to get the 'poorly organised' project off the ground.
The royal expert said: 'There was never any clear idea of how it would be funded or how exactly it would be beneficial to spend just 40 minutes with someone. It was clearly just a gimmick designed to boost Meghan's appeal, which she may have overestimated both then and now."
Fitzwilliams added that as part of the 40x40 project, "Meghan recommended 'time spent in service to others', a topic about which she knows very little, though she did, as a senior working royal, have the chance to serve and didn't last long in it."
The royal commentator believes that Meghan's failed birthday initiative started a pattern of behaviour of the Duchess under-delivering with her projects. He cited Meghan's Netflix series titled With Love, Meghan, which failed to crack into the top 300 shows on the streaming giant.
He also mentioned Meghan's podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, which has been shelved at the end of the first season. While the podcast will be returning at some time in the future, Meghan said she is focusing on other projects right now.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
33 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Wednesday season 2: Netflix release time, cast and more
Part one of Wednesday, season two, will be released on Netflix at 8am (BST) on Wednesday (August 6). The second season will see the return of Jenna Ortega (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Death of a Unicorn and Scream) as Wednesday Addams. While fellow cast members, including Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia Addams), Luis Guzmán (Gomez Addams), and Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), will also be back for the new season. They will be joined by new faces like Joanna Lumley (Grandmama Hester Frump), Steve Buscemi (Principal Dort), Billie Piper (Isadora Capri) and Christopher Lloyd (Professor Orloff). Ahead of the release of Wednesday, season two, we have rounded up everything you need to know, from how season one ended and the new-look cast, to the upcoming episode titles and whether or not there will be a season three. How did season 1 of Wednesday end? (SPOILERS) The first season of Wednesday remains the most-viewed English-language series on Netflix of all time. The finale saw Wednesday Addams (Ortega) confirm her suspicions that Tyler (Hunter Doohan) is the Hyde terrorising Nevermore Academy. She also discovers the hidden identity of Tyler's master - Marilyn Thornhill, aka Laurel Gates (Christina Ricci). Wednesday eventually wins out over the pair and saves Nevermore. Season one ends with Ortega's character driving away from school with her family, armed with her very first mobile phone. In the last scene of the finale, she receives multiple texts from an unknown contact. "The Stalker" sends a few photos of Wednesday with her love interests, a Memoji-style gif of a Wednesday avatar being stabbed in the head, and a text reading, 'I'm watching you.' Short recap of 'WEDNESDAY' Season 1! Season 2 Vol.1 releases in 3 weeks on August 6! — Wednesday (@WednesdaysDaily) July 16, 2025 Ortega, speaking to Netflix's Tudum, said: "We ended Season 1 with a stalker that was still after me. Tyler has been sent to a psych ward, and half the school is burnt down. 'We start off Season 2 with Wednesday being kidnapped.' What time does Wednesday come out on Netflix? Fittingly, part one of Wednesday, season 2, will be released on Wednesday (August 6). The first four episodes of Wednesday (season 2), which make up part one, will be available to watch in the UK on Netflix from 8 am. Part Two will be released on September 3, 2025. When does Netflix release shows? What to expect in the new Wednesday series? In the new season, Wednesday Addams (Ortega) must "navigate family, friends, and old adversaries, propelling her into another year of delightfully dark and kooky mayhem", Netflix explains. Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery. Co-creators, showrunners, and executive producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, speaking to Tudum, added: "Wednesday goes into this season thinking she knows Nevermore. 'But as soon as she returns, nothing happens the way she's expecting. "She thinks she's going to be in control, that she knows where all the bodies are buried, but she doesn't. "Nothing is what it seems in Season 2.' Episode titles The episode titles for part one of Wednesday, season 2, have also been revealed: Episode 1: 'Here We Woe Again' Episode 2: 'The Devil You Woe' Episode 3: 'Call of the Woe' Episode 4: 'If These Woes Could Talk' WATCH: Sneak peek at the first 6 minutes of Wednesday season 2 Wednesday (season 2) cast The season two cast for Wednesday will feature: Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams Victor Dorobantu as Thing Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams Joanna Lumley as Grandmama Hester Frump Joonas Suotamo as Lurch Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay Moosa Mostafa as Eugene Ottinger Georgie Farmer as Ajax Petropolus Noah B. Taylor as Bruno Evie Templeton as Agnes DeMille Steve Buscemi as Principal Dort Billie Piper as Isadora Capri Christopher Lloyd as Professor Orloff Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo as Sheriff Ritchie Santiago Jamie McShane as Sheriff Donovan Galpin Owen Painter as Slurp Thandiwe Newton as Dr. Rachael Fairburn Heather Matarazzo as Judi How old was Jenna Ortega in Wednesday? Ortega was born on September 27, 2002, which means she is currently 22 years old. Filming for Wednesday took place primarily in Northern Ireland between April and November 2024, according to Deadline. This meant Ortgea was 21 when she began filming season two of Wednesday, and 22 when it came to an end. Jenna Ortega is back as Wednesday Addams. (Image: Jonathan Hession/Netflix/PA) Will there be a Wednesday season 3? Wednesday has already been renewed for a third season, Netflix has confirmed. Co-creator and showrunner Alfred Gough said: '[Co-creator and co-showrunner] Miles [Millar] and I have been doing this long enough to know that shows like this don't come along every day. "It's such an alchemy of writing, directing, acting, crew, streamer, studio, and fans. "We remain grateful and excited to continue this journey and tell these stories with all of our partners.' Netflix said season three promises to go "even further, on every level". RECOMMENDED READING: Gough continued: 'Our goal for Season 3 is the same as it is for every season: to make it the best season of Wednesday we possibly can. 'We want to continue digging deeper into our characters while expanding the world of Nevermore and Wednesday.' Miles Millar added: 'We will be seeing more Addams Family members and learning more family secrets in Season 3!'
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
4 incredible detective dramas to watch if you've already binged Netflix The Loch
Netflix's show The Loch boasts a stellar cast including Happy Valley star Siobhan Finneran and Scottish actress Laura Fraser as they get to work catching a killer in the Highlands Netflix latest hit show The Loch has been a huge hit since it was added to the streaming site. The Scottish-based crime thriller is currently sitting at number two on the top watched section of the streaming site. The search for a serial killer operating in the Highlands becomes a matter of life and death for detective Annie Redford, who is trying to cope with her first murder case. The show stars Laura Fraser, Jim McMeekin and Happy Valley star Siobhan Finneran. Looking for something similar to binge? A similarly short watch which scratches that itch of haunted stares across misty lakes, and secrets buried in the soil? Good job we have a few that might be your next binge. Below is another four detective dramas with the same vibe as the Netflix hit, each worthy of a shoutout on their own. Let's take a look... Top of the Lake Jane Campion's Top of the Lake is not the average murder mystery, it's more of a slow burner but definitely worth a watch on BBC. Elisabeth Moss stars in the role of Robin Griffin, the detective investigating the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old in a lakeside New Zealand town, who quickly becomes obsessed with the idea of cracking the case. Broadchurch Broadchurch didn't just redefine the detective drama, it reinvigorated the entire genre in Blighty. A small seaside town in Dorset is rocked, where a child's murder on the beachfront will begin the slow unravelling of local secrets. David Tennant stars as DI Hardy, while Olivia Colman stars as DS Miller. The Dorset cliffs loom, and so do the lies. The Tourist BBC drama The Tourist has been a huge hit with TV fans bringing us all the edge-of-the-seat action needed for a good crime thriller. With two seasons under its belt, viewers are hoping a third comes soon. Series one of The Tourist is a six-part thriller drama which aired on BBC One in 2022. It follows a Northern Irish man, played by actor Jamie Dornan, suffering from amnesia following a car accident in the Australian outback. An epic cat-and-mouse chase unfolds, and Jamie's character later wakes in hospital, hurt, but somehow alive. Except he has no idea who he is. Full of shocking, surprising, funny and brutal turns, The Tourist is set in a world populated by quirky, enigmatic characters and off-beat comedy punctuates high-stakes action. Marcella Messy detectives, mental spirals, and unapologetic plot twists. Anna Friel is described magnetic as Marcella Backland, a detective grappling with blackouts, trauma, and increasingly unhinged murder cases. Set in London and from the creators of The Bridge, Marcella leans into psychological mystery. It's part thriller, part fever dream, and all over the place in an enjoyably chaotic way which is sure to have viewers hooked and looking to watch more.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Love Island star says ‘see you on All Stars' to Harry and predicts he'll ‘hit up Helena' on the outside
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A LOVE Islander has already predicted one star from this year's cast will be signed up for All Stars and even make the moves on one of his co-stars. Former Islander, Olivia Hawkins, who has taken part in the show twice, has revealed that she does not see Harry and Shakira lasting on the outside - despite coming in second place. 6 Former Islander Olivia Hawkins has revealed her predictions for show runner-up Harry Credit: ©Nic Serpell-Rand 2024 6 She thinks he will be quick to rekindle with Helena as well as signing up to All Stars Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 6 Harry came second in the final alongside Shakira Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Instead, the fiery TV bombshell has shared her thought that he will make it onto the third series of All Stars in January instead. Speaking to The Sun via Mecca Bingo following the show's final, Liv said: "Harry's lucky that he's in a couple with Shakira; she's carried him to the final. "It's annoying, but as a character, I still love him. I still predict we'll see Harry on All Stars in January. 'I don't think they'll last as a couple, but they'll stay good friends." In a cheeky comment, Liv then added: "He'll probably hit up Helena again when he's out.' Olivia first appeared on series nine of Love Island in January 2023. She returned two years later for the second All Stars edition of the programme but failed to find love once again. Now, she is hoping to find a connection on E4's Celebs Go Dating. In last night's Love Island final, Harry finished in second place alongside Shakira. They came second to Toni and Cach despite only growing close once again over the past week after Harry put a stop to his connection with Helena. Watch as Love Island winner Toni takes final swipe at villa ex Harrison before winning £50k However, within hours of leaving the villa, he was already discussing his former villa partner and expressed a desire to keep close with her. Speaking on The Morning After, the star said: "I think we were great friends and before she left, she said to me we can still be friends, which is a great thing for me." Harry then continued: "It wasn't, like, there [with Helena]. "I think you feel it and I really tried to work on it and try to do the right things but this [with Shakira] was just so natural." 6 Liv has appeared on Love Island twice Credit: Rex 6 She thinks Harry could follow in her footsteps Credit: Shutterstock Editorial In a very telling moment, Shakira then agreed with show host Amy Hart that Harry was likely influenced by his best mate Dejon to date Helena so that he was going out with someone in Meg's friendship group. The villa girls were famously divided this year and Shakira agreed with Amy's statement that Dejon didn't want Harry to date outside of their little group. Amy also pointed out how Dejon encouraged Harrison to get with Lauren as opposed to Toni, again to keep it in the same circle. In response, Harry said: "Yes, there is some truth to that. "D would naturally want that. As a four [Dejon, Harry, Meg, Helena], we all got on really well. "But I would say it was across the villa - everyone kinda saw me and Helena, apart from Toni and Yas. "Everyone was rooting for us."
