Meghan Markle beams for selfies with Emma Grede in behind-the-scenes snaps from her podcast interview - where she appeared to take subtle swipe at royals over 'truth'
Meghan Markle looked radiant as she beamed for selfies with Emma Grede in behind-the-scenes snaps from their podcast interview together.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, joined Emma on her Aspire podcast this week for a 90-minute interview covering a range of topics from her As Ever lifestyle brand to family life at home in Montecito with Prince Harry and their children Archie and Lilibet.
And on Wednesday night, CEO Emma shared some sweet behind-the-scenes snaps from the venture, as the pair beamed in selfies together.
Posting the snaps to Instagram, Emma praised Meghan for her 'honest and thoughtful' discussion.
She wrote: 'Building a brand under a global spotlight isn't for the faint of heart, and @meghan is doing it with purpose, patience, and power.
'We sat down for a real conversation about what it takes to start something new when the world already thinks they know your story.
'From choosing jam as her first product to building a company with intention, Meghan opened up in a way that's honest, thoughtful, and completely her own.'
'This isn't just about business. It's about identity, ambition, and owning your voice, even when the noise gets loud. Aspire with Meghan: Why Ambition Is Her Jam (and How She Bottles It) is out now.'
During their interview, Meghan appeared to take a series of new pops at the Royal Family after she pointedly said that she wanted people to 'tell the truth' about her.
The Duchess of Sussex also shared advice from her friend Serena Williams about 'lies' in another apparent dig about her life in the public eye since she fell in love with Prince Harry.
She was speaking to her friend and fellow podcaster Emma Grede, British-born CEO of fashion brand Good American and a founding partner of Kim Kardashian 's Skims line.
Emma asked the Duchess: 'If you could rewrite your public narrative from scratch, is there anything you would do differently?'.
Meghan wore a determined look and replied: 'Yes, I would ask people to tell the truth'.
Ms Grede said Meghan must feel 'angry' to have people 'lying about [her] all the time'. Meghan said that she dealt with this by remembering advice from her friend, tennis champion Serena Williams.
'My dear friend Serena, she told me years ago: 'A lie can't live forever'.' Meghan then laughed and said pointedly: 'Eight years is a long time, but not forever' - a clear nod to the period when she first began dating Prince Harry.
She then described fame as having 'peaks and valleys' and claims she has survived with 'a lot of self work' as well as de-stressing by spending time with her children, hiking and 'date nights' with Harry.
There was also a subtle dig at royal life where she described times in her life where she 'wasn't as empowered with my voice', but said of her return to Instagram, which she left when she became a royal: 'It was a great way to get my voice back.'
Emma thanked the Duchess of Sussex for giving an 'honest and thoughtful' interview
Royal watchers also noticed that she was wearing $15,000 Birks 2.15ct Snowflake Snowstorm Diamond earrings that she wore no less than nine times to royal events before she and Harry quit as frontline royals. They first appeared on the eve of the royal wedding in 2018.
The Duchess of Sussex made the remarks in an episode of the Aspire With Emma Grede podcast, which was released this morning.
In the new 90-minute bombshell interview, Meghan said:
Meghan claimed the idea for As Ever came after friends told her her homemade jams made them 'so happy' - but she insisted that she would have been overjoyed just selling it at the local farmers' market;
She said she is taking a break from her 'Confessions of a Female Founder' podcast to focus on her new business. But gave the impression it would return;
There was an awkward moment when Meghan denied that she had planned to sell out of all her products in under and hour to build excitement around the brand, calling it a 'beautiful surprise';
Meghan claims she has no fear of failure. 'I don't feel imposter syndrome. I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be right now,' she said.
She claims that Lilibet and Archie sell fruit and veg grown at home at a local market to learn the value of money;
The Duchess of Sussex said she is very flattered to be compared to Martha Stewart and Gwyneth Paltrow;
Returning to Instagram has been 'liberating' and allows her to share 'what's going on' on her 'own terms' and 'get my voice back';
She deals with stress by spending time with her family, hiking and also date nights with Prince Harry;
Meghan also claimed that she struggled to find acting parts when she started out because she is mixed race. It gave her a 'thick skin', which she says helped her in life and now business;
She says her appetite for business began when she began selling homemade scrunchies for $1 at school;
The Duchess of Sussex's 'truth' comments will raise eyebrows in royal circles. Meghan was accused of bullying by two Buckingham Palace aides.
'There are plenty of people who worked with Harry and Meghan in those difficult years who would love to tell the truth about what happened to them', one royal insider claimed to MailOnline today.
A second anonymous royal insider said: 'It takes two to tango so I think many people in the family and the Royal Household might have done things differently and regret how things have turned out. But the fact is Harry and Meghan upset both sides of their family and many of the people who worked for them.
'They aren't speaking to most of them. Can it really be everyone's fault but theirs?
'If there is a chance of building bridges and moving on, then the Sussexes need to acknowledge their errors as part of that process. I'm not sure Meghan would really want all of the truth to come out though'.
One former staffer, who had to sign a confidentiality agreement, previously urged the palace to lift non-disclosure agreements so they could respond to 'attacks' on the royal household from the Sussexes after they emigrated to the US.
The appearance marks Meghan's second long-form podcast interview in recent months and follows the season finale of her own show, Confessions of a Female Founder, which wrapped up two weeks ago.
The moment Meghan said that Serena Williams told her 'a lie can't live forever' - in another apparent dig
Meghan Markle appears to have taken another subtle jab at the royal family, saying she wishes people would 'tell the truth' about her
There was an awkward moment where Meghan denied having less As Ever stock to ensure a quick sell out, calling it a 'beautiful surprise', which appeared to briefly shock the podcast host and entrepreneur Emma Grede
In their conversation, Meghan discusses the launch of her lifestyle brand, As Ever, and reveals how its signature raspberry jam, which she calls fruit spread, sold out almost immediately after launch, and was inspired by her personal garden.
She also touches on the difficulties of building a business in the spotlight, where even the smallest change can garner public attention.
Reflecting on her entrepreneurial spirit, Meghan recalls her earliest foray into business as a young girl, when she made and sold homemade scrunchies to her classmates.
And describing how she dealt with pressure, including the launch of her As Ever brand she said: 'I don't see the possibility of failure - not when you can learn from everything that you've done'.
When asked about what she would tell a younger Meghan she replied: 'Life is full of surprises and life is short. I really believe that no matter what anyone is going through that if you are able to say that, yes, this is going to pass or this is amazing and let's really embrace it'. She added she thought her '15-year-old self' would be 'really proud of me today and that makes me happy'.
She said that she tried to keep her children grounded by getting them gardening and taking them to the local farmers' market to sell fruit and vegetables so they know the value of money.
She said: 'There's a cost and a price for things, and I think that's key for children to understand, especially children who are very lucky to have a home, that has privilege, you need to know that just like manners, and taking care of the things around you, there is a value on things.
She went on: 'This is such a key age. I don't want to miss a moment for my children and I love that I can do drop off and pick up at school and do meetings in between and go to Disneyland for two days, as we just did. And, you know, volunteer to serve hot lunch at school or be the chaperone for the kindergarten field trip', she said.
Meghan said she makes their pack lunches after they go to and suggested she sometimes sprinkles the famous edible flowers sold by her As Ever brand inside.
'I love it at the end of a long day. The kids are down to bed at like 7ish. I can go downstairs have a glass of wine [and] I'm doing their little lunch. I find joy in it for whatever reason and it can be therapeutic. That for me is one of my simple pleasures'.
Royal watchers also noticed that she was wearing $15,000 Birks 2.15ct Snowflake Snowstorm Diamond earrings that she wore no less than nine times to royal events before she and Harry quit as frontline royals
And the interview also touches on Meghan's now-viral 'Baby Mama' dance clip, which she shared earlier this month on Instagram to mark daughter Princess Lilibet's fourth birthday.
The short video, taken during her labour with Lilibet, shows Meghan dancing along to Starrkeisha's viral TikTok anthem while heavily pregnant, with Prince Harry making a cameo in the background.
It sparked a flurry of reactions online, but Meghan now says it was all about reclaiming joy and being real with her audience. 'You have to be authentic,' she tells Grede.
'Did you see my 'Baby Momma' dance? That was four years ago. So it's also a really great reminder that with all the noise or whatever people do, there's still a whole life - a real, authentic, fun life - that's happening behind the scenes.'
She adds that she's 'grateful' to be back on social media, saying it finally gives her a platform to share 'on her own terms.'
'It was a great way for me to get my voice back. It's my space and my channel for joy', she said.
Meghan's return to podcasting comes as part of a broader media push, following the official launch of As Ever.
The Duchess's pointed remarks about image and authenticity will no doubt spark conversation - particularly as she continues to carve out a brand separate from the House of Windsor.
The candid interview comes just after Meghan shared her most intimate glimpse at family life in Montecito, California, yet.
Meghan's now-viral 'Baby Mama' dance clip was shared earlier this month on the royal's Instagram to mark daughter Princess Lilibet's fourth birthday
In light of Father's Day in the UK yesterday, Meghan hared a tribute post for her husband, Prince Harry, who is the father to their two young children, Archie, six, and Lilibet with clear views of the children's faces throughout the video.
Though the couple have previously chosen to shield their children's faces from social media, their guards appear to be dropping as Meghan shared a string of revealing clips of her family to her nearly four million followers.
The insights didn't stop there, and the mother of two displayed some of Harry's most special moments with his children to mark the occasion.
She captioned the clip, which was accompanied by Jason Mraz's Have It All playing in the background, 'The best. Happy Father's Day to our favourite guy.'
The clip started with 40-year-old Harry lying down with his newborn child on his chest as he gently stroked their fingers before moving on to a snippet of him playing ball on the front drive with Archie.
Moments later came another newborn clip showing a sweet memory of Harry holding his child up to the camera as they smiled at one another.
Meghan followed the clip with a photograph of Harry and Lilibet walking barefoot through sun-drenched sand as they held each other's hands.
Yesterday evening, Meghan revealed the release date for her new set of As Ever products.
Taking to Instagram she teased the 'delicious surprises' that will be in store during the second launch of her lifestyle brand.
And she revealed that the products - which will also include previous 'favourites' - will be back even sooner than previously thought, with the restock going live on Friday, June 30 at 8am.
She wrote on her As Ever Instagram account: 'Oh yes, honey…sweet things await. Mark your calendars for June 20 at 8 a.m. PT - we're bringing back your favorites, plus some delicious surprises you won't want to miss!'
She added a picture of a stock of pancakes, topped with sweet raspberries and a generous drizzle of honey.
As implied by the caption, Meghan's honey will be set to make a return - and it's likely her famous jam will also be up for grabs.
In a newsletter to fans, she added: 'First off, a sincere thank you for making the debut of As ever absolutely extraordinary. We had a feeling there would be excitement, but to see everything sell out in less than an hour was an amazing surprise.
'We are pleased to share that on June 20th, we're going live with the products you love – plus, some new delicious surprises.'
And posting on her personal Instagram account, she said 'so much love has gone into this'.
After reports she had decided to 'pause' restocking the line, Meghan earlier this month revealed that As Ever would indeed be making a return.
Alongside a snapshot of bowls of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries resting on a kitchen countertop, she wrote: 'To all who've been wondering and waiting, thank you!
'Your favorites are returning, plus a few NEW things we can't wait to show you. Coming this month... get excited!'
The original As Ever range went on sale in March and products sold out within half an hour of going live.
Meghan's first line of products included raspberry spread, honey, herbal tea and ready made crepe mix - all of which received a less than stellar review by Daily Mail's FEMAIL team.
Meghan also reportedly plans to add hotels and restaurants to her As Ever lifestyle brand.
The Duchess of Sussex is trademarking her brand As Ever for 'hospitality services', The Sun first reported.
This will reportedly include places to stay, as well as temporary lodgings and 'provision of food and drink', the newspaper revealed last week.
Meghan could dish up a selection of her own edible creations, incorporating recipes she featured on her recent Netflix eight-part cooking show With Love, Meghan.
Brand experts have claimed hotels and restaurants fit in nicely with the Duchess' business brand.
Her lifestyle brand's website states: 'As Ever is more than a brand - it's a love language.
'Created by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, As Ever welcomes you to a collection of products, each inspired by her long-lasting love of cooking, entertaining and hostessing.'
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