Meghan Markle’s Archetypes podcast quickly became No. 1 on Spotify upon its release on Aug. 23. Tennis icon Serena Williams shared the mic in the first episode to discuss the double standard among women who are ambitious and how often they are misconstrued in a negative fashion for having big dreams.
Since their move back to the United States, Prince Harry, wife Meghan and son Archie have stepped down from their British royal duties in search for a quieter life. However controversial, Markle has come into her own light in the announcement of Archetypes. The release comes a little over a year after Meghan and Harry’s exclusive interview with Oprah on their royal family departure, where Markle shared a painful glimpse into her experiences as a woman of color in the palace. The Duchess of Sussex claims that there were concerns about how dark her son’s skin would be, comparisons between her and sister-in-law Kate, and many other belittling comments and mistreatment from the Crown. In the interview available on CBS, Markle details her suicidal thoughts and the palace’s disregard for her mental health, experiences that later became a catalyst for Markle to speak out through Archetypes.
It is promoted that viewers will hear from historians, culture experts, and modern thinkers about the ways in which women are viewed in society and how such portrayals shape certain false narratives and stereotypes. Upcoming guests include Constance Wu, Issa Rae, Lisa Ling and Margaret Cho. Per the Cut, episodes will discuss female archetypes like Old Maid, Angry Black Women, and Dragon Lady, and how women can take action against these insults. In a clip shared by Spotify, Markle mentions the difference between who she really is and what the media wants her to be, and how fighting that is seemingly an uphill battle. In the teaser, Markle says she’ll “have conversations with women who know all too well how these typecasts shape our narratives. And I’ll talk to historians to understand how we even got here in the first place.”
This new chapter for Markle has received an influx of positive feedback, especially on Twitter, where her second guest, Mariah Carey, joined on the commentary in this tweet, exclaiming that Markle is a Diva in the most “fabulous, gorgeous, and empowering” way. Billboards advertise the podcast in New York, Los Angeles and Toronto, with fans singing her praises with pictures of them on social media.
The podcast is produced by the couple’s own Archewell Audio, which has a multi-million-dollar partnership with Netflix, and Spotify’s Gimlet Media. Some of these moves have been criticized by the British media for being cash grabs, but the family has emphasized that these are ways they can be their authentic selves away from royal rule. The future for the family looks very different than it seemed a few years ago, with Harry joining a sports team in California and Archie adapting to life in America. While the Royal life was not for them, their journey, lessons, and challenges can now be followed on Archetypes.
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