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Drew Barrymore told Meghan Markle about the time she met her husband Prince Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, during the Duchess of Sussex’s appearance on her talk show on Thursday.
Meghan joined Barrymore on her eponymous CBS talk show to discuss her new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan.
During the conversation, Barrymore gushed about Harry and the “extraordinary things” he’s been through. She revealed that when she was a child, she got to meet his late mother, who died in a car crash in 1997.
“He’s come out the other side. I admire some rebelliousness. I have some too. I think he’s so amazing. I’ve been such an uber fan of his, and I don’t know him at all, but watching as we’ve all watched him,” she explained. “I got to meet his mom when I was seven years old.”
“I didn’t know that,” the Duchess of Sussex responded before Barrymore said she had a picture from the interaction.
“I have to take a picture so I can show [Harry],” Meghan added.
Barrymore went on to describe her sweet memory with the late royal and how it’s linked to her iconic role in the 1982 movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
“It’s me presenting her with an ET doll. And it was one of the most special moments of my life,” she said. “And I loved her so much. And I think the world of him.”
Meghan responded by saying that “life is full of surprises.”
“I did not expect to meet H and for this to be our love story,” she said. “And, you know, I’m very lucky. I am married to the funniest, sweetest, most charming man.
“I mean, he’s all the things that you’re describing. And he’s an amazing father. And so, you know, I count my blessings because I have him, and also I have a partner who is so supportive of me,” she concluded.
The Drew Barrymore Show episode marks the first time the former Suits star has been publicly introduced with her royal title as her surname.
During the show, Meghan continued to open up about her home life with Harry in California, alongside their five-year-old son, Archie, and three-year-old daughter, Lilibet.
“I always make it a point when I’m travelling, if I can’t do bedtime stories with my kids… I’ll always pack a really thin book and I’ll videotape myself reading it,” she said. “So whoever’s with them or Papa can say, ‘Here’s Mama reading your bedtime story.”
She also revealed what traits Archie and Lillibet have inherited from Harry. “Oh, some of the words that they still say with a British accent,” she said. “They have very American accents, but they say words that are just like him, and I think it’s adorable. Zebra is a good one.”
On her Instagram Story on Tuesday, she celebrated a major milestone for her show as it’s currently the fifth most popular show on Netflix in the U.S. as of March 6.
“For more recipes, fun and reasons to ‘Mmmm,’ check out the show — which in just 24 hours is already in the Top 10!” she wrote. “Thank you to all of you around the world who are tuning in!”
Despite Meghan’s celebratory Instagram post, her program has received scathing reviews. In her one-star review, The Independent’s Katie Rosseinsky called the show “queasy and exhausting.”
“The only tea that is being spilled here is brewed with fresh mint picked from Meghan’s garden, or an allergy-busting concoction containing turmeric and cayenne pepper that she blends up for [longtime makeup artist Daniel] Martin,” she wrote.
She concluded: “The heady blend of aesthetic curation, inspiring truisms and those inescapable edible flowers might well leave you feeling a bit queasy — or simply worn out at the prospect of having to adequately perform gratitude for all the thoughtful touches involved in Meghan’s ‘guest experience.’”
