'Meghan presents the most un-festive feeling Christmas special ever but there's one saving grace: Prince Harry'

OPINION -- Prince Harry's brief cameo at the end of his wife's Christmas special may be the best part about the entire thing.

The Duchess of Sussex returned to Netflix overnight in With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration and she somehow managed to create the most un-Christmassy show possible.

Expectations were low – the first two seasons were panned by critics – but as Americans tend to do Christmas (or "the holidays") well, and Meghan is American, it had so much potential.

But the hour-long special failed to deliver.

The episode opened with the duchess skipping through a Christmas tree farm before picking the one that would get pride of place inside the rented farmhouse used for filming.

She began by instructing viewers how to correctly decorate a Christmas tree, saying lights should be strung first so the tree appears to be "lit from within". Decorations should be placed "where they're going to find their light".

The ornaments, Meghan says, can "encapsulate your family story" and show the "chapters of your life".

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Unlike in previous seasons, Meghan was left to her own devices in the kitchen for longer than usual, whipping up various dishes and telling cringeworthy jokes, before she was joined by the first of her five guests.

She then went about showing viewers how to wrap presents – including how solve the tricky task of wrapping a wine bottle – decorating plates with paint, making advent calendars and wreaths.

"So many traditions to embrace," she says, "and new ones to make".

The duchess reveals she has taken the tradition of Christmas crackers (also known as 'bon bons') back to America after her time "living in the UK".

"Everyone crosses arms and they all pull at the same time," Meghan tells Will Guidara, a hospitality expert, who was roped in to make the crackers with her.

"It feels really connective and sweet."

She fills daughter Lilibet's with some lavender perfume because "Lily really likes being a grown up lady at the moment", while son Archie "loves burgers and red".

Prince Harry's cracker is stuffed with "a little love letter, a chocolate" and "a little hat".

Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, do not make an appearance on the show but they are central to many of their mother's festive crafts including the hand-made Advent calendar in which Meghan hand-writes little notes that are tucked inside.

Tennis player Naomi Osaka joins Meghan to hand paint Santa's cookie plate and mug but the sportswoman quickly points out she doesn't know how to craft.

Meghan, on the other hand, is adept at every type of DIY and shows off her perfect calligraphy and drawings of holly, quickly (but unintentionally?) putting Osaka to shame.

The duchess looks at Osaka's creation and tells her, with an air of sympathy, "it's good".

It was Meghan's finest bout of acting since, well, ever.

Osaka's inclusion was unexplained and she struggled to show much enthusiasm about being invited into Meghan's world.

Of being the perfect host or hostess at Christmas, Meghan says it is all about "having grace...grace is making people feel comfortable".

Wearing red monogrammed red pyjamas, Meghan is joined in the kitchen by two of her best friends, Kelly Zajfen, Lindsay Roth, for a relaxed brunch. The duchess proudly pulls out her cinnamon star cake from the oven along with two types of quiches before the trio change into regular clothes and attempt to make wreaths.

There are A LOT of close-ups of Meghan's hands to show off her diamond engagement ring and the gold Cartier watch previously owned by Diana, Princess of Wales. Meghan also wore Diana's tennis bracelet, stacked alongside her Cartier Love bangle.

To be honest, most viewers are really just looking at her impeccable makeup, designer clothes and her jewels as she goes about pottering around the kitchen, largely pointing out the obvious: Advent calendars, Meghan says, are all about "having a surprise and delight in the 24 days up to Christmas".

Thank goodness for Prince Harry. He is the show's saving grace.

The Duke of Sussex makes an appearance in the final few minutes, joining his wife in the kitchen as she cooks with Tom Colicchio, of American Masterchef fame.

Much to Meghan's horror, Harry quickly insults her cooking.

The duchess was showing Colicchio how to make Gumbo, a traditional southern stew, that her mother, Doria Ragland, cooks every Christmas Eve.

But Meghan's version is done with spicy andouille sausage, instead of the turkey sausage her mother uses for Harry.

The duchess tells Colicchio: "he's gonna sweat".

Prince Harry tries the Gumbo and quickly says he can "feel it puncturing through the top of my head".

He then declares: "I'm not so sure it's as good as your mum's but it's certainly close".

Meghan, who was at the stove, turns around and glares at Harry and is momentarily gobsmacked by his honesty.

"What?" she says. "Oh my God."

Meghan then adds, much more calmly: "My mum will love you for that. What a good thing to say about your mother-in-law".

Harry was less than impressed by the salad Colicchio had whipped up, too.

Describing it as "the anti-salad", he said: "there are not many things in the world that I don't like. And they're all in that one bowl".

Moments before Harry's arrival, Meghan had told Colicchio his salad contained "the top things my husband hates to eat" – black olives, fennel, pickled vegetables and "beets, or beetroot as they say in England".

"He hates all those flavours so I have not got to enjoy them in a medley like that for a long time," she says.

Poor Colicchio. The recipe was a stable at his Italian-American Christmas every year, he says.

Prince Harry's short appearance also marked his first speaking role in Meghan's series.

He made a brief cameo at the end of Season 1, attending a backyard brunch hosted by Meghan, but was absent from Season 2 prompting some to ask why.

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The episode also featured Meghan's rescue dog, Guy, who died in January.

The Christmas special understood to have been made last year, when the first two series were filmed back to back.

There has been no word on whether a third season is in the works and With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration could well have been the duchess' final stint in the kitchen.

Season 1, released in March, was watched by 2.6 million viewers in its first week, putting it into Netflix's global top 10 list.

But the second season, released in August, attracted 500,000 fewer viewers in its first week and failed to make the top 10.

The couple have since signed a new multi-year deal with the streamer on reduced terms, which gives Netflix the first option on their film and television projects.

Fans of the duchess will love every minute of With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. My sister enjoyed it and was hoping for a part two, before I had to disappoint her by confirming it was a one-off only.

Perhaps Meghan's With Love project would have been more successful had they been one-off themed specials rather than entire seasons, where getting through all the eight episodes each time sometimes felt like a chore.

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