Meghan Markle has defended herself against criticism of her multiple projects, saying “I need to work, and I love to work”.

The Duchess of Sussex’s comments came as, for the first time, she allowed a journalist into the luxury California mansion she shares with husband Prince Harry.

New York Times food writer Julia Moskin was allowed into the Sussex’s Montecito home on the strictest of conditions.

“I was allowed in on the condition that no photographs were taken in, or of, the house, for reasons of privacy and security,” she wrote in an article published on Wednesday (US time) to promote Meghan’s new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan.

It sits just outside Netflix’s top 10 most popular shows for April (at 13), according to Rotten Tomatoes. The eight-part series, in which the duchess shares cooking, gardening and crafting tips with meaningful conversations with celebrity friends, is the latest in Meghan and Harry’s Netflix ventures and has already been renewed for a second series.

Meghan also recently launched her As Ever lifestyle brand. On Thursday (Australian time), her first collection – eight products ranging from raspberry spread and flower sprinkles to biscuit mix – sold out in minutes.

“Our shelves may be empty, but my heart is full,” she wrote on Instagram.

“We sold out in less than one hour and I can’t thank you enough …for celebrating, purchasing, sharing, and believing. It’s just the start. Here we go!”

Last week, Meghan announced a new podcast series, called Confessions of a Female Founder, and started a ShopMy channel for fans who want to buy the clothing and products she wears on screen.

“I need to work, and I love to work,” she told The NY Times, pointing out she got her first job at the tender age of 13.

“This is a way I can connect my home life and my work,”

But Meghan has copped criticism for – among other things – filming her Netflix series at a $13.7 million farmhouse about three kilometres from the house she shares with Harry and children Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3.

The Sussexes’ own $23.65 million property reportedly has nine bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, a pool, tennis court, tea house, rose garden, olive trees, two-bed guesthouse and children’s cottage.

They largely have kept it private since moving in in 2020, shortly after quitting royal duties and arriving in the US – but there have been glimpses in the occasional photo.

Harry and Meghan with children Archie and Lilibet at home in Montecito.

Meghan has said previously she used another kitchen for her show because she wanted to protect the “safe haven” of her family home.

“Our kitchen is where mama just cooks for the family, and with a crew of 80-plus people, that’s a lot of people to have in your house,” she told People.

Since the show launched critics have also lambasted Meghan, with one review dubbing her “queasy and exhausting”, while others said she was not relatable.

There’s also been controversy about the Le Creuset cookware she use, with some viewers considering it too expensive.

“This is a thing, in 2025?” Meghan reportedly asked Moskin.

Meghan is quick to point out she hasn’t always had such an expensive lifestyle. Photo: Netflix

Moskin noted that Meghan, who married Prince Harry in a lavish ceremony at Windsor Castle in 2018, was “clearly bothered by accusations that she is unrelatable and out of touch”.

“Don’t they know my life hasn’t always been like this?” she said, gesturing to the sweeping views of her expansive property.

Despite the lack of photos, Moskin also revealed quite a bit about the Sussexes’ own kitchen.

She describes it as having “a weathered wooden island (in addition to a marble one), a well-used Viking stove and classic accents of blue-and-white tiles”.

“There’s an old-fashioned butler’s pantry with cabinets holding glasses and tea sets, and a modern pantry stuffed with carefully organised ingredients and snacks,” she writes.

There are shelves with cookbooks by Giada De Laurentiis, Yotam Ottolenghi and Toni Tipton-Martin.

“And just outside the door, a framed picture of Harry as a boy with his mother, Princess Diana, holds pride of place,” Moskin said.