A smiling Meghan Markle has been seen enjoying lunch with tennis legend Serena Williams ahead of the Duchess of Sussex‘s new Netflix series being launched.

The pair were spotted at the restaurant Tre Luna in Montecito, close to the California home Meghan shares with husband Prince Harry and their two children.

The duchess appeared in good spirits, alongside 23-time Grand Slam winner Williams, 43 – and was also seen giving a hug to restaurant owner Gene Montesano and his wife Erika before leaving.

The public appearance comes ahead of her new lifestyle series called With Love, Meghan going live on Netflix on Tuesday morning.

Speaking ahead of its release, the 43-year-old royal said the eight-part series had helped her to ‘find herself’ again.

But despite her huge 2million-strong following on social media, she insisted she instead saw as a ‘female founder’ and ‘entrepreneur’ rather than an influencer. 

Meghan has also added to anticipation of the show by sharing an Instagram clip in which she describes friend Serena as one of her family’s ‘aunties’.

The duchess this weekend posted online a video showing her playing a personalised board game with Meghan and Harry’s three-year-old daughter Lilibet.

With accompaniment from the Bill Withers song Lovely Day, Meghan wrote: ‘When the aunties come to celebrate… and to play! Love you @serenawilliams.’

Meghan and Serena first met at a Super Bowl party in 2010 and became firm friends after reuniting at an event in 2014.

The duchess invited the sportswoman to her wedding to Prince Harry and her star-studded baby shower when pregnant with son Archie in New York in February 2022.

Meghan wrote on her former website The Tig: ‘We hit it off immediately, taking pictures, laughing through the flag football game we were both playing in, and chatting not about tennis or acting, but about all the good old fashioned girlie stuff. So began our friendship.’ 

Serena has also been vocal in her praise for Meghan, including comments following the Duke and Duchess’s bombshell CNN interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

The tennis player said afterwards: ‘Meghan is a great person and I think the epitome of strength, the epitome of confidence, the epitome of just selflessness, and the epitome of everything is just her and everything that she’s gone through.

‘You can see from the interview that it wasn’t easy. But she had so much poise and she still had so much class..

‘I just think that she is the strongest person I know. I don’t know anyone else that could handle anything on such a global scale the way that she’s had to handle things that are just untrue – minute after minute.

Lilibet playing Candy Land board game with ‘Auntie’ Serena Williams

How Meghan and Serena became BFFs: Aspiring actress met the tennis ace at a 2010 Super Bowl party before featuring her on her blog – then invited her to her wedding and star-studded baby shower after she met Harry

‘Not even day after day. Just minute after minute, another untrue allegation being thrown at her.

‘I think it was important for me to say something because I’m tired of sitting back and seeing all this negativity that’s just not true.’

The duchess followed her Instagram video this weekend featuring ‘Auntie’ Serena with an excited countdown to her cooking show With Love, Meghan – adding: ‘Three days until the party begins. All are invited @netflix.’

She had earlier shared the first clip of her new Netflix show after streaming giant Netflix released a sneak preview. 

The teaser shows the Duchess bonding with ‘new friend’ and chef Roy Choi over their shared love of ‘karaoke and dancing’ in Koreatown while preparing a hearty meal of Korean fried chicken in a glamorous kitchen set.

‘With Love, Meghan’ is set to premiere on March 4, after the series was delayed from its initial January release date due to the California wildfires.

The clip begins with Meghan telling Choi: ‘The best thing about Koreatown is that you could go to all ages clubs and karaoke bars…’

‘I was part of dance crews, all that stuff,’ he replies.

Meghan Markle shares sneak peek of her new show With Love, Meghan

Meghan reveals more about her life with Archie and Lilibet in interview to plug new show

She then reminisces over different dances ‘that were such a big deal’ like the ‘Roger Rabbit’ and the ‘Kid-N-Play’.

‘Oh, it was just so much fun,’ Meghan continued, while she and Choi work together in the kitchen of a million-dollar estate in Montecito, California.

The Korean-American chef, who shot to fame as the creator of the gourmet Korean-Mexican taco truck Kogi, then remarks: ‘Man, you and I are so similar.’ 

Meghan’s Netflix cookery show will launch tomorrow morning and be accompanied by a new merchandise range called As Ever.

Speaking to People magazine, the Duchess of Sussex has insisted she did not view herself as a social media star – saying: ‘I see myself as an entrepreneur and a female founder and if the brand ends up influential, then that’s great.’

The new eight-part series has been filmed inside an $8million (£5million) mansion on a sprawling estate just two miles from the Sussexes’ Montecito home. 

In trailers, Meghan is seen cooking, baking, cocktail making, flower arranging and party planning using its kitchen’s £15,000 cooker, £600 pans, £60 chopping boards and hosting friends across the property’s stunning rooms, garden and orchards.

It emerged last week through trademark filings that the Duchess plans to sell biscuit and pancake mixes under her newly rebranded lifestyle company ‘As Ever’.

Dancing Duchess: Meghan Markle dances in new Netflix BTS clip

Meghan’s make or break time: Netflix bosses wait to see if new show justifies couple’s $100m deal

Meghan had announced on February 18 the renaming of her venture from previous title American Riviera Orchard, which she said had limited her to locally-produced goods.

It was then revealed how a new application was made to the US Patent and Trademark Office on the same day, indicating a series of products she is looking to sell under the ‘As Ever’ brand.

On the list were goods set to compete with major brands such as Betty Crocker and Dr Oetker, including ‘mixes for bakery goods; cookie mixes; biscuit mixes; crepe mixes’.

These come under international trademark class 30, a category for food products.

The application was made by ‘2022 Trademarks LLC’, a firm established by Meghan’s representatives.

The Duchess had unveiled her lifestyle brand as American Riviera Orchard last year, sending out 50 jars of jam to her friends as a soft launch.

The ‘American Riviera’ is a nickname for Santa Barbara, where Meghan lives with husband Prince Harry and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

But US officials told Meghan geographical locations could not be patented and she therefore could not trademark the brand – prompting the switch to ‘As Ever’.

Meghan Markle recreates Princess Diana’s iconic look

Meghan’s trademark for American Riviera Orchard is officially dead

Meghan confirmed the change of name in a video posted to her Instagram on February 18, shared with her 2.2million followers on the social media platform.

She also told how Netflix was not only the streaming platform for her forthcoming series due to go live on Tuesday, but also a partner in her business.

Meghan joked about the first product released by her firm last year, a limited edition jar of strawberry jam, telling viewers: ‘Of course there will be fruit preserves – I think we’re all clear at this point that jam is my jam.

‘But there’s so many more products that I just love that I use in my home and now it’s time to share it with you, so I can’t wait for you to see it.’

Harry could be heard in the background at the start of the video, saying: ‘It’s recording.’

The Duchess then previewed tomorrow’s Netflix broadcasts, saying: ‘In two weeks, my show is coming out, which I’m so excited for, and also my business, which I think there’s been a lot of curiosity about.

‘Last year, I had thought, “You know what, American Riviera, that sounds like such a great name, it’s my neighbourhood, it’s a nickname for Santa Barbara” – but it limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area.

‘Then Netflix came on, not just as my partner in the show, but as my partner in my business, which was huge.’

Meghan Markle seen working with ‘edible petals’ in Netflix show

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hire new head of communications days ahead of Netflix show release

A trademark application for As Ever was first made in October 2022 before being dropped in favour of American Riviera Orchard, it was reported.

But when the American Riviera Orchard application was rejected, the As Ever application was submitted again last September – covering products such as downloadable and printed recipe books, tableware, textiles, and jams and marmalades.

Meghan told her Instagram fans: ‘As Ever essentially means as it’s always been, and if you’ve followed me since 2014 with The Tig, you know, I’ve always loved cooking and crafting and gardening.

‘This is what I do, and I haven’t been able to share it with you in the same way for the past few years but now I can.’

The Tig had been her lifestyle website used as a platform to discuss social issues such as gender equality as well as sharing articles on travel, food and fashion, but which she had closed down before marrying into the Royal family in May 2018.

The change of name looked like it could draw Meghan into a legal wrangle involving the owner of an independent New York retailer also called As Ever.

Mark Kolski, the designer and owner of vintage clothing studio As Ever NYC, told of being left ‘reeling’ by the news Meghan would relaunch her company under the same name as his own clothing label.

But after exploring his options, the 58-year-old last week announced he was no longer planning any legal response.

2018: Serena Williams gushes over her friendship with Meghan Markle

KINDLY CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP COMMUNITY FOR FREE, GET THE LATEST ON THE GO HERE