Who will receive Meghan's top 5 jams? As the Duchess's A-list pals show off their numbered pots of American Riviera Orchard preserve, we reveal who is in the running for the exclusive first samples (and who will be spreading Marmite on their toast...)

As Meghan Markle's nearest and dearest show off the strawberry jam from her American Riviera Orchard, it has left fans desperate to find out who has been allowed into the exclusive club of her first customers.

The Duchess has sent out 50 jars of jam from the first batch, with the label on each product numbered between one and 50.

Among the exclusive recipients so far are A-listers Tracee Ellis Ross and Mindy Kaling, as well as Meghan's 'polo wife' Delfina Blaquier (who is married to Nacho Figueras) and fashion designer Tracy Robbins.

As Instagram posts trickle in showing the ruby-red jam set amid bright yellow lemons, fans are able to paint a picture of the type of customer Meghan wishes to appeal to - but which lucky people received the very first jars of the product?

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at some of the people who may have been gifted the earliest jars of American Riviera Orchard jam - and the people she was once close to who have likely missed out on samples... 

Kelly McKee Zajfen

Meghan's close pal of many years, Kelly McKee Zajfen, revealed earlier this week that she has received the third jar of jam from the Duchess's American Riviera Orchard batch

Although four out of five of the recipients of Meghan's earliest jam jars have not yet revealed themselves, Kelly McKee Zajfen was given the third sample from the first batch.

The co-founder of Alliance of Moms, which supports pregnant and parenting teens in the foster care system, took to Instagram to share a video of the preserve being spooned on to a slice of toasted sourdough.

In the clip, captioned 'mornings with American Riviera Orchard', Kelly, who tragically lost her nine-year-old son Georgie to Covid and meningitis in 2022, is seen spreading the jam thickly on a slice of white toasted bread - with a gold spoon shaped like a flower.

The short video isn't the first time we have seen Kelly promoting the product, which is the first launch from the Duchess of Sussex's new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard.

She previously shared a photograph of the product on social media, saying she was 'so proud' of her friend for the upcoming launch.

In close-up photos of the jam jar, it appears to be labelled number three out of 50 in the original batch.

Meghan has supported Kelly through the grief of losing her son George, who died aged just nine in July 2022 after being found unresponsive in their family home.

A close friend of the Zajfen family revealed to DailyMail.com that Kelly's son George had been found 'unresponsive' in their family home and that his death had come as a complete shock to his loved ones and parents. 

Kelly - who is also mother to George's twin sister Lily - herself has been open about her grief on Instagram, writing in October of last year that she was 'not really okay', while telling her followers: 'The light everyday is dim. I try my best. We are all trying our best. I’m so broken.

'I’m searching everyday to find some new way to mold the pieces back together and I’m completely aware that it may not all fit again.'

Last year, she posted a heartfelt tribute to Meghan on her account, praising the Duchess of Sussex for her support and praising her for being such an 'incredible friend and mother'.

'You are always the first to say yes and support those you love. You are a fierce advocate for those who are in need,' Kelly continued, while sharing an image of herself and the Duchess of Sussex both wearing 'Community Motherhood' T-shirts in support of an Alliance of Moms campaign.

Oprah Winfrey

Meghan and Harry are known to be close to another California neighbour, Oprah Winfrey with whom they conducted a bombshell interview in 2021

As well as conducting the interview, Oprah has previously revealed she '100% supports' the Sussexes' decision to step down as working royals

Meghan is known to have a friendship with veteran American broadcaster Oprah Winfrey, who conducted the bombshell interview with the couple in 2021 that caused a huge fallout over a series of allegations including racism and bullying.

Later reflecting on the interview on CBS in September 2022, Oprah – who is a close neighbour of the couple in Montecito - claimed that she 'didn't set out to do a bombshell interview'.

She added: 'I was as surprised by the bombshell as everybody else. I was doing an interview to offer them a platform, to tell their story about why they left.'

In March this year, Oprah said the couple had not consulted her on whether to attend the King's Coronation - which led to some claims on Twitter that she was distancing herself from them.

But there is no suggestion that they have had any falling out, and she has always been very respectful of the Sussexes in interviews.

Asked by Gayle King last year whether Harry and Prince William could reconcile after Queen Elizabeth II's death, Winfrey replied: 'I do not get into people's family matters.'

And back in 2020 when Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals, Oprah told TMZ: 'I support them 1,000 percent.'

Heather Dorak 

Meghan and Heather Dorak have been friends for more than a decade, and Heather, a pilates instructor, has previously revealed the Duchess was 'one of her first clients'

Heather Dorak has been the Duchess of Sussex's devoted friend for many years and the pair are often spotted out and about together in LA.

The Pilates and yoga instructor originates from San Antonio, Texas but is now based in California where she owns six Pilates Platinum studios.

The blonde beauty attended Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding in May 2018 with her husband Matt Cohen.

Heather was spotted hiking with Meghan near the Sussex's Montecito mansion after they celebrated Archie's fourth birthday.

The pair often featured on Meghan's social media before she took down her accounts after marrying Prince Harry.

The friendship between the two dates back to Meghan's time on Suits, when she first became the Duchess's pilates coach. Heather has previously said Meghan was 'one of my first clients'.

She attended the Sussexes' wedding in Windsor in 2018 and has remained in Meghan's inner circle in recent years since she and Prince Harry moved to Montecito, California.

Doria Ragland

Meghan's relationship with her mother Doria Ragland is incredibly close and Doria plays  a big part in the Sussexes' California life

Meghan shares an incredibly close bond with her mother Doria Ragland, who is a huge part of the Sussexes' life since they moved to California. 

Doria is heavily involved in the lives of her grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and appeared in Harry and Meghan's Netflix documentary in 2022.

She also made a cameo on the Duchess's Spotify podcast Archetypes, before was axed by the streaming service after one series (it has since been picked up by Lemonada).

Speaking about Doria on the podcast, Meghan shared an insight into 

Meghan Markle admitted her mother still calls her her 'Flower,' even though she is 41. 

Writing about her mother in her now-defunct lifestyle blog The Tig in 2014, Meghan paid tribute to Doria's 'free spirit'.

She mentioned them jogging together, enjoying bike rides after school, cooking with one another and holidaying to Oaxaca, Mexico - and recalled visiting her grandmothers with her mother.

Meghan wrote: 'She was keeping me safe. She was teaching me to take care of my body. She was introducing me to history, and fostering a love of being outdoors.

'She was planting the seed for me to become a foodie. She was showing me how to be a daughter, not just in that moment, but for when I became that grown woman. For right now. And thirty years from now. She was loving me. So tightly.

'To all of the wonderful mamas in this world, thank you. For all the lessons, for all the love. For you. I love you, Mommy,' concluded Meghan.

Serena Williams

Serena Williams has been friends with Meghan Markle since 2010 in a friendship that long pre-dates when she met Prince Harry

Meghan's bond with Serena Williams dates back to 2010 and is one of the longest friendships the Duchess has had with a major celebrity.

They first met at the Super Bowl that year, and then again at the event in 2014 in New York.

Meghan then started watching Williams in tennis tournaments, including the US Open in 2014 and the Australian Open in 2015.

Williams recalled to Vanity Fair in 2017 that after Meghan started dating Harry, she told her: 'You've got to be who you are, Meghan. You can't hide.'

The tennis star and her husband Alexis Ohanian attended Harry and Meghan's wedding in May 2018 – and then Meghan watched Williams at Wimbledon in June that year, alongside Kate in the Royal Box. They did so again in July 2019.

Serena was one of the first guests on Meghan's Spotify podcast, Archetypes

Williams then defended Meghan after the Oprah interview in 2021, writing on social media: 'Meghan Markle, my selfless friend, lives her life - and leads by example - with empathy and compassion.

'She teaches me every day what is means to be truly noble. Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she's experienced.'

Then in August last year, Williams appeared on Meghan's Spotify podcast Archetypes and the Duchess recalled meeting her in 2014, saying: 'I show up and I see you walking toward someone.

'I remember thinking, 'Oh my gosh, who is Serena Williams going to talk to?' I looked behind me and when I turned around, you were there right in front of me... We became such fast friends.'

Ellen DeGeneres

Meghan is known to have a close relationship with her friend and Montecito neighbour Ellen DeGeneres

Meghan and Harry are known to share a close relationship with Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia De Rossi, who live nearby in Montecito.

Last year, Ellen and Portia held a vow renewal ceremony at their $70 million mansion at which many of their A-list friends were present - including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

In clips and photos from the ceremony, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were seen whooping and cheering after Kris Jenner officiated the renewals, which surprised the former talk show host.

Harry and Meghan were at opposite ends of the group, which included Brandi Carlile, and other friends and family of the celebrity couple. 

Meghan appeared on Ellen's talk show in 2021 where she opened up about her life in California with Harry, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. 

During her surprise appearance on the final season of Ellen's talk show, the Duchess also stepped outside the studio to pull a prank on a vendor trio. 

It meant that she was forced to do and say whatever the talk show host told her to via a hidden earpiece.

Meghan approached the first vendor and began inspecting the crystals on their stall before Ellen instructed her to hold on to her head and begin groaning and moaning.

As part of the prank she was forced to swig from a baby bottle and meow like a cat.

Misha Nonoo

Meghan has a close friendship with Misha Nonoo, who is one of a few people rumoured to have set her up with Prince Harry

Misha Nonoo is a fashion designer and the former wife of Harry's friend Alexander Gilkes. She is one of a few people rumoured to have set up the couple. 

Meghan and Misha's relationship reportedly goes back years, according to the bombshell biography Finding Freedom - co-authored by journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand - which documented their friendship.

It alleges how Markus Anderson, Soho Houses global membership director, provided the royal with introductions to many business and cultural elites - both in Canada and further afield.

The authors wrote, 'At a Soho House lunch in Miami, he was the one who sat the actress next to Misha, a budding fashion designer with a vivacious personality and impeccable pedigree.

'The occasion for the December 2014 Miami trip was Art Basel, a decadent art fair that brings the internationally rich and famous for a week of parties and events of all sorts and sizes.

'Markus invited Meghan, an art lover, to stay at the epicenter of the action, Soho Beach House, to set some sun, see some art, and have some fun.

'A perfect place to make new friends and connections, the Soho house event saw Misha and Meghan hit it off immediately.'

The biography goes on to suggest Misha and Markus were behind Meghan and Prince Harry's first meeting.

It's thought the Duchess' close pals set the pair, who are now living in the US, up on a blind date in London.

The Duchess has continued to support her friend by wearing Misha Nonoo styles over the years and donned the famous 'Boyfriend shirt' for her first appearance alongside Prince Harry, and also wore another of Misha's designs for her final day of meetings in the UK before stepping back from royal duties.

Janina Gavankar

Janina Gavankar has been friends with Meghan since they met in LA in the early 2000s where they were both working as young actresses

Meghan and Janina Gavankar who lives in Los Angeles, have been friends for nearly 20 years after meeting when they were both starting out as actresses in the early 2000s.

Since Meghan joined the royal family and became more famous than ever, Janina has continuously spoken up for her friend in television interviews.

When Meghan was pregnant with Prince Archie, Janina told CBS News of Meghan's parenting style: 'I think she'll be very low maintenance.

‘I think that she will be very hands-on, the way she would have been if she hadn't married into the royal family.’ 

She added: 'To have the royal family bring a child of colour into the world, it's pretty awesome,' she said. 'There are still a lot of us who didn't even grow up with dolls that look like us.'

As for Meghan's abilities as a mother, Janina said she has no doubt that the former Suits star will be anything but the most stellar and loving parent to her newborn son.

'Meghan and I have talked about her being a mother for over a decade. She's always wanted to be a mom,' she revealed.

After the couple's bombshell interview with Oprah in 2021 in which they claimed members of the royal family had raised 'concerns' about the colour of Archie's skin while Meghan was pregnant, Janina spoke up again to support their version of events.

Responding to the Palace's statement about the claims which suggested 'recollections may vary', she told ITV's This Morning: 'Though their recollections may vary, ours don't.'

She added: 'After reading this short statement that came out from Buckingham Palace today, I felt two things.

'One side, I thought: I am so thankful that they are finally acknowledging the experience.

'But on the other side, I am well aware that the family and the staff were well aware of the extent of it, and though their recollections may vary, ours don't, because we lived through it with them. There are many emails and texts to support that.'

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank 

Princess Eugenie and her husband are close to Meghan and Harry and have maintained a friendship with the Sussexes since their move across the pond

Prince Harry has been very close with his cousin Princess Eugenie since they were children, and that bond has strengthened since he married Meghan and Eugenie wed Jack Brooksbank – both in 2018.

Eugenie was one of the first people Harry introduced Meghan to before they revealed their relationship back in 2016 – and he said in his memoir Spare that the women instantly became friends and were soon hugging 'like sisters'.

The Princess has since visited the couple in California. Footage of her trip to see them featured in the Sussexes' Netflix documentary – and they were also seen attending the Super Bowl together in 2022.

A source told Us Weekly in December last year that Eugenie and the Sussexes are in 'regular communication and FaceTime at least once every couple of months with the children'.

Harry and Meghan also went on a night out to a Halloween party in Toronto with Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank in 2016 - before the Sussexes had gone public with their relationship.

And Harry wrote in his book about how Eugenie introduced him to the model and actress Cressida Bonas who later became his girlfriend.

Harry said he and Ms Bonas shared an awkward kiss because his 'aim was off', and he then phoned Eugenie to tell her about this. But the Duke added: 'She'd already spoken to Cressida. She sighed. Awkward.'

... And the people who probably haven't received a jar

Jessica Mulroney

Pictured: Meghan Markle and Jessica Mulroney in an image shared on Instagram

Meghan and stylist Jessica Mulroney were once best friends and were pictured at a number of high-profile events together after meeting in 2011.

Meghan and Harry spent time with Mrs Mulroney and her husband Ben while in Toronto before their relationship was made public in 2016.

Mrs Mulroney played a key part in Meghan's wedding, and is said to have flown in to London four days beforehand to help her get fitted for her dress.

Meghan also asked her three children John, Brian and Isabel to be in her wedding party - while the stylist was given a starring role as she entered St George's Chapel alongside Kate Middleton.

Mrs Mulroney was also then also among several famous faces who organised Meghan's baby shower in New York in 2019, and defended the couple when they were slammed for using private jets, saying they had been the target of 'racist bullies'.

But it appears the pair became distant after Mrs Mulroney became embroiled in a 'white privilege' row with lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter.

Pictured: Jessica Mulroney and her daughter Ivy seen arriving at St George's Chapel for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding

Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, Sasha posted on her Instagram Stories and encouraged her followers and fellow influencers to speak out about the Black Lives Matter movement.

However, the blogger claimed Mrs Mulroney 'took offence' from her 'generic call to action' post. In a follow-up video, Ms Exeter said: 'What happened next was a series of very problematic behaviour and antics [...]

'I'm by no means calling Jess a racist but what I will say is this: She is very well aware of her wealth, perceived power and privilege because of the colour of her skin and that, my friends, gave her the momentary confidence to come for my livelihood in writing. Textbook white privilege really, in my personal opinion.'

Following the blogger's claims, Mrs Mulroney issued three public apologies, but was dropped by numerous television networks including ABC's Good Morning America and Canadian TV network CTV.

Despite publicly supporting Meghan as she adapted to life as a Royal, the stylist was not among the women featured on the Duchess' Archetypes podcast.

And Mrs Mulroney was also noticeably absent from the Sussexes' Netflix documentary series.

Ninaki Priddy

Meghan's childhood friend Ninaki Priddy was maid of honour at Meghan's first wedding to Trevor Engelson in front of more than 100 guests on a beach in Jamaica.

She told the Daily Mail in 2017: 'Meg literally shone with happiness. We'd been like sisters since we were two years old, so I knew she'd always wanted to get married.

They had been inseparable from their first days at Hollywood's private Little Red School House, which they both joined at the age of two, before moving on together at 11 to the Immaculate Heart girls' high school in Los Angeles.

But Ms Priddy said they fell out after she disapproved of the manner of Meghan's break-up from Mr Engelson.

She added: 'All I can say now is that I think Meghan was calculated — very calculated — in the way she handled people and relationships.

'She is very strategic in the way she cultivates circles of friends. Once she decides you're not part of her life, she can be very cold. It's this shutdown mechanism she has. There's nothing to negotiate. She's made her decision and that's it.'

Thomas Markle

Meghan, pictured at her college graduation, is now estranged from her father Thomas Markle

While Meghan once appeared to have a close relationship with her father Thomas Markle, it is understood the Duchess is no longer in contact with him after he admitted staging paparazzi photos just days before she married Prince Harry.

The Duchess relived the falling out in her Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, and pinpointed the moment the 'unravelling happened' between herself and her father.

Speaking to Netflix, the duchess recounted how her father, a former lighting director, found himself at the centre of a scandal when it emerged he had staged paparazzi photos and sold them for a reported $100,000.

Soon after, Mr Markle suffered a heart attack and said he could no longer attend his daughter's wedding with just days to go.

The segment begun with Meghan telling Netflix that a week prior to the wedding, she received a message from Jason Knauf, her former communications secretary, to say a 'story is going to come out tomorrow that your father has been staging pictures and taking money from the press.'

During the Sussexes' Netflix documentary, Meghan told her version of events in the week leading up to her wedding to Prince Harry

The pictures showed Mr Markle being fitted for a suit, exercising in a public park and one of him reading a history book about Britain from his hometown of Rosarito, Mexico.

Meghan told the camera: 'That was the first I was hearing of it. Jason [Knauf] said you need to call him and find out if this is true or not because it could be really damaging.

Recounting events, she said: 'H and I called my dad, I said "look they are saying you are taking money from the tabloids to stage photos, is this true?"

'He goes "no", and on that call I said "look, this story, if they can't stop it and it's going to come out tomorrow, so why don't we send someone to your house to get you out of there now? Because if that's the case your house will be swarmed by media... lets get you out of Mexico" and he said "no, I have things I need to do", and it felt really cagey.'

She continued: 'I was like, it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense.

'And when we hung up I looked at H and I was like, "I don't know why but I don't believe him".'

The Duchess of Sussex said that in the week leading up to the wedding, 'paps and media and journalists were following him [Mr Markle] all day everyday.'

But for Meghan, the 'unravelling happened' when she claimed her father wouldn't pick up her call and was 'talking to TMZ', which reported that he had suffered a heart attack and could no longer attend the wedding.

Meghan told the cameras: 'I'm finding out you're not coming to our wedding through a tabloid.'

She claimed she continued to try and get in touch with her father to find out more about his condition and which hospital he was in, to no avail.

On May 17, 2018, two days before the wedding, Meghan sent a message to her father saying: 'Please can I ask that you stop talking to any press... You haven't returned any of our 20+ calls since we all spoke on Saturday morning; which only adds to the hurt you've been causing. We aren't angry but we do really need to speak to u. Love M and H'. 

Meghan said: 'And then someone texted back on his phone' as a response from her father appears on screen and sombre music plays in the background.

It said: 'I've done nothing to hurt you Meghan or anyone else I know nothing about 20 phone calls I'm sorry my heart attack is there any inconvenience for you [sic]'.

She cast doubt on the way in which the message had been written, saying it was not in the style of how her father usually typed.

Mr Markle later insisted the messages had come from him.

Samantha Markle

The relationship between Meghan and her half sister Samantha Markle has deteriorated in recent years

The relationship between Meghan and her half sister Samantha Markle has deteriorated in recent years to the point where Samantha sued the Duchess for defamation.

Samantha, 59, had been seeking at least $75,000 for defamation and defamation by implication for Meghan suggesting to Oprah that she grew up as an only child. 

However last month a Florida judge dismissed the claim on the basis that Meghan's claims were 'substantially true'.

In her 58-page ruling, Judge Honeywell said that Meghan's statements could not be defamatory because they are 'substantially true based on judicially noticed evidence' or 'not capable of being considered defamatory'. 

Samantha had failed to 'plausibly allege that they are defamatory in the first place', the judge said. 

The judge noted that Meghan's comments about her childhood was her 'merely opining' that she did not have a close relationship with Samantha, her half sister with whom she shares a father. 

The case was originally filed in March 2022 and in legal filings Samantha detailed at length how she was 'very close' to Meghan when they grew up in Los Angeles.

Samantha helped Meghan with her homework, took her shopping and had a 'wonderful relationship' with her, it was claimed. 

Samantha and Meghan have had a difficult relationship for years which exploded into public view after Meghan's engagement to Harry was announced in 2017.

Samantha was quoted by journalists as saying that 'The Queen would be appalled' and called her a 'ducha**' on Twitter.

In her memoir, titled 'The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister', Samantha claimed that Meghan ordered their father to disown his children from his first marriage if he wanted an invitation to her wedding.

Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham was said to have reached out to Meghan and connected her with strong contacts when she first joined the Royal Family

Meghan and Prince Harry invited David and Victoria Beckham to the dinner of their wedding in Windsor in 2018, suggesting that the power couple were among their exclusive friendship group.

Lizzie Cundy, from the UK but now living in LA, has previously told the New York Post that, at first, Meghan was starstruck by the Beckhams and 'squealed' with excitement when she first met Posh Spice at a party in 2013.

David and Victoria then showed kindness towards Meghan ever since she moved into Harry's cottage in Kensington Palace in 2017, the biographer Tom Bower told The Sun. 

According to the Mail on Sunday, the couples bonded because Izzy May, David Beckham's communications director, was friends with Markus Anderson, chief membership officer for private social club Soho House, who helped arrange Meghan's secret dates with Harry. 

Victoria, in what Mr Bower describes as an attempt to 'build their relationship', offered Meghan make-up advice.

A member of the designer's staff is also understood to have helped Meghan with facials and hairdressing.

But the royal couple allegedly had a suspicion that the Beckhams leaked stories about Meghan's help from Victoria to the press - a claim the former Spice Girl denied and left David reportedly feeling 'absolutely bloody furious'.

The Beckhams also hosted Meghan in their six-bedroom house in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles before her marriage to Harry.

The couple's staff tended to Meghan's needs at no cost during her private visit to California, Mr Bower claimed.

Harry and Meghan then decided not to invite the Beckhams to their wedding dinner, despite the fact that they were asked to attend the marriage ceremony at St George's Chapel. 

Meghan wore one of Victoria Beckham's coats to Christmas in 2018 in Sandringham

Mr Bower claims the move was a 'near-unforgivable insult', citing that many Hollywood stars who attended the dinner 'were not friends'.

Bower also alleged that, as Harry and Meghan prepared to make their move to California and step away from royal life, the Beckhams refused to take sides in the alleged row between the Sussexes and Prince William and his wife Kate.

David and William are understood to have had a good relationships since England's World Cup bid in 2010, which Mr Bower claims 'annoyed the Sussexes'.

Their alleged distaste towards the Beckhams' friendship with the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, was furthered last year when David flew from Qatar to Boston during the World Cup to help William and Kate with their philanthropic efforts. 

The now Prince and Princess of Wales' ceremony, which was attended by President Joe Biden, seemingly upstaged an event hosted by the Sussexes in New York that same weekend.

In July, it emerged there was a suspicion the Beckhams may have leaked stories about the Sussexes, an accusation The Mail on Sunday was told left David 'absolutely bloody furious'.

A source close to the Beckhams said: 'David and Victoria went to Meghan and Harry's wedding and were very supportive when Meghan arrived in the UK.'

But the accusations, which The Mail on Sunday has been told came in a tense phone call, fractured the Beckham friendship. The source added: 'Any making up now is so unlikely.'

Patrick J Adams

Patrick J. Adams starred as Michael Ross in Suits. His character was in a relationship with Meghan's Rachel Zane

Patrick J. Adams, whose Suits character Michael Ross was in a relationship with Meghan's Rachel Zane, has confirmed he's had 'no communication' with the Duchess following the legal drama's streaming success.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on the set of T-Mobile's Super Bowl commercial, in which he featured alongside Gabriel Macht, who played Harvey Specter, the pair were asked: 'Have you spoken to Meghan Markle recently?'

Patrick, who attended Meghan's wedding with his wife Troian Bellisario, said: ' Zero. No, no communication.'

The actor then jokingly pretended he was getting a call, saying: 'Oh, hold on. There she is. Oh, got to go.'

In 2020, the Canadian actor, 42, admitted he is 'too intimidated' and feels a 'little scared' to phone the Duchess.

Patrick and Meghan were an onscreen couple, however he has said he feels 'intimidated' to reach out to the Duchess in recent years

Patrick, who played Meghan's on-screen love interest for seven years, said it had been 'wild' to watch how 'enormous' her life has become since she left the show in 2018.

He revealed the friends exchanged messages and gifts when their children were born but admitted 'pure fear' stopped him picking up the phone and calling her at the time.

The actor told the Radio Times: 'Quite frankly, I think I'm intimidated. I have no doubt I could pick up the phone and call her at any moment, but I don't know what I would say.

'After our children were born, there were some texts sent and gifts sent, but I guess I'm a little scared. I think it's pure fear.

'I guess I'm scared about the idea of breaking through whatever walls exist to have that conversation.'

He said it had been 'wild to watch' her life unfold but explained they are not in regular contact, adding: 'We’ve spoken and texted a couple of times, but Meghan’s life is incredibly full and she’s been navigating a lot.

'We don’t spend any time together, but that’s not because of anything other than how completely enormous her life has become in so many ways.'

Kate and William

As the Princess of Wales recovers from abdominal surgery and undergoes preventative chemotherapy, the Sussexes have wished for her to get well in peace

As the Princess of Wales recovers from preventative chemotherapy following the discovery of cancer cells during abdominal surgery, it's likely Harry and Meghan, who appear to be repairing their fractured relationship with William and Kate, will be allowing the Princess to focus on her recovery.

At the time Kate's condition was disclosed, the Sussexes released a heartfelt statement which read: 'We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.'

It marked a potential step towards repairing the fractious relationship between the couples, after a rift emerged when Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to Montecito, California.

However, in line with the sentiment expressed in the Sussexes' statement, it's likely Meghan will be allowing Kate and her family to enjoy their private time while she begins promotion for her lifestyle brand.