Inside Meghan Markle's 'flashy' baby shower with Michelin-star food and designer gift bags that did not go down well with the Palace
- Meghan's lavish shower created a media frenzy
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Meghan Markle's 'flashy' baby shower with a star-studded guest list, Michelin-star food, a dessert table featuring a macaron tower, and high-end gift bags left palace officials less than impressed.
The mum-of-two was treated to the lavish affair, organised by friend and tennis champion Serena Williams, in New York in February 2019, less than three months before welcoming her and Prince Harry's firstborn Archie.
Held in a £57,000-a-night penthouse in one of Manhattan's swankiest hotels, the 'ostentatious' shower had senior courtiers at Buckingham Palace 'spitting out their morning tea' when paparazzi snaps of Meghan and her guests hit newsstands.
The 44-year-old was reportedly slammed for being 'too Hollywood' and indulging in the event, unlike the then-Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, who didn't have a baby shower during any of her three pregnancies.
The party drew a flurry of photographers, media and fans to the Mark Hotel, where guests included Amal Clooney, Gayle King and actress Abigail Spencer.
Photos also circulated of organisers carting trolleys of huge bouquets of flowers, decorations, and boxes of gifts into the hotel.
Meghan and her friends reportedly spent between $300,000 and $500,000 on the luxurious party.
Royal biographer Tom Bower claimed that the glitzy bash was not a usual shower and was instead organised to promote Meghan and her friend's careers.
Meghan Markle's lavish baby shower that her friends threw before she gave birth to first child Archie in 2019 was deemed too 'flashy' and 'ostentatious' by unhappy palace officials
The star-studded affair was held in a £57,000-a-night penthouse in one of Manhattan's swankiest hotels and around 20 of Meghan's friends at the time were in attendance
The party drew a flurry of photographers, media and fans to the Mark Hotel, where organisers carted trolleys of huge bouquets of flowers, decorations, and boxes of gifts inside
Meghan was reportedly slammed for being 'too Hollywood' and indulging in the event, unlike the then-Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, who didn't have a baby shower during any of her pregnancies
In his 2022 book Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors, he wrote that the event 'bore no resemblance to a traditional shower party to anticipate a child's birth. Rather, it was a launchpad for a group of friends set on financially exploiting Meghan's status'.
'The guest list was Meghan's latest shot at launching her own celebrity in America. She had no intention of following the Queen's notable frugality,' he continued.
'Journalists and photographers, briefed by the organisers, were crammed behind specially erected crash barriers outside the hotel.'
Around 20 of Meghan's closest friends were at the soiree, including Jessica Mulroney; however, no one from either her or Harry's family was in attendance.
Other guests included wellness guru Taryn Toomey, university friend Lindsay Roth, fashion designer Misha Nonoo, Soho House global membership director Markus Anderson, fashion publicist Celine Khavarani, NBC cable entertainment chief Bonnie Hammer, makeup artist Daniel Martin, and hairdresser Serge Normant.
No expense was spared on the glamorous affair, which was organised by Serena, who enlisted the help of her wedding planner, Jennifer Zabinski.
She booked the Upper East Side hotel's Grand Penthouse, one of the establishment's most expensive suites, with five bedrooms, two bars, four fireplaces, six bathrooms, two powder rooms and a rooftop terrace with views over Central Park.
Inside, a harpist played as attendees celebrated the expectant mother while enjoying food made by The Mark's Michelin-star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
Guests included Amal Clooney, Gayle King, Jessica Mulroney and actress Abigail Spencer who were all snapped entering the hotel on the snowy New York afternoon
No expense was spared on the glamorous affair, which was organised by Serena, who enlisted the help of her wedding planner, Jennifer Zabinski
Guests were gifted Cuyana leather totes that were filled to the brim with products. On the day of Meghan's shower, about 17 Away suitcases worth $225 each were delivered to The Mark Hotel
Renowned New York florist Lewis Miller guided guests through a flower-arranging lesson, with all the bunches later being donated to Repeat Roses, a company that supplies bouquets to places like hospitals, nursing homes and homeless shelters.
A dessert table was filled with sweet treats from the macaron tower, to baby-themed sugar cookies and a two-tiered cake decorated with miniature figures of Meghan and Harry pushing a stroller.
According to People, after the event, guests were gifted Cuyana leather totes that were filled to the brim with products.
The totes, which retail for $175-$195 depending on style, included $67 Jo Malone Green Tomato Leaf scented candles, $65 Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder and $81 Susanne Kaufmann Body Butter.
They also reportedly featured products from Rodin and Jessica Alba's company Honest Beauty.
On the day of Meghan's shower, about 17 Away suitcases were delivered to The Mark Hotel, each of which cost $225.
After jetting back to the UK days later in the Clooneys' private jet, Meghan was apparently met with disapproval from the palace thanks to the 'media circus' her shower created.
In the 2020 biography Finding Freedom, co-authored by journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durant, a senior aide revealed: 'It's fair to say that the optics of the somewhat flashy shower did not go down well with certain individuals at the palace.
'I think a few people who had defended her over the months felt a little disappointed. But sometimes in this role, you're dammed if you do and damned if you don't.
'Ultimately, the trip was just Meghan's friends celebrating a really exciting moment in her life.'
After jetting back to the UK days later in the Clooneys' private jet, Meghan was apparently met with disapproval from the palace thanks to the 'media circus' her shower created (pictured: Jessica Mulroney (left) and fashion designer Misha Nonoo arrive at the shower)
The shower was held at The Mark Hotel's Grand Penthouse, one of the establishment's most expensive suites, with five bedrooms, two bars, four fireplaces, six bathrooms, two powder rooms and a rooftop terrace with views over Central Park
Renowned New York florist Lewis Miller guided guests through a flower-arranging lesson, with all the bunches later being donated to Repeat Roses, a company that supplies bouquets to places like hospitals, nursing homes and homeless shelters
At the time, a royal expert told ABC News that the shower was 'highly inappropriate', noting that Kate Middleton forwent the celebrations for all three of her children, which was more in keeping with the royals' reserved image.
The backlash didn't stop the Duchess from sharing a glimpse into the controversial affair in her and Harry's four-episode Netflix series in 2022.
Speaking on the show, Meghan said: 'My friends surprised me with a really beautiful baby shower in New York.
'They were like, "We're going to shower her with love, and shower her baby, and she's going to survive this and we're going to get through it with her."'
In response to the criticism of the cost of the shower, Meghan said: 'These strong, successful, independent women choose to use their own money, and it's not taxpayer money, to throw a party for their friend from a place of love.
'Why are you taking such a beautiful moment and trying to ruin it?'
Meanwhile, her friend Silver Tree said: 'It's like this really magical time of us just celebrating her.'
Serena said: 'It was just so cool and so fun to try to have an intimate moment.'
The programme showed Meghan in a blue polka dot dress, laughing with friends and arranging flowers with Amal.
Dressed in aprons, the group appear to be enjoying a selection of drinks, including mocktails and glasses of wine.
'It was a small, private affair, and a special time for her,' CBS presenter Gayle King previously said.
'Having a baby is a great thing.'
