Palace aide ‘rolled their eyes’ when Meghan Markle had ‘common’ baby shower in New York

Buckingham Palace aides ‘rolled their eyes’ when they discussed Meghan Markle’s ‘common’ $500,000 baby shower with royal correspondents, the author of Finding Freedom has claimed.

The Duchess of Sussex, 39, celebrated the impending birth of her firstborn son with Prince Harry, 36, by flying to the Big Apple by private jet in 2019, provoking outcry with the five-day baby shower celebration. Around 20 friends attended, including Serena Williams and Amal Clooney.

Speaking in the Channel 4 documentary A Very Royal Baby: From Cradle to Crown, which airs tonight, Omid Scobie claimed: ‘I remember speaking to a palace aide at the time who rolled their eyes, they were horrified that something so common was happening within the House of Windsor.’

Meanwhile Ingrid Seward, a royal author and editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine described the shower as ‘trashy’.

Ingrid said: ‘They walked in through the front entrance carrying these enormous bags from the most expensive shops in New York.

‘Crowds gathered because they were all celebrities, there was Gayle King from CBS, Serena Williams and Amal Clooney. ‘

Scobie admitted the idea of a baby shower was ‘as far from British tradition as you can get’.

‘We had never seen someone throw this very lavish affair to celebrate the impending arrival of a baby.’

Scobie said there’s been ‘a lot of speculation’ about where Harry and Meghan’s second child might be born, adding Los Angeles-based hospital Cedars-Sinai has some of the ‘finest maternity suites in the country.’

The medical centre features luxury suites costing up to £2,800 per night and has an impressive list of former patients – including Victoria Beckham, Madonna and Kourtney Kardashian.

He previously claimed aides were ‘spitting’ over the baby shower, writing in Finding Freedom: ‘While the trip had been a hit with Meghan, senior courtiers back in the UK were spitting out their morning tea when they saw her lavish baby shower thrown by friends turn into a media circus with what looked like carefully stage-managed paparazzi walks of the duchess in big black sunglasses from her hotel to her car and a laundry list of insider party details reported by US press.

‘It’s fair to say that the optics of the somewhat flashy shower did not go down well with certain individuals at the Palace,’ a senior aide revealed.

It continues: ‘Meghan was often criticized for being too Hollywood, meaning too flashy. Especially for the reserved aesthetic of the monarchy.’

A source told the authors: ‘I think a few people that had defended her over the months felt a little disappointed. But sometimes in this role you’re damned 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.’

In February 2019, Meghan and her closest friends partied at The Mark hotel in Manhattan, in one of the world’s most expensive suites.

Markle and Spencer grabbed lunch together before being joined by the rest of the group for dinner at The Polo Bar, the swank New York eatery owned by designer Ralph Lauren.

Then, on the day of, she welcomed even newer friends to her party at The Mark, including human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and King, who scored an invitation despite being kept off the guest list at Markle’s wedding.

Her mother’s absence also meant that Markle had not one family member at the party, including new sister-in-law Kate Middleton, though baby showers have never been a British tradition.

The shower was hosted by Serena Williams, Jessica Mulroney and Genevieve Hillis, who has been Markle’s best friend since the age of 17 when they met at Northwestern.

‘It was a small, private affair, and a special time for her,’ said CBS presenter, Gayle King.

‘Having a baby is a great thing.’

A video, which emerged on social media after the shower, appeared to give a glimpse of the very lavish set up.

Royal fan account harry_meghan_updates, run by Instagram user Francesca, shared a video on its Story, claiming that the short clip was actually captured inside the star-studded baby shower.

It captures the dessert buffet on offer to guests which was designed by illustrator Darcy Miller, and featured four macaron towers from Laduree, which cost a total of $460.

The Duchess’ close pals were also treated to stork-shaped cake pops and miniature slices of carrot cake, as well as multiple cupcakes iced in pink and green frosting.

The crowing glory was a two tiered cake which featured a miniature paper cut out of Harry and Meghan stood next to a pram – believed to be the work of event designer Darcy Miller, who has been credited with putting together the lavish dessert buffet at the event.

Guests at Meghan Markle’s lavish baby shower in New York City left the intimate gathering with high-end gift bags filled with luxe leather tote bags filled with the royal’s favorite products.

High-profile guests were seen leaving the Mark Hotel’s incredible Grand Penthouse Suite, which costs a staggering $75,000 per night.

According to People, guests were gifted Cuyana leather totes that were filled to the brim with products, much like Oscars swag bags.

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.

Brands often send celebrities free gifts in the hopes of getting press, and with Meghan’s shower making headlines around the world, it’s likely that companies were more than willing to offer up products for the guests’ gift bags.

On the day of Meghan’s shower, about 17 Away suitcases were delivered to The Mark Hotel, each of which cost $225.

A Very Royal Baby: From Cradle to Crown, is on Channel 4 at 9pm on 19 May.