Meghan Markle’s decision that made palace aides ‘spit out tea’

Meghan Markle’s decision that made palace aides ‘spit out tea’
Meghan Markle was said to have left palace aides “horrified” after her luxury baby shower in New York in 2019, which was said to have turned into a “media circus”
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Meghan Markle
A star-studded baby shower was held for Meghan in New York

Meghan Markle’s decision to host a “flashy” baby shower for her first child reportedly left palace aides gobsmacked, causing them to “spit out morning tea” in shock at the images, as revealed in an unofficial Royal biography.

The Duchess of Sussex’s opulent pre-birth celebration for Prince Archie was seen as over-the-top by senior Royal aides, who felt it had become a “media circus”.

In February 2019, seven months into her pregnancy, Meghan flew to New York for the lavish event held in The Mark Hotel’s penthouse, with celebrities like Gayle King, Jessica Mulroney, and Amal Clooney in attendance.

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In Finding Freedom, a book by Royal commentators Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie, it is suggested that some palace staff were taken aback by the spectacle, which was far from typical Royal behavior.

The authors wrote: “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.”

The book recounts alleged insider reactions, noting: “It’s fair to say that the optics of the somewhat flashy shower did not go down well with certain individuals at the palace.”

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It continues, “Meghan was often criticised for being too Hollywood, meaning too flashy. Especially for the reserved aesthetic of the monarchy.”

Another informant expressed Royal aides’ disappointment: “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.”

They added, “Ultimately, the trip was just Meghan’s friends celebrating a really exciting moment in her life.”

Despite the fact that Meghan’s baby shower was held in New York and wasn’t funded by the public purse, critics slammed her for indulging in what they saw as Hollywood-style excess.

In the Channel 4 documentary ‘A Very Royal Baby: From Cradle to Crown’, Mr Scobie recounted: “I remember speaking to a palace aide at the time who rolled their eyes.”

He revealed: “They were horrified that something so common was happening within the House of Windsor.”

Prince Archie, now aged five, was welcomed into the world at London’s Portland Hospital on May 6, 2019, several months post the baby shower, before relocating to the US the next year.

Meghan and Harry have seldom been seen in public with their children since relocating to the US, but they thrilled fans by sharing intimate photos and videos of Archie and his little sister, Princess Lilibet, in their 2022 Netflix series.

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