Duchess Meghan’s baby shower was never going to be a low-key affair, and she did not disappoint, throwing a lavish event for Baby Sussex at an upscale hotel in New York City earlier this week.
Meghan flew to the US for a short stay to catch up with her American friends, including tennis star Serena Williams and lawyer Amal Clooney, who generously picked up the reported NZD$291,00 bill for the event.
Meghan even flew home back to Britain on Amal’s private plane!
The Duchess has spent the past few days in New York City with her American girlfriends. (Image: Getty)
The Duchess stepped out looking stylishly comfy in a camel coat, sneakers and a black cap for her flight back across the pond. (Image: Getty)
According to Vanity Fair, sources close to Meghan say the shower is a chance for the Duchess to again show she is living her life on her terms and not sticking to official royal protocol.
“As an American, she was very excited to have a baby shower thrown for her. I think she’d have felt she was missing out if she didn’t have one,” says a source.
“It’s been such a fun time for her, she is with her oldest friends in the city she loves and really enjoying herself.”
Traditionally, royal women do not have baby showers.
Royal expert Victoria Arbiter told The Sun that since the royals are “very wealthy, a lavish baby shower would be seen as highly inappropriate. There’s nothing they can’t go out and buy themselves”.
It appears Meghan has got around the issue of using taxpayer funds to pay for her lavish events, thanks to the generosity of her celebrity friends.
According to Tatler magazine, Serena Williams picked up the whopping NZD $110,270-a-night bill for the penthouse hotel suite where Meghan is staying, and where the shower was held – the Upper East Side hotel The Mark.
Amal Clooney looking stunning while leaving the baby shower. (Image: Getty)
Gayle King leaving the baby shower. (Image: Getty)
The shower reportedly began with a flower-arranging session, followed by a dessert-tasting experience overseen by The Mark hotel’s head chef.
Meghan’s makeup artist friend Daniel Martin, who did her makeup for her royal wedding, posted an adorable photo of some of the on-theme cookies at the baby shower.
“Such an incredible day celebrating #babylove,” the makeup artist captioned the image.
Daniel, who works with Dior, recently shared a photo of a delicious meal Meghan made for him during their recent catch up in London.
“Thank you Meghan for being the consummate hostess this weekend and still being the #avocadotoast whisperer, YUM!” He wrote.
Guest Gayle King, who is the best friend of Oprah, said the flower arrangements made by guests at the shower were later donated to charity.
“We all each made an individual vase,” King said on US breakfast show CBS This Morning.
“Then Meghan, at her request, got in touch with an organisation I’ve never heard of, called Repeat Roses, and they were all donated to different charities.
“I thought that was a very sweet thing… It just speaks to who she is. She’s kind, she’s very generous. And a really, really sweet person.”
The charity Repeat Roses has since shared photos of children from a local cancer charity with the bouquets made at the shower.
Watch Gayle King talk about attending Meghan’s baby shower below
