Meghan Markle’s New York Baby Shower Reportedly Upsets Royal Family, Palace Warns Her Not To Do It Again
Meghan Markle has been warned against having a “flashy” baby shower in London, Yahoo News is reporting, with a royal expert saying that the Palace was not amused with her New York baby shower last month.
As Glamour reported at the time, back in February the Duchess of Sussex met up with some friends in New York to do what almost all pregnant American women do: have a baby shower. And befitting a high-profile, wealthy woman such as herself, the event was appropriately swanky, with a guest list filled with movers and shakers, high-dollar wine and food, and a ritzy location at New York’s upscale The Mark hotel.
That, apparently, did not sit well with her handlers back at Kensington Palace, who reportedly warned her that doing such a thing in London would, at the very least, raise eyebrows. And if there’s anything the Royal Family can’t stand, it’s raised eyebrows.
The problem — the first and biggest of a couple of problems, actually — with Meghan’s New York baby shower, according to royal expert Victoria Arbiter, is that baby showers are ostensibly about providing the mother with things she’ll need for the tot, but the Windsors have plenty of money and so there’s no need for donors to give them gifts of cribs and diaper disposal units and such.
“[The family] is clearly very wealthy… There’s nothing they can’t go out and buy themselves.”
One year of Meghanomania: In the 365 days since her marriage, Meghan Markle has divided, but has she conquered? https://t.co/1pEsWKNOqN pic.twitter.com/UZLcSGhou3
— Tatler (@Tatlermagazine) March 26, 2019
If you’re reading this and you’re American, you may have noticed that Arbiter seems to be missing a key point: for many American women, having a baby shower isn’t so much about getting gifts as it is about getting the mom-to-be’s friends and loved ones together for a day of fun. Not all American women who have baby showers need the gifts, and many, like Meghan, could easily afford to purchase their own, but that’s not the point.
Which brings us to the second problem with Meghan’s baby shower: by and large, baby showers just aren’t a thing in the United Kingdom, at least not to the extent that they are in the States.
As Babble reports, baby showers are seen as “bizarre” by a lot of British women, and while a few have adopted the American tradition, it’s still not as widespread there as it is here. That’s likely because in parts of Europe, it’s considered bad luck to prepare for the baby before he or she is born. Most British women still wait until the tot is born before buying everything he or she needs.
