Meghan’s extravagant shower sparks flood of indignation
Wherever the Duchess of Sussex has gone this week she has been followed by a gang of photographers and, not far behind, the whiff of controversy.
Her trip to New York to hold a baby shower in what is said to be the most expensive hotel suite in the US has prompted a debate about extravagance, style and the environmental impact of crossing the Atlantic in a private jet.
The duchess, who has given her support to several environmental charities, returned to Britain yesterday in a Gulfstream G450 jet believed to belong to George and Amal Clooney.
That followed an extravagant party to celebrate the impending birth of her child in the penthouse suite of the Mark Hotel on the Upper East Side of New York. The guests were serenaded by a harpist and given suitcases as a going-away present. The baby gifts are believed to include a convertible crib.
Meghan, 37, is not thought to have picked up the bill; nor did the taxpayer. The flight is understood to have been paid by a friend, by implication Mrs Clooney, who attended the shower and flew back with her. Tennis star Serena Williams hosted the baby shower.
According to one company, to charter a Gulfstream to New York and back would cost between £70,000 and £85,000.
A Friends of the Earth spokesman said: ‘‘Private air travel obviously comes with a huge carbon footprint, which is something for all business travellers to keep in mind. Perhaps for future trips the duchess could consider less carbon-intensive modes of travel. Labels rejoice when people copy her fashion trends, so we invite her to set a good climate trend by flying less.’’
The penthouse suite at The Mark is said to cost $75,000 a night, it is thought unlikely that Williams paid anything like that. However, the scale and tone of the celebrations have raised eyebrows. One user on Mumsnet wrote: ‘‘I really like her but the excess spending does make me feel queasy.’’
Another wrote: ‘‘Am I being unreasonable to be quite disgusted by the way she is burning through money?’’
To some British minds the mere concept of a baby shower – an American import – seems inappropriate. One wrote: ‘‘It was for a baby shower, so yes regardless of status, cost etc she is vulgar and grabby.’’
Another suggested that criticism of the duchess was motivated by racism.
Elsewhere some suggested that the fact that the duchess was photographed wearing a cap bearing the title of a television drama about a man released from prison after spending 20 years on death row, starring her former co-star Abigail Spencer, meant that the duchess was using the attention to garner publicity for her friends. However, that would seem to be misplaced criticism: ,a drama first seen in 2013, ran for four seasons, the last of which was first broadcast in 2016.
In America, commentators wondered what all the fuss was about. Omid Scobie, a royal contributor to ABC, said: ‘‘This was her friends wanting to look after her and show her a good time, and celebrate the baby. It is the only time they have all had with her since the wedding. It is quite fair to allow a woman to have her one moment of the year with her
‘‘Perhaps for future trips the duchess could consider less carbon-intensive modes of travel. Labels rejoice when people copy her fashion trends, so we invite her to set a good climate trend by flying less.’’
Friends of the Earth spokesman
close friends before the arrival of her baby, and celebrate it in any way she wants.’’
Beyonce has posted a tribute to Meghan on her website to mark Black History Month. The singer, who posed in front of a portrait of the duchess wearing a tiara for her acceptance video for the Brit awards, praised her charity work and described how she brought ‘‘many black traditions to her royal wedding’’.
She added: ‘‘She and Prince Harry have continued to push the race relations dialogue forward both near and far.’’ –