Harry splashes £50K on private spa for Meghan’s baby shower
Prince Harry teamed up with Serena Williams and Amal Clooney to treat Meghan Markle to a celebration fit for a princess
She left her Hollywood life behind when she married into the royal family last May. But Meghan Markle – who is seven months pregnant – proved she hadn’t forgotten how to party like a superstar when she celebrated her impending arrival last week with a star-studded baby shower in New York.
The event – which is reported to have cost up to £600k – was hosted by Meghan’s celebrity friends, including Serena Williams, 37, Amal Clooney, 41, and Jessica Mulroney, 39. Also in attendance were Meghan’s former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, CBS news reporter Gayle King, fashion designer Misha Nonoo, private members’ club executive Markus Anderson and harpist Erin Hill.
LAVISH GIFTS
But insiders tell Closer it was Prince Harry who pulled out all the stops, treating his wife and her pals with a trip to an exclusive spa – with a huge price tag of £50k – and hiring a photographer to document the celebrations.
The source says, “Harry arranged some surprises in the days leading up to the shower – including a photographer, who cost £10,000, to take snaps of their experiences and gift them with a photo book afterwards. He also hired out the spa at the Mandarin Oriental hotel exclusively for all of the party to have multiple treatments the night before, at a cost of £50k. He really wanted to spoil Meghan.”
The lavish baby shower was a five-day affair, with the main event taking place over three days at the exclusive Mark Hotel, where 15 of Meghan’s closest friends gathered in the £57k-anight penthouse suite, where sources claim she also stayed.
The Duchess, 37, then flew back to London on a private jet to reunite with Harry, 34 – with the journey costing an estimated £100,000, reportedly paid for by Amal.
A source says, “They showered Meghan with gifts including a few £1,500 Hermès cashmere blankets and precious keepsakes, and they called in some of the city’s top therapists for facial and skin treatments, and ordered pre-natal daily massages for everyone.
“Serena paid for a desserttasting night run by the hotel’s Michelin-starred chef, JeanGeorges Vongerichten, and arranged for a flower arranging class, with them later being donated to charity. Meghan was treated to yoga and meditation classes and they all enjoyed expensive dinners.”
FAMILY STRIFE
The former Suits star has endured an emotional pregnancy, facing continued scandal around her estranged father, Thomas Markle. Plus, reports persist of a feud with her sister-in-law Kate Middleton, 37 – who didn’t attend the shower – and a string of her personal staff have left amid claims she’s difficult to work with.
But sources say the Los Angeles-born actress – whose mother Doria Ragland was also absent – was determined to enjoy her trip, which Kensington Palace confirmed was privately funded, given it was a personal getaway.
The source adds, “After all the negativity, Meghan’s friends were determined to make her smile again and give her a party she’d never forget.”
Just two days after Meghan reunited with Harry, the couple jetted off for an official threeday tour of Morocco.