I find it very interesting that Harper’s Bazaar has gotten a few really good exclusives this week about the Duchess of Sussex’s baby-shower trip to New York. Someone seems to be leaking to Bazaar from within Meg’s camp, and I would suspect it’s with Meghan’s approval. My guess is Jessica Mulroney. But I don’t know for sure. Anyway, the “baby shower festivities” happened on Tuesday and Wednesday at The Mark hotel, in a suite paid for by Serena Williams. We also knew that Serena co-hosted the baby shower, but what we didn’t know was that Meghan’s sorority sister Genevieve Hillis was the other co-host. Bazaar had more in their exclusive:
Baby Sussex is officially showered. BAZAAR.com can confirm the Duchess of Sussex’s longtime friends Serena Williams and Genevieve Hillis co-hosted a “private, intimate” baby shower for Meghan on Wednesday, February 20 in New York City. A source who attended the event tells BAZAAR the party took place in Williams’ room, the Grand Penthouse at the Mark Hotel, with approximately 20 of Duchess Meghan’s closest friends “from her teenage years to the present,” including Amal Clooney, Gayle King, and Suits co-star Abigail Spencer.
The low-key celebration, described as chill and relaxed by the attendee, was coordinated by Jennifer Zabinski of JZ Events, who planned Williams’ 2017 wedding to Alexis Ohanian.
Meghan’s party included an “amazing” flower-arranging lesson led by Lewis Miller, with the resulting creations donated to Repeat Roses. The organization supplies previously-used floral arrangements to facilities like hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, cancer treatment centers, and domestic abuse and homeless shelters, and ensures the arrangements are composted once they can no longer be enjoyed.
Michelin-star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten supplied the food for the party; his restaurant, The Mark, is located at the hotel.
It comes as no surprise that Williams hosted the special event for Duchess Meghan, who’s expecting her first child with Prince Harry this spring. The tennis star and newly-minted royal have been friends since 2010, when they met at the Super Bowl. Hillis is a longtime friend and former sorority sister of Meghan. (The former actress and Northwestern University grad was in Kappa Kappa Gamma.) Both Williams and Hillis attended the duchess’ wedding to Prince Harry last year, as did fellow shower guests like Clooney and Spencer.
The part about the flower arrangements is a brilliant stroke of PR on so many levels. First of all, it’s a reminder that this was a classy baby shower, not one of those showers where you have to pin a diaper on something or go bobbing for pacifiers. No, they took a professional flower-arranging class, which is just SO Meghan. It’s also so Meghan to then donate those flower arrangements to charity. As for the detail that Meg’s sorority sister cohosted… wow, utter silence from all of the Meg-haters about how Meg doesn’t have any long-term friends, huh?
I’ve been wondering about the baby gifts, but as it turns out, Meghan didn’t even know what kind of haul she got: Gayle King said on CBS This Morning that Meghan declined to open gifts because “she wants to do that when [Prince] Harry and her are back together, so I really don’t know what everybody got her. I think I got her something very nice.”
And finally, I missed this Katie Nicholl piece in Vanity Fair earlier this week – apparently, Samantha Cohen is staying on as the Sussexes’ private secretary for a few more months while so much is in transition. Cohen likes Meghan and Harry and she agreed to hold off on her retirement for a few more months. Nicholl also confirms that the “break up” of the Cambridge and Sussex office staff has started, and that Meghan and Harry have already decided who will oversee the control of information around the birth of the Polo Baby: Christian Jones, the same guy Meghan went to lunch with last month.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Waiting for the ‘she’s so condescending’ comments.
This is a great idea and gives that company greater visibility. I dislike over usage of flowers so this kind of mitigates that. Hope Kim and Kanye does the same! Hah
I love it! I believe Meghan knows she won’t please everyone. There’s no way to please people who are intent on disliking you. I applaud her for staying true to herself even though some members of the press are trying to bully and shame her into hiding.
I think not opening gifts was a really smart move, that way nothing that was received as a gift could be leaked to the press.
I also love that this article reminds people that Serena and Meghan have known each other for a long time. I saw some comments yesterday about how Meghan has all these new celeb friends, but Serena and she have been friends for almost a decade now.
I also think it a sweet gesture by not opening presents without Harry. It obviously that they doing this baby thing as a team and it wouldn’t be fair for Harry to miss out on that excitement. xx
I’m laughing at some of the British articles calling the shower “star studded!” and “rivaled the royal wedding with its A list celeb guests!”. As far as I know it was only Amal, Serena and Gayle who can be considered (maybe) A list. Everyone else were just Meghan’s regular close friends that she has known for years.
Look, like the strategy or not, this IS a strategy, and I think it’s impressive. Every detail-the money, the food, the fun-is out, and it’s specifically arranged as to be unimpeachable from most perspectives (unless we’re just complaining about the security costs, which… that’s the cost of living as a royal. People who are complaining about the display of wealth…I mean… have we SEEN the crown jewels?) It’s timed to coordinate with the People magazine drop, and right before they go into this tour this weekend, where they will be loving, fun, energetic, and showing off that baby bump left, right, and center.
It is a different strategy than Kate’s approach, and that’s ok. They are different women, with different backgrounds, married to men with different personalities and needs. I am not into the idea that they hate each other. I think they probably get along well when they’re together, check in occasionally, and live their separate, busy lives while trying to coordinate professionally as well as possible and avoid any behavior that would foment the rabid royal watchers more than necessary.
She’s just so damn gorgeous though. She glows.
I agree that this is part of a strategy, I’m not sure what the end game is, but its definitely a strategy. I think this was done purposefully along with the People mag to show that she has good friends who will rally around her and who do love her. Kate’s strategy specifically re: these kinds of things has been different (parties, gathering with friends, etc) but I’m not sure either is worse at this point in time.
I agree – good strategy, she seems like a genuinely caring woman, she probably has a cordial (no more, no less) relationship with her sister in law, and she glows from the inside out.
I’m not a Stan (did not like her character at all on Suits and thought there was a touch of social climbing when she started dating Harry), but I’ve really admired the work she’s done so far (and the quiet stuff she did before she ever reached this level of notoriety) and I’m appalled by her treatment in the British press.
I’m glad she had a lovely time with her girlfriends and I look forward to the time when the press climbs off her back and she can breathe a little easier.
Completely agree. I love seeing strategic, powerful women flex and Meghan has been flexing a lot over the last couple of weeks. Her strategy is a reflection of her upbringing and career. She’s really perfect for royal life. Meghan is making everyone step-up and It’s really interesting to watch.
As for Kate, I think up until recently (i.e. Meghan ) her strategy was to just lay low and do enough to get by. I definitely think a lot of her strategy was influenced by William. I believe Kate can be very competitive and strategic but her focus is very limited. Kate was happy to nab the future King of England. Now she’s seeing that it might not be enough and is stepping up.
The next few years will be very interesting for the royal family.
Unfortunately, she now needs to strategize everything, whether she wants to or not. 🙁
I am pro-Meghan..I have a total girl crush! Butttt there’s space in my heart for Kate as well.
I like them both and I just don’t believe there’s a problem between the two of them.
@tempest, same! I have three SILs, and from the outside, someone might think we hate each other? But we get along just fine. Our relationships ebb and flow.
I like them both fine, and I agree @megs283. I have 2 SILs. I was just texting them yesterday about my dogs and the mud (I’m in GA where it has rained for days) because I knew they would laugh. But they’re considerably older than me (15+ years, my husband was the baby by a lot and I’m 8 years younger than him) and we just don’t discuss much outside of family. They’re not interested in the same things socially or politically, we have different lifestyles, values, and finances. *shrug* They’re good ladies and good family, just never going to be my best friends.
….and cue all the “baby showers are tacky” and “my taxpayer money!!!!” comments
🙄
That’s mainly why I come read the Megan threads, just to see the wacky comments
Really? I’m beginning to find them pretty tedious and exhausting…..making the same irrational complaints over and over…..(oops! Headache incoming….)
I just find people’s thoughts on this interesting, it’s strange. I don’t get why there is so much criticism about everything she does, even the simplest thing like having a baby shower with your girlfriends
She upsets a balance in their self worth and they’re determined to redress it.
Except I read that there was no cost to the taxpayer because Meghan herself paid for her RPOs and flew home on Amal’s plane. The rest was paid by friends. Not that the truth ever shuts up the haters and whiners and concern trolls.
I’m hearing that she because she’s taxpayer supported, she should have donated all the gifts.
Well, that makes sense. She’ll donate what was given to her for free from friends, then use taxpayer money to buy items for her baby so it doesn’t sleep on the floor or have to go naked. Perfectly sensible.
And why shouldn’t Meghan keep what’s privately given to her? Are you saying every time her own mother gives her a gift, she has to donate it? I’ve never heard of anything more ludicrous.
None of the other royals are required to give away what is given to them by friends or family as private gifts. Meghan doesn’t have to either.
What is tedious and boring is that for some people it is whatever Meghan does is right and whatever Kate does is wrong. And vice versa.
Oh yeah, they’re supposed to be “gauche.” *eye roll*
I saw the pics of the kids with the flowers, they were so happy
Meghan stayed with Nisho (sp) for a couple of days before she went to the hotel.
So that’s why they were no pictures of her until she was at the hotel.
Serena paid for hotel and Shower, Amal took care of the travel arrangents, it’s their money and how they spend it, is their business.
I wonder, had her presence not been leaked, if she would have stayed with Misho (I think its Misho) the whole time? Or would she have gone to the hotel at the same point in time anyway?
I think that if the paps had not known she was in NYC she would have stayed with Misha the whole 5 nights. She was with Misha Friday,Saturday, and Sunday night. Monday was when it got out that she was in NY (although I heard that by Saturday someone had already spotted her in Laduree and called Page6…and the hunt for her was on) and I think Meghan’s team knew it was only a matter of time before the paps find where she was staying. Everyone knew she’s friends with Misha and that Misha lives in NY. I’m sure they had ppl staking out her apartment. So her team decided to check her in the Mark (same location as her shower…so less movement later on…and also where Serena was staying). They needed a secure location for her. And that’s why she left Misha’s Monday night. Also I think they knew they needed to do the “pap stroll” on Tuesday to alleviate the potential hounding and rabidity of the press, and it was better to do it from the safety of the hotel where they can corral the media behind barriers. So Monday & Tuesday night she stayed at the Mark and I wouldn’t be surprised if she had stayed with Serena since Serena had already booked the penthouse suite for the shower.
It’s actually been a very economical trip from a British tax payers spending standpoint.
Sorry for the essay but I was fascinated by the logistics and timeline of this.
Love it! Go live your best life Meghan. I wish you a safe and healthy pregnancy and birth.
I’ve stopped going to KPs twitter since they are so hopeless but isn’t it true that they haven’t sent one single tweet about the Morocco trip?! I haven’t seen one retweet about it on all the other accounts I follow. That is astonishing to me. WTF is the problem there? The only person publicizing it has been the ambassador and I’m sure he would be referring to KPs tweets if they existed, which makes me think they haven’t said a word.
I cannot WAIT for the Sussexes to get their own SM. Whatever is going on at KP with the leaks and SM delays is a joke.
Do they normally tweet ahead of time? I genuinely don’t know. I assume it’s partly for security, but I could be wrong.
There’s really no excuse for that level of incompetence (or neglect?), considering that Harry was the only one working this week. Royal reporters already got the itinerary days ago and tweeted accordingly.
They are very inconsistent in their tweeting schedule. They do a lot of advance event tweeting for the Cambridge’s but not as much for the Sussexes. There were many complaints about how hours would go by in Australia with several events happening while KP was silent.
That’s simply because the heir will always take precedent over the spare. Not a new concept for the royal family….
They did announce the trip and there are articles about the itinerary in some news outlets. The UK ambassador to Morocco is tweeting about it because he’s excited. TSAReilly on twitter. He even retweeted an article from the BBC about how the press should lay off Meghan and leave her alone about the baby shower.
Oh yes, I know that they did announce the trip, I’m specifically talking about promoting the trip on SM. Talking about the charities they’ll visit, meetings, etc. This is where they’ve been completely MIA and it’s ridiculous. Especially, as Beach Dreams noted, no one else but Harry has been working this week, so it’s not as if they don’t want to bump the Cambridges off the twitter feed.
I don’t get this mentality that just because some women like Meghan, Angelina Jolie, Rachel Weize etc don’t flaunt their long term female friendships, they are accused of having no friends.
I would rather believe these women who have real friendships and not show business ones, then others who constantly “show” the world how many friends they have.
As for Meghan donating the flowers, brilliant PR stroke and the benefit is that hundreds of sick people will get the joy of seeing the flowers.
It would a PR move if this was the first time she did something like this, but this is the same woman while working on Suits, and seeing the left over food from craft services get tossed, suggested they give the food to the homeless shelters.
In New Zealand she asked the Tea Shop to give the school children the cakes, when she saw them outside.
+1 Yoyo – she’s got a lifelong history of acts like this. It’s who she is.
I like Meghan a lot, but Sharon Osborne on the talk stated that if there are a large amount of flowers from an event the monarchy always donate them. Still a good move though.
Still this thing is silly it didn’t cost half a million dollars. It’s not like the Clooney’s and Serena Williams pay rack rate for everything. Plus, it’s all conjecture how much and what they actually did or have at the shower. Finally, why would someone care if Amal and Serena spend money anyway? It’s stupid.
Awww, I love that. That’s very sweet of her.
Yay!!! She knows what she’s doing. Having to navigate the rules and protocal must be a nightmare. I try to be objective when it comes to Megs, but I adore her. I went to the comments section on the Daily Mail about this article and it was 0. Which made me laugh. Haters had nothing to say.
I think it’s silly to think that an accomplished and confident 37-year-old woman should start behaving like a virginal, shy debutante just to please a bunch of snobs on the internet. I don’t believe a woman should have to dim her light to make others feel comfortable. I’m over all of the Meghan should “know her place” stories. Too much faux outrage.
How do you consider a heavily pregnant woman as “behaving virginal”?
“I don’t believe a woman should have to dim her light to make others feel comfortable. I’m over all of the Meghan should “know her place” stories. Too much faux outrage.”
That’s exactly what the royal reporters and old school royal watchers want from Meghan. They want her to be a puppet they can control with their articles and comments. They don’t like the amount of attention she gets and have been trying to push her into the shadows with their words.
Traditionally most royal wives have dulled their light in order to stay in line. However, the very thing that peeves them the most, is the thing that makes Meghan standout no matter what she does. Meghan is biracial and everything she does will always draw attention.
This is the unveiling of new offices. We are witnessing her put her PR savvy, networking and good friends to use here and it’s brilliant. What can people possibly complain about??
I moonlight as a wedding coordinator and a lot of couples donate their flowers now, even bridal party bouquets. It’s such a thoughtful gesture and I love seeing the flowers going on to brighten other people’s lives!
I think it’s really nice, too.
Most hotels who routinely host events provide or suggest a way to donate flowers, and in some cases food..they also provide the paperwork necessary to take the donation as a tax deduction..it certainly isn’t unusual
Exactly.
I think the nice thing about is that the flower arranging was part of the shower. To me in that case the natural thing would be to let the guests then take the flowers home, so I think the donating is a nice touch. Meghan and Harry donated the flowers from their wedding, and I think Will and Kate did the same, so its not an unusual thing for the royals to do, or to be done in general. (For example, our church donates flowers after Easter sunday and the like to local hospitals etc.)
But given all the comments about how expensive and extravagant this shower was, its nice to have a specific story like that come out of it, and for the specific organization to be named.
It won’t matter though, that’s the frustrating part. All of the nice stories, that show her character as a person, get swept aside and the stupid made up outrage ones get weeks and weeks of play.
Aside from the flowers, I want to ask, what’s up with all the belly cupping?? She’s cupping her belly in almost every photo I’ve seen since she developed a bump. Is it a protective thing? Is she showing off? Does she think we need a reminder that she’s f*cking the ginger hottie? Is it simply an unconscious gesture? For some reason, it’s bugging me.
It’s not your body or your belly so you’ll get over it.
+1 lol
It might be instinctive and protective, given that wherever she goes there are hundreds of strangers around. It could be that it’s comforting and makes her feel bonded with her child. It could be that she’s uncomfortable and holding the bump helps. Either way, it’s her body and her bump and she can do whatever she wants with it. Can we stop commenting on this? If you don’t like belly-cupping, don’t cup YOUR belly.
It’s very awkward when your body is changing so much and in such a short period of time. I get super huge super early, and it’s very awkward to try to figure out what to do with your hands and arms. I’d feel silly with my arms poking out to the side. looking like an upside down V when I got *really* big. Clasping your hands behind your back throws your balance off and sticks out your stomach much further so people would just complain of her showing it off worse then.
I’d often rest my arms on top of my stomach just because it’s the easiest, most comfortable place to put them. Or I would hold from the bottom to lift the baby up off my bladder or to give some relief to the small of my back. It’s more comfortable that way. Sometimes the baby would be kicking or rolling and placing a hand where it’s moving can stop an uncomfortable and unsightly (and, yes, you can see it happen) attempt at a recreation of the alien chestburst scene.
Someone here said yesterday that on Tumblr, people discuss rushing her and tearing the belly away to prove that its fake.
So I would hold on as well.
These people are deranged and the idea that Harry actually impregnated Meghan so quickly is making them go berserk, they are dangerous just like the Cumberbitches.
It’s bugging you because you’re jealous that you’re not with the “ginger hottie.”
I’m not going to provide explanations or make excuses. It’s because she can.
This has been discussed on multiple posts for months because people have a problem with someone doing what they don’t. Not sure why it’s once again being brought up like it’s new.
Brought up for the sake of causing an argument I’d say. Unless you are totally new to any gossip site there’s not a chance you haven’t seen it discussed time and time again
Bryn is right. This kind of comment is like any stupid click-bait headline in the tabloids. OP knew exactly what she was doing. And, look, it worked!
Those are the photos that the tabs share/print as those are the ones that get clicks. When you watch video of the same events most of the time she’s not touching the bump except for a moment. It’s about what sells.
Also there are now looneys talking about attacking her and getting the ‘pillow baby’ off. So if she’s touching more that explains that.
That is insane and horribly frightening. I assume that her security is aware of this and acting accordingly. With threats like that I find her very courageous to still be keeping a very active schedule.
Did you see the woman who heckled her? Called her charlatan duchess or something (which is what the megxit crew call her). She got SUPER close and was wearing a facemask to hide her identity and filming it. There were also screenshots from the day before of a woman who looks like her (same hat and hair), also very close to Meghan – like she scoped things out day 1 and came back day 2 to heckle her. I hope her security steps things up because those people are seriously mentally ill and could have had a weapon. Especially if they are talking about running up to her to tear her belly away. WTF?!
I saw that. I hope that security has a copy of those photos because that was deranged.
Her cupping her belly doesn’t really bother me, and not really sure why it bothers others, but sometimes things just do. I do wonder though does she do it as much as the pictures make it seem, and why is it a thing on gossip sites to get her for. I’m guessing she doesn’t do it as much as it seems they just love catching pictures of her doing it. It seems really silly to me.
it’s part of the ‘haters’ ongoing saga in that they are only publishing cupping pictures. I’m sure there hundreds of moments when she isn’t cupping; those pics simply don’t interest the rabid crowd
I feel like partly what happened with the baby shower is that her friends really wanted to spoil her after seeing her under a constant barrage of attack for a year. Serena Williams went all-out, spending what looks like tens of thousands on the shower.
I think the collective fame of all these successful women that are Meghan’s friends give her a certain degree of cover. It also is a shot across the bow to the British press- do you really want to alienate some of the most famous women in the world? And also, tells them they aren’t the gatekeepers of narratives about Meghan.
Personally I think they maybe her friends over did how much they spoiled her, and actually unfortunately made it seem like a celebration of privilege and conspicuous consumption. I think Royals and celebrities and CEOs all need to be taxed or donate much more or their wealth. But I also think the culture of publicly consuming luxury, by social media posts or fashion statements in the tens of thousands or getting papped at the most exclusive places- just increases the grievance politics of rising inequality. Meghan is unfortunately becoming a lightning rod that in the UK, I believe because she’s a POC and an American actress.
Donating some bouquets after dropping half a million on a 5 day trip and party is pretty much the definition of being a tone deaf elitist. I think it makes it harder to then argue for empowerment of disadvantaged people when you *appear* to not just live a super rich lifestyle but publicly indulge in it (I don’t think that was Meghan’s plan!).
I don’t think Megan was planning anything other than a private party that her friends organized and threw for her, so I’m really not laying any blame at her feet. But going to the most expensive suite in NYC for a baby shower or having a clothing budget that can be calculated as way past what other royals use… well it starts to create a narrative of its own that Meghan likes to celebrate joining the 1% and wants everyone to know it.
I think Meghan should take back control of that narrative and spend with greater restraint and more privacy, as well as asking her friends to do the same if they plan something for her. I think it will add legitimacy to her awareness-raising work for social justice issues, which is what she seems most passionate about. That’s not to say she should spend any less than the other Royals or not go to New York for a get together with her best friends at really nice hotels! Just not the *most expensive* hotel.
It’s only British rags saying this trip cost half a mill. A few quick calculations in your head would make you realize there’s no way it cost anywhere near that.
There’s also the fact that the cost of the trip has gone from 200K to 500K in 3 days. Wait another day and it will be up to 600K.
This. They started estimating how much their meals at specific restaurants cost and I was like, did y’all see the receipts? No? Than pipe down.
American fashion media outlets know which side their bread is buttered on. Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper’s, instyle, they’re all going to clamor for her attention, the attention of her famous friends, and the type of Americans who read their publications- and not a member of that group is tolerant of trash, racist British attitudes.
But she didn’t pay for it. The cost to Serena Williams is chicken feed, and she has earned her millions, an can make the money back from the shower just from her Instagram account in a week.
What pisses me off is when people try to dictate to others how they should spend their hard-earned money. Their faux outrage and pear clutching is a bit much! If Serena wanted to plop down $75K to fete one of her nearest and dearest friends, so be it. My eyes rolled to the back of my head when someone suggested that Meghan donate her shower gifts to women’s shelters and other charitable organizations. I suppose these folks have selective amnesia as it pertains to Meghan’s fundraising for the Hubb. Since they are so concerned about what others do with their money, would it be safe to assume that they are also heavily involved with donating money and helping the poor and others from disenfranchised communities?