Kate Middleton skips Meghan's 'highly inappropriate' baby shower

While Meghan Markle was celebrating the impending arrival of her first child with her celebrity friends in New York City, there was one noticeable absence from a gathering.

With the likes of Amal Clooney, Serena Williams and Abigail Spencer on the guest list for the lavish baby shower, some may be surprised to know that Meghan’s sister-in-law Kate Middleton did not attend.

And it seems it might have something to do with the fact that royals don’t normally have baby showers.

The Duchess of Cambridge didn’t have a baby shower before the birth of any of her three children, and that could be the reason she chose not to attend this one.

Of course, Meghan hasn’t been one to stick to all of the royal rules and protocols, but a royal expert said having a baby shower could be seen as “highly inappropriate”.

“It’s added pressure that they are clearly very wealthy, and a lavish baby shower would be seen as highly inappropriate. There’s nothing they can’t go out and buy themselves,” ABC News royal expert Victoria Arbiter said.

Instead of hitting the Big Apple, it’s been reported that Kate, 37, is actually on a secret ski trip with Prince William and their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis.

William and Kate likely went to their favourite ski resort, the Courchevel in the Troi Vallees in France, a royal source told The Sun.

Star-studded guest list

Meghan, 37, spent a couple of days in the city under the radar, but details about her baby shower taking place at The Mark Hotel on the Upper East Side emerged on Tuesday.

The celebrations have reportedly been organised by Meghan’s best friend and stylist Jessica Mulroney (who arrived at the royal’s May wedding with the Duchess of Cambridge and the bridesmaids and page boys), tennis star Serena William, actress Priyanka Chopra, and George Clooney’s wife Amal Clooney.

Sources told Harper’s BAZAAR that the NYC baby shower is actually the first of two. Around 15 to 20 of the Duchess’ closest pals will join her for the get-together, while a smaller gathering has apparently been scheduled for friends in the UK after Meghan returns from her trip to Morocco this weekend.

Penthouse party

The star-studded gathering took place on Wednesday, reportedly in the Penthouse Suite of The Mark Hotel.

Rooms in the five-star hotel start at $1,125 a night, and it’s suspected the royal is staying in the best suite in the establishment.

Dubbed ‘A Castle in the Sky’, the Mark Penthouse starts at $100,000 ($75,000 USD) a night and is the “most expensive hotel suite in America”, according to Bloomberg.

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