Duke and Duchess of Sussex, General News 2: December 2018 - February 2019


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Status
Not open for further replies.
but why does she need a baby shower? Can't she afford things for the baby herself? why go all the way to NY when she's heavily pregnant.

Why can’t her friends give her a baby shower if they want to? Her Majesty can afford to buy her own jewellery, yet she excepts them as gifts too.
 
No confirmation it actually happened, just speculation.

Very true. And even if it did happen as speculated, it was clearly pretty low key and under the radar. It can be done if those involve wish for it to.
 
Very true. And even if it did happen as speculated, it was clearly pretty low key and under the radar. It can be done if those involve wish for it to.
Quite right, but to each , her own.
 
:rolleyes:

They do! It is the classic one.

Thanks! But for this, I think we need one with great big, googly eyes so we get the full effect ;) And to make clear, the eye-rolling is directed at the photographers who are taking photos of the deliveries at the hotel.

I think we have a culture clash here. Showers are fairly mainstream in the US, as others have pointed out, although they are not universal, and there are plenty of people in the US that find showers with scads of expensive presents to be OTT. But we don't know what kind of shower Meghan is having, if any of the presents are ostentatious, or even that there are presents involved.

At least she doesn't seem to be having the new thing, which is the gender reveal party. Thank goodness.
 
Last edited:
I'm aware that she doesn't call the shots with security and the State Department. However, everyone seems to be terribly confused as to why many see this whole thing as very Hollywood, very flashy, very ostentatious...and I was trying to explain why I honestly think some people see it that way. Meghan has proven that she can be adept at low key and under the radar when she chooses to be. And I understand that everyone is going to scream that a server at the restaurant outed her and she didn't out herself. Fine. But the fact remains that the answer to why people are seeing this as flashy and celebrity-like is because this is exactly the kind of baby shower we see from celebrities and people that very much want to be in the public eye. I'm aware that we're not supposed to ever dare to compare Meghan's actions to those of any other member of the royal family because heaven forbid there be anything to learn from others but the fact remains that while it's true that the royals certainly have very wealthy circles and friends that are more than capable of financing an over the top party, they typically choose not to do so. In fact, I honestly can't recall ever hearing about a single baby shower thrown for any member of the royal family, although I do recall hearing about some personal and thoughtful gifts given after the births of some other royal children.

No one ever really believed she was going to have a baby shower with a bunch of people no one had ever heard of in Doria's sister's living room. However, it wouldn't have been impossible to have held a low key afternoon with friends if that's what she'd wanted. And that's fine, but everyone saying that this couldn't possibly come across badly should realize that it's not the norm that we typically see from members of the royal family, even those with many celebrity friends. And that even if it is Meghan and no one is ever supposed to have more than a glowingly positive opinion of her or her actions, it can and does translate a bit poorly in response to the question of whether or not this appears to be a celebrity style party.

All of that said, we have no idea if this is what it's being presented as or not. It's entirely possible that this is just a few days away to catch up with friends. But it does appear that most people believe she's in town for a baby shower and if the stories we're seeing today are to believed (and again, I really have no idea if they are or not) then cotton candy machines, $75,000 penthouse suites, etc. do appear to be a big over the top for someone who so desperately wants privacy and to be left alone.

Nah...I agree with constructive criticism, and I get where you're coming from. Baby showers are American. Not many Europeans have them. I lived in Berlin for years and many of my German and Dutch friends who had babies were given baby showers and it was a foreign concept to them, but they still enjoyed their American friends taking them to a fancy place and showering them with gifts, books and clothes for their baby.

Also, yes, the filthy rich in NYC have baby showers. All this hoopla surrounding Meghan is happening no more than 2 blocks away from me. It's nothing unusual on a normal day, royalty aside to see some hedge fund trophy wife throw a baby shower for one of her friends at one of the gala rooms in any high class NYC hotel.

I think because people are not used to seeing this, they immediately label it as "hollywood" when it's not. Tell that to my Nashville friends who rent out huge fields for baby showers, or Hamptons get aways where they throw a beach themed shower.

Listen, I get why some are all in a twist about this, it hasn't been done before or not to this level. But she is still an American (yes, she should be adjusting to being more British), but we as the public have no right to demand that her very well off friends don't give her what is considered a right of passage for anyone who is having their first child in America.
 
Thanks! But for this, I think we need one with great big, googly eyes so we get the full effect ;)

I think we have a culture clash here. Showers are fairly mainstream in the US, as others have pointed out, although they are not universal, and there are plenty of people in the US that find showers with scads of expensive presents to be OTT. But we don't know what kind of shower Meghan is having, if any of the presents are ostentatious, or even that there are presents involved.

At least she doesn't seem to be having the new thing, which is the gender reveal party. Thank goodness.
Actually at this stage, we don't even know for sure if there is a baby shower indeed!
 
Very true. And even if it did happen as speculated, it was clearly pretty low key and under the radar. It can be done if those involve wish for it to.

Of course but her friends didn't want to. They wanted to party and celebrate with a friends they don't get to see very often vs Kate who is close to her family and sees them often as they are all in the UK.

Also Meghan is not Kate. They had different lives. Again why does Meghan have to pretend otherwise? I get that it isn't everyone's cup of tea but we rarely see Meghan doing anything. This is probably what she would have did had she not been a Duchess. Maybe not on this scale but if that is what they want for her then good for her.

And I am sure the royal family were well aware of what she was getting up to in NYC. Arrangements had to be made. If they don't care then why should I?
 
Thanks! But for this, I think we need one with great big, googly eyes so we get the full effect ;)

I think we have a culture clash here. Showers are fairly mainstream in the US, as others have pointed out, although they are not universal, and there are plenty of people in the US that find showers with scads of expensive presents to be OTT. But we don't know what kind of shower Meghan is having, if any of the presents are ostentatious, or even that there are presents involved.

At least she doesn't seem to be having the new thing, which is the gender reveal party. Thank goodness.

Agreed. I love baby showers and fully support them even though some of the games can be quite disgusting (one of my friends had a baby food tasting at her shower :glare:). It only becomes a problem if I get invitations to multiple events for one baby.
 
We rarely see Meghan doing anything?? Really?
 
We rarely see Meghan doing anything?? Really?

Anything outside of her royal duties. This is the first time I think we've seen her in months where she was "off duty". I think the last time was at Christmas, but that is a walk to and from church. The only time before then was Harry's polo match where photographers got a pic from afar of her and Serena and Alexis.
 
but why does she need a baby shower? Can't she afford things for the baby herself? why go all the way to NY when she's heavily pregnant.

Her friends wanted to have one for her. I highly doubt it was because of the gifts, but a celebratory get together. And she might be just wanted to visit New York too.
 
We rarely see Meghan doing anything?? Really?

Outside of her royal duties? Unless I am aware of it. Please correct me. We hear of their travels but we literally never see them out and about. Again please correct me if I am wrong.
 
why would you want to see her outside her royal duties?? (isn't the argument tht she's allowed to do what she wants in her own private time?) and She's on the Net, people are talking about her all the time.
 
why would you want to see her outside her royal duties?? (isn't the argument tht she's allowed to do what she wants in her own private time?) and She's on the Net, people are talking about her all the time.

I don't but my point is she is allowed to go places where she might be seen. People act like she does this all the time and she doesn't. She went to NYC, a place she loves to visit and reconnected with friends. The horror.

People seem to forget she was literally there for days unnoticed and this likely would have gone unnoticed as well had it not been for that waiter. And even then the details were wrong.

She leaves today apparently and will be back to royal duties. The world will keep spinning despite her having some bonding time with her friends.
 
but why does she need a baby shower? Can't she afford things for the baby herself? why go all the way to NY when she's heavily pregnant.

A baby shower given for a friend is first and foremost an act of love.

Of course she can-but most friends want to give a friend's baby gifts. (Or maybe they are all donating to charity--we don't know.)

She went to NY to see and visit with a group of her friends before the baby arrives.
 
This is likely the first time Meghan has seen most of her friends since the wedding- I’m sure they have a lot to talk about.

Meghan’s shower sounds like a dignified affair, well-suited to the tastes and means of those attending.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm aware that she doesn't call the shots with security and the State Department. However, everyone seems to be terribly confused as to why many see this whole thing as very Hollywood, very flashy, very ostentatious...and I was trying to explain why I honestly think some people see it that way. Meghan has proven that she can be adept at low key and under the radar when she chooses to be. And I understand that everyone is going to scream that a server at the restaurant outed her and she didn't out herself. Fine. But the fact remains that the answer to why people are seeing this as flashy and celebrity-like is because this is exactly the kind of baby shower we see from celebrities and people that very much want to be in the public eye. I'm aware that we're not supposed to ever dare to compare Meghan's actions to those of any other member of the royal family because heaven forbid there be anything to learn from others but the fact remains that while it's true that the royals certainly have very wealthy circles and friends that are more than capable of financing an over the top party, they typically choose not to do so. In fact, I honestly can't recall ever hearing about a single baby shower thrown for any member of the royal family, although I do recall hearing about some personal and thoughtful gifts given after the births of some other royal children.

No one ever really believed she was going to have a baby shower with a bunch of people no one had ever heard of in Doria's sister's living room. However, it wouldn't have been impossible to have held a low key afternoon with friends if that's what she'd wanted. And that's fine, but everyone saying that this couldn't possibly come across badly should realize that it's not the norm that we typically see from members of the royal family, even those with many celebrity friends. And that even if it is Meghan and no one is ever supposed to have more than a glowingly positive opinion of her or her actions, it can and does translate a bit poorly in response to the question of whether or not this appears to be a celebrity style party.

All of that said, we have no idea if this is what it's being presented as or not. It's entirely possible that this is just a few days away to catch up with friends. But it does appear that most people believe she's in town for a baby shower and if the stories we're seeing today are to believed (and again, I really have no idea if they are or not) then cotton candy machines, $75,000 penthouse suites, etc. do appear to be a bit over the top for someone who so desperately wants privacy and to be left alone.

Very well said. Whatever the reality, as has always been the case with the royal family, it's not really the facts that matter but the perception. The perception of the York girls is almost universally bad, even though they both work and are not directly supported in any way by the public purse. It is unfortunately a simple fact that they are seen by the big majority as lazy scroungers.

Justified or not, the perception with this event is likely a net negative for Meghan and the RF generally. Coming on the back of recent goings on with stories planted in US magazines, one wonders how it has been allowed to happen in this fashion. Hold a baby shower, if that's what you want, but doing it this way is really foolish. Either Harry and Meghan are being badly advised or they're not listening to their advisers.
 
but why does she need a baby shower? Can't she afford things for the baby herself? why go all the way to NY when she's heavily pregnant.



Why not? People have baby showers all the time who can afford what they need. I don’t think any of my friends were so destitute that they “needed” it. But it’s what we do. It was fun.

(Who needs a wedding shower with gifts? Again- lots of people don’t “need” it.)

It’s fun, a time for everyone to celebrate the new mom and baby, give tips, etc.

I really don’t get all the criticism. Meghan is from the US. Not exactly a shock that she might want one here. New York is a good and fun location to have one. Sure- some of her friends are well known and wealthy- so what. Meghan was a actress. Her life didn’t begin less than a year ago. And she’s hardly the first royal to have famous friends.
 
It may be a difference of cultures, but there is absolutely nothing wrong or vulgar with your friends throwing you a baby shower. And if said friends combined are worth billions, they are not going to give you a baby shower in their mom's or aunts living room.

It's everyone's own opinion and mine is that a baby shower for a small group of people costing tens if not hundreds of thousands of pounds is vulgar in the extreme.
 
why would you want to see her outside her royal duties?? (isn't the argument tht she's allowed to do what she wants in her own private time?) and She's on the Net, people are talking about her all the time.

Meghan is not "on the Net." She was until she and Harry became serious and then she shut down her Tig blog and her Instagram. She can't be accountable for the Internet sites that discuss her.
 
Very well said. Whatever the reality, as has always been the case with the royal family, it's not really the facts that matter but the perception. The perception of the York girls is almost universally bad, even though they both work and are not directly supported in any way by the public purse. It is unfortunately a simple fact that they are seen by the big majority as lazy scroungers.

Justified or not, the perception with this event is likely a net negative for Meghan and the RF generally. Coming on the back of recent goings on with stories planted in US magazines, one wonders how it has been allowed to happen in this fashion. Hold a baby shower, if that's what you want, but doing it this way is really foolish. Either Harry and Meghan are being badly advised or they're not listening to their advisers.

I am very cartesian and pragmatic and i like facts. What are your basis for this assertion. Relevant polls to support this claim?
 
It's everyone's own opinion and mine is that a baby shower for a small group of people costing tens if not hundreds of thousands of pounds is vulgar in the extreme.

So now we tell people, not Meghan, but her friends how to spend their own money? Wow...nothing vulgar about this, but please carryon.
 
Very well said. Whatever the reality, as has always been the case with the royal family, it's not really the facts that matter but the perception. The perception of the York girls is almost universally bad, even though they both work and are not directly supported in any way by the public purse. It is unfortunately a simple fact that they are seen by the big majority as lazy scroungers.

Justified or not, the perception with this event is likely a net negative for Meghan and the RF generally. Coming on the back of recent goings on with stories planted in US magazines, one wonders how it has been allowed to happen in this fashion. Hold a baby shower, if that's what you want, but doing it this way is really foolish. Either Harry and Meghan are being badly advised or they're not listening to their advisers.
But how many truly believe that perception? I mean do you really think The Queen is just like any granny when she dons her jewels, custom clothing, and designer accessories? I don't.
 
I am very cartesian and pragmatic and i like facts. What are your basis for this assertion. Relevant polls to support this claim?

I think I made it pretty clear that my opinion is that's the likely outcome. Therefore it's my educated guess or prediction based on my understanding of public opinion in the UK when it comes to the royals and the way the British press reacts to the RF. Also it's based to a lesser extent on on the views I hear expressed among my friends and family, although in fairness the sentiment among them when it comes to Meghan is often indifference really.

If every opinion on this forum had to be backed up by formal opinion polls there'd be very little to read.
 
BTW, based on my experience, the price tag some are suggesting is overly exaggerated. Our company hosted an event for 50 people and had a block of rooms (about 15, so not everyone) at a comparable hotel last year (five star, charge about $700 per night during off season at that time, thought it's now more expensive). Nowhere near the $75k as suggested. I get that they have the penthouse suite, but we had the brand new ballroom and served breakfast and lunch. The price tag was less than half of the suggested price. This is also the slow season in NYC. While I realize that's still expensive for normal folks, it's well within these people's means. How they choose to spend their money is their business.

Seriously, it's not like these people can just walk into a restaurant and grab a table and start with the baby showers like you or I can.
 
Last edited:
BTW, based on my experience, the price tag some are suggesting is overly exaggerated. Our company hosted an event for 50 people and had a block of rooms (about 15, so not everyone) at a comparable hotel last year (five star, charge about $700 per night during off season). Nowhere near the $75k as suggested. I get that they have the penthouse suite, but we had the brand new ballroom and served breakfast and lunch. The price tag was less than half of the suggested price. This is also the slow season in NYC.

And they forget that Meghan is not the one paying for this. The whole idea is that your family and friends throw you the shower, not you invite them. The friends plan everything.

The DM putting up that exaggerated figure is so sensationalised to rile up their readers to make it seem that the RF is paying for this when there could be nothing further from the truth. I'd really like to see them try to tell Amal or Serena or Gail or any of these women who worked their asses off for their own wealth what to do with their money and throwing a lavish shower for a friend.
 
British press couldn’t even get the date of the shower correct, since they said it occurred yesterday & had all the details of what occurred, when the private party hadn’t even taken place. They’re clueless as to how much it cost.

The same press that claimed Meghan had dumped all of her friends. The same press that said she has no friends. Now the press is writing about those friends that they claimed didn’t exist & know how much they spent on a private party. LOL!
 
So now we tell people, not Meghan, but her friends how to spend their own money? Wow...nothing vulgar about this, but please carryon.

I don't care who's doing the spending my opinion of it is the same.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom