Meghan Markle's time with the royal family was marked by both positive and challenging moments.
Among several notables events, one particular move by Meghan did not sit with the Palace.
The mother-of-two was treated to a 'flashy' baby shower in a lavish affair, organised by her close friend and tennis champion Serena Williams, in New York in February 2019.
The star-studded affair occurred in less than three months before welcoming her and Prince Harry's first born Archie.
Held in a lavish £57,000-a-night penthouse at one of Manhattan's most upscale hotels, Meghan Markle's extravagant baby shower reportedly left senior courtiers at Buckingham Palace stunned with some said to be 'spitting out their morning tea' when paparazzi photos of the event hit the tabloids.
The 44-year-old faced criticism for what many saw as an overly glamorous, Hollywood-style celebration-a stark contrast to the more understated approach of the then-Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, who opted not to have a baby shower for any of her three pregnancies.
Reports claimed that Meghan and her guests spent an estimated $300,000 to $500,000 on the opulent affair.
Royal biographer Tom Bower later alleged that the high-profile gathering was not just a traditional baby shower, but a strategic event designed to boost the public profiles of Meghan and her circle of friends.
In his 2022 book Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors, he wrote that the event 'bore no resemblance to a traditional shower party to anticipate a child's birth.
Rather, it was a launched pad for a group of friends set on financially exploiting Meghan's status.'
'The guest list was Meghan's latest shot at launching her own celebrity in America. She had no intention of following the Queen's notable frugality,' he continued.
