Queen Elizabeth’s Former Spokesman Says Meghan Markle’s NYC Baby Shower Was ‘A Bit Over the Top’

Royal admirers all around the world went nuts when news broke that Meghan Markle took a secret trip across the pond to her native U.S for her baby shower in New York City. But while fans longed to know every detail about the Duchess of Sussex’s lavish party, there was one person who couldn’t necessarily be bothered: Queen Elizabeth’s former press spokesman, Dickie Arbiter.

“Baby showers, it’s very much an American thing,” the On Duty With The Queen author recently dished to Us Weekly. “We don’t do it here in the U.K. It was a bit over the top in terms of expense and the way she got there.”

The 37-year-old first touched down in the Big Apple on February 18 ahead of her two-day baby shower — that allegedly cost around $200,000 — held in a stunning penthouse suite at The Mark Hotel. Joined by some of her closest friends like Serena Williams, Amal Clooney, Toronto-based stylist Jessica Mulroney and many more, the ladies seemed to have so much fun celebrating the soon-to-be mama.

However, there was someone obviously missing from the festivities — Kate Middleton. As paparazzi captured many of Meg’s friends arriving at the extravagant event, royal fans began to notice that Meg’s sister-in-law was clearly absent. While many blamed their alleged feud to be the reason, Kate, 37, apparently didn’t attend because she simply wanted Meg to relish in the time she had with her friends.

According to Good Housekeeping, the Duchess of Cambridge possibly didn’t fly to New York City because Meg’s party was supposedly meant for her friends who don’t see her very often and can’t afford to visit her all the time in London. But since the duchesses see each other regularly, Kate figured she’d celebrate Meg at a different time.

Not long after her New York City soirée, rumors began swirling that Meg  — who is expected to give birth to her and Prince Harry‘s little bundle of joy this spring —  would attend a second baby shower in the U.K. with her husband and the rest of the royal family members. “That’s something they have to answer,” Dickie explained to the outlet. “Meghan is American and she does things the American way.” It looks like we’ll have to wait and see if Baby Sussex gets another party!