Meghan Markle Secretly Traveled to New York for Baby Shower With Friends

Meghan Markle returned to the United States to partake in a special tradition ahead of her royal birth: a baby shower.

The Duchess of Sussex, currently in the third trimester of her first pregnancy with husband Prince Harry, reportedly made a secret trip to New York over the weekend for a five-night trip to gather with friends who will throw her a baby shower later this week.

According to ABC News royal contributor Omid Scobie and as reported by Good Morning America, the top-secret shower will be held in Manhattan on Tuesday, Feb. 19 and will be attended by 15 of the Duchess’ closest friends.

“Today’s baby shower is a reunion of sorts for Meghan,” Scobie said. “[Guests] include best pal Jessica Mulroney, actress and close pal Abigail Spencer has flown in and Priyanka Chopra is supposed to be flying in especially for this from London Fashion Week.”

“It’ll be a celebration with her closest friends,” he added.

The California native, who was spotted at the famous Ladurée bakery in SOHO for macarons and tea with Mulroney, reportedly began planning the trip months ago in order to fit it in with her schedule packed with engagements leading up to the birth.

“The trip was planned some months ago and, with [with an official trip to] Morroco this weekend, is the last available time Meghan can travel before the Baby Sussex is born,” Scobie said. “Over the weekend she has been catching up with some of her closest friends, visiting favorite spots in the city and even shopping for baby clothes.”

Scobie also suggested in a tweet that this is just the first of two baby showers for Markle, as a “smaller gathering” is scheduled to take place in England after the Duke and Duchess return from Morocco.

Markle’s trip marks a break from royal tradition for the newly minted Duchess, as members of the British Royal Family typically avoid baby showers as a sign of humility as “there’s nothing they can’t go out and buy themselves.” The same goes for typical celebrations surrounding other events, like weddings. For their own wedding, the Duke and Duchess requested attendees to make donations in lieu of having them purchase something from a wedding registry.

The royal couple, who first announced in October that they were expecting, are believed to be gearing up to welcome their first child together in April. The little price or princess will live apart from their royal cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, who reside in Kensington Palace, with Harry and Markle moving to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.