Meghan Markle was feted by her newfound celebrity pals and recent co-stars on Wednesday at a posh baby shower held at The Mark in New York City, while across the country her mother was seen walking alone in Los Angeles.
Photos obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com show Doria Ragland heading out to run errands in California around the same time a harp and cotton candy machine were being rolled into The Mark for her her daughter’s shower.
Ragland, who was dressed in black from head-to-toe, was seen carrying a box to her car and then heading back inside to grab a a container of food and some soup as she jumped into her car and drove off just before noon.
It is unclear if Markle plans to meet up with her mother before the birth of her first child with Prince Harry, as she is scheduled to travel to Morocco this weekend before hosting a second, more intimate baby shower in London.
Grandma: Doria Ragland (above on Wednesday) was seen heading out to run errands in Los Angeles on Wednesday during her daughter Meghan Markle’s baby shower
Heading out: Ragland, who was dressed in black from head-to-toe, was seen carrying a box to hr car and then heading back inside to grab a a container of food and some soup
Chill: Ragland is the lone member of Markle’s immediate family who has kept a low profile in the 9 months since the royal wedding
Meghan takes New York: Markle spent Tuesday grabbing lunch with Suits co-star Abigail Spencer (left) and then grabbing dinner at The Polo Bar (right)
Nope-rah: Gayle King (above leaving the shower on Wednesday) had admitted she did not know Markle when she hosted CBS’ coverage of the royal wedding last May
Markle has been the focus of much attention ever since DailyMail.com photographed her leaving pal Misha Nonoo’s Greenwich Village duplex in the city on Monday night.
She spent Tuesday gallivanting around town with former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, tennis great Serena Williams, Nonoo and Canadian gal pal Jessica Mulroney.
Markle and Spencer grabbed lunch together before being joined by the rest of the group for dinner at The Polo Bar, the swank New York eatery owned by designer Ralph Lauren.
Then, on Wednesday, she welcomed even newer friends to her party at The Mark, including human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and Gayle King, scoring an invitation despite being kept off the guest list at Markle’s wedding.
Ragland was not in attendance though, meaning that Markle had not one family member at the party, including new sister-in-law Kate Middleton, though baby showers have never been a British tradition.
Ragland has made a point to avoid the spotlight ever since her daughter and Prince Harry announced their engagement.
Namaste: Ragland has yet to give a single interview about her daughter save for a few passing comments to camera crews.
Long distance: It is unclear if Markle plans to meet up with her mother before the birth of her first child, as she is scheduled to travel to Morocco this weekend
More famous people: Amal Clooney (left) arrives for the baby shower on Wednesday while Serena Williams (right) heads into dinner on Tuesday night at The Polo Bar
Camouflaged: Prince Harry (above on Wednesday), a Captain General Royal Marines, spet Wednesday visiting 42 Commando Royal Marines at their base in Bickleigh
Who wore it better: Jessica Mulroney (left on Tuesday) and Misha Nonoo (right on Wednesday) put on a colorless display in New York
She did stay in England for a few days before and after the royal wedding, but then quickly made her way back to California.
There had been a number of reports at the time claiming that she had worked out a deal with Oprah Winfrey to film an interview with the legendary talk show queen, but those all proved to be false.
In fact, Ragland has yet to give a single interview about her daughter save for a few passing comments to camera crews.
That has not been the case with the rest of Markle’s family, particularly her half-sister Yvonne, who now goes by Samantha.
She too was not among the invited guests at Markle’s shower.
That is due in large part to her decision to write a tell-all about her half-sister, the title which is The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister.
‘The title is a mockery of the media,’ Samantha told the Daily Mail in November.
‘It wasn’t me who called Meg “pushy”, it was the tabloid newspapers. She is not pushy. The book isn’t going to be negative — it’s a warm, witty, honoring book — unfortunately, the negative sing-song has gone round the world.’
Samantha has been both fawning and brutal with her comments about Meghan, depicting the Suits actress as opportunistic and calculating in interviews earlier this year before doing a complete about face over the past few months.
Meghan meanwhile has said nothing in the press about his older sister.
Doria met Meghan’s father Thomas Markle on the set of the General Hospital when she was temping on the soap opera and he was working in the lighting department.
They divorced when Meghan was six and both parents spent a considerable amount of time with their daughter,
Samantha and her brother Thomas Jr are the children of Thomas and his first wife Roslyn.