Veteran royal expert Jennie Bond has warned the Duchess of Sussex needs to rein in ‘massively extravagant’ spending as ‘it doesn’t play very well’ with the British public.
The former BBC royal correspondent, 67, who covered 14 of the most chaotic years of the monarchy during Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ divorce, said the new mother should try to be less ‘celebrity’.
Since joining the royal family, Meghan’s become known for favouring expensive designer clothing, which she rarely recycles, and famously celebrated her baby shower in New York with famous pals, to the tune of £330K.
Speaking to Yahoo News’ The Royal Box, Jennie, of Devon, said: ‘What I think that Meghan has to be careful of is that she’s so, pretty much A-list celebrity as well as senior royal.
Veteran royal expert Jennie Bond (pictured right) has warned the Duchess of Sussex (left, at the Trooping the Colour ceremony this year) to rein in her ‘massively extravagant’ spending as ‘it doesn’t play very well’ with the British public
‘I am getting the feeling that the public don’t like her terrifically spending huge quantities of money.
‘Being extravagant, massively extravagant, she can afford it, she is a wealthy woman, but it doesn’t play very well, so I think she needs to just watch that.’
Throughout the nine months of her pregnancy, Meghan’s maternity wardrobe, which consisted of many designer labels, amounted to more than half a million pounds.
She also enjoyed a New York baby shower, where she took over a New York penthouse with her celebrity pals, and went on a £33,000 spa babymoon with Prince Harry just weeks before the birth of their son Archie.
And in February, Meghan’s clothing totalled more than an estimated £110,000 during her three-day tour of Morocco with Harry – thanks to a kaftan-style Dior gown believed to be worth as much as £90,000.
In February, Meghan’s clothing totalled more than an estimated £110,000 during her three-day tour of Morocco with Harry – thanks to a kaftan-style Dior gown believed to be worth as much as £90,000 (pictured)
Offering the former actress, 37, some more advice, Jennie added: ‘I think I’d ask Meghan, suggest to her that she tries not to play any games with the press.
‘Try not to be too celebrity, because that doesn’t go down well with the public, and to try to ignore the fact that she’s getting quite a lot of flack from various directions.’
Known for her particularly good relationship with Diana, the journalist admitted that the late princess’ daughter-in-law ‘is a very different woman and much more mature’ than the royal she is so often compared to.
‘She is being compared to Diana and I’m sorry that that’s the case because I think she is a very different woman,’ Jennie said.
Offering the former actress (pictured next to Prince Harry after the Trooping the Colour ceremony), 37, some more advice, Jennie added: ‘I think I’d ask Meghan, suggest to her that she tries not to play any games with the press
‘Much more mature. Much more knowing of her own role and the issues she wishes to espouse. Much readier for the role than Diana ever was.’
The broadcaster also revealed in the interview that the ‘Diana years were the most difficult because you had the two camps giving you totally conflicting information’.
‘Charles’ camp and Diana’s camp’, she explained. ‘And trying to find what the accurate report should be was very difficult.
‘You felt you were caught in the middle, well I was, caught in the middle of a big domestic row really. A dirty marital breakup, that was so embarrassingly public.’
The broadcaster (pictured on June 10, 2019) also revealed that the ‘Diana years were the most difficult because you had the two camps giving you totally conflicting information’