Meghan Markle prepares for a Hollywood birth amid backlash

They’ve been living a relatively low-key life in LA since they left the UK almost a year ago – focusing on their charitable work, new ventures with streaming platforms Netflix and Spotify, and raising their 20-month-old son Archie.

But last week Meghan Markle and Prince Harry – who have announced they’re expecting their second child, thought to be due in the summer – were once again thrust into the headlines when it emerged they’re doing a 90-minute interview with talkshow legend Oprah Winfrey, set to air next month and reportedly sparking fears within the Palace of what could come out.

Insiders said the show – entitled Oprah With Meghan And Harry: A CBS Primetime Special – would be staged in two parts, with Meghan discussing life as a royal, marriage and motherhood and then be joined by Prince Harry to talk about moving to America and their growing family.

But it sparked a backlash after their repeated calls for privacy – particularly as earlier this month Meghan, 39, won a privacy case against the The Mail On Sunday newspaper for publishing a private letter she’d written to her father Thomas Markle.

There was further heartache for Harry, 36, as it emerged that his grandfather Prince Philip, 99, had been admitted to hospital. As Closer went to press, Harry was said to be self-isolating in LA in case Philip’s condition worsened and he had to make a mercy dash home.

It also emerged that the Queen has “backed” the decision to strip Harry and Meghan of their patronages and Harry of his military titles after the couple confirmed they would not return as working members of the royal family.

The couple’s interview with Oprah will cement their progression from British royalty to Hollywood stardom. As well as choosing to settle down in the showbiz capital of the world, the pair have recently signed a multimillion-pound TV deal.

And so Meghan’s pregnancy journey and birth of her second child will no doubt be in line with the other Hollywood A-listers and be worlds away from her pregnancy and birth experience in London in 2019.

Supermodel Caprice Bourret knows all too well about the ins and outs of LA life – having been born and raised in the Hollywood hills, as well as her two sons being born there. She gives Closer the lowdown on the type of lavish birthing plan that’s awaiting the Duchess…

Caprice: ‘She will love the idea of breast-milk jewellery!’

Caprice – mum to boys Jett and Jax, both seven, with husband Ty Comfort – says that she expects Meghan will follow in her footsteps and choose to have her child in the luxurious £2,000-a-night Cedars-Sinai hospital in West Hollywood – where Kim Kardashian, Britney Spears, Madonna, Victoria Beckham and Eva Longoria have all also given birth.

Caprice, 49, says, “I heard that Meghan had wanted a home birth with Archie, but ended up having him at London’s exclusive Portland Hospital, which is a favourite among celebrities in the UK.

“This time around, she’ll have access to the very best facilities used by Hollywood’s A-list set. LA is one of the most amazing places in the world in terms of world-class healthcare and it’s full of new age and ‘hippy dippy’ trends.

“The Cedars-Sinai – where I expect she’ll be having her baby – is the best of the best. It’s like a five-star luxury hotel, anything you want, you get at the snap of your fingers.

“The service is second to none. They’ve catered for lots of celeb mums, so there are separate entrances where you can go and not be photographed or seen arriving or departing.

“My suite was simply amazing – there was a luxury hamper on arrival and I had a nurse with me 24/7, a bed in the suite for my husband and my own doula. I could order food from any of the best restaurants in LA and they’d bring it for me, or they had amazing food there. Everything is organic and the utensils are all plastic-free, which will appeal to Meghan.

“You can get any beauty treatment you want too – your hair, nails, make-up. I had foot massages from a reflexologist. It was like a five-star spa.”

While Caprice now lives in London, she spent the first few months of new motherhood in California where she fully subscribed to the latest mum trends.

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She says, “All the new mums are in this baby bubble and there’s so much available. For example, research shows it’s really good for you to ingest your placenta after you’ve given birth, and so the hospital and other companies offer different ways you can do that. I know you can even get your placenta made into chocolate truffles! I can imagine Meghan would like the idea of the truffles, as she’s so into her health and wellness. I had mine made into pills, which I took over the first few weeks after giving birth.

“I also had a specialist teach me the art of breastfeeding to focus on how my baby could get the most of my milk and also how to preserve my breasts and nipples and stop them being ruined. Life in LA is all about image, so of course that’s popular out there. The specialist also gave me lactation teabags – I’d drink the tea and it would help encourage milk production. And breast-milk jewellery is a growing trend – where they put some of your breast milk into jewellery like rings or lockets to mark your mum and baby milestones. Lots of my friends have had them done and I wouldn’t be surprised if Meghan did that too, it’s such a lovely idea.

“Oxygen chambers are also a big thing out there – all the new mums go to them. It’s called hyperbaric oxygen therapy and it’s where you breathe in pure oxygen. It helps you heal quicker and get your body back quicker, which would appeal to Meghan as she seems so busy and is juggling lots of responsibilities.

“Baby yoga is also a huge thing in LA – I know Meghan is a big fan of yoga. All the new mums do it – it’s seen as a bonding and nurturing experience between you and your baby, as well as a good way to get you to tone up after the pregnancy. One thing is for sure, she’s going to have a very special experience out there – and the second Baby Sussex will want for nothing.”

Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.