What Meghan Wants: 7 Dream Luxury Gifts for a New Mum
Baby Archie is being inundated with gifts, but what about the Duchess of Sussex? From spa days to afternoon tea, here are some of the loveliest presents we can imagine receiving
First things first: Luxury London would like to send its sincere congratulations, along with millions of other well-wishers, to the proud parents of young Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Barely weeks old and this little baby has captured hearts and headlines around the world, giving us brief respite from news coverage that oscillates between the far more ominous topics of Brexit and climate change. Sending newborn Archie tokens and treasures is proving irresistible to many, and grand gifting gestures are flooding in. “Enough books to last a lifetime” from Oprah Winfrey. Ten trees planted in his name in New Zealand. His very own Invictus Games babygro. And super fans are already snapping up commemorative Royal Baby collectibles.
However, as every woman who has just given birth knows full well, the person most deserving of gifts right now is that mother herself. So from one mother to another, here’s a fantastical list of some of the things Meghan might be dreaming of in the weeks to come:
A Weekend Away in the English Countryside
As much as new parents adore their bundle of joy, as weeks of interrupted sleep turn into months, they will be fantasising about a night not of passion and romance but of unbroken sleep and a hot meal eaten in peace. Despite the help available, we bet Meghan and Harry plan to be as hands-on as they can – William welcomed his brother “to the sleep deprivation society that is parenting” – so even they might need a break. They love Botswana but that’s too far for a weekend away from Archie; we’d suggest Thyme, Foxhill Manor or The Rectory in the beautiful English countryside instead. Mr & Mrs Smith vouchers start from £50 and go up to £4,000 – although you could of course buy more than one – and if you’re feeling particularly generous, you could offer your babysitting services. Or not…
A Whole Day at a Luxury Spa
Treat the exhausted new mum to the Berkeley hotel’s enticingly-named Ultimate Relax and Revitalise Retreat (£525), promising nothing less than “a state of blissful tranquillity”. Enjoy not one, not two but five of the Bamford-branded spa’s signature treatments; a full-body exfoliation, facial, manicure, pedicure and body treatment, plus £50 credit for its goodie-packed shop, and lunch – because parenthood is hungry work. And if Meghan is keen, Harry can go too; the Spa for Men experience (£265) sounds just as good.
A Traditional English Afternoon Tea
While, in principle, the thought of a lavish, five-course, wine-matched, Michelin-starred supper might sound irresistible to new parents, the reality is that you’ll be too full to sleep, the baby will wake just as you drift off into a tipsy stupor, and you’ll realise that you’d have been better off watching Game of Thrones and going to bed. Much better is opting for the gift of afternoon tea – it’s decadent enough to feel like a major treat, packs in much-needed sustenance and guarantees to satisfy even the sweetest-toothed mama. Our pick of the bunch is the Lanesborough and its floral afternoon tea (from £49 per person, and gift vouchers also available) – we think Meghan will love the traditional English elements of the hotel while appreciating its modern touches. Read all about 7 of the best afternoon teas in London here.
A Flower Subscription Service
We concede that Meghan is unlikely to be short of fresh flowers from friends, family and well-wishers. However, a blooming marvellous bouquet is guaranteed to put a smile on the face of any new mother you know, who is suddenly taking an awful lot of care of someone other than herself. We’d go for Flowerbx and its simply stylish one-type-flower bunches in either white or colour of your choice. A weekly delivery might err on the side of Elton-John-scale floral flamboyance so we think a monthly delivery (from £50) is suitably generous.
Membership to a Family-friendly Members’ Club
Meghan and Harry’s already-packed schedule will now include the unpredictable demands of a very tiny dictator of time. Sometimes they will want to escape the confines of Frogmore Cottage (as lovely as we are sure it is) and head into London to see family and friends. En route, just a 45-minute drive from Windsor, is the exclusive family-orientated lifestyle club Cloud Twelve in Notting Hill. As Archie gets older, he’ll love the play and learn zone, and his parents can take turns enjoying the luxurious spa, salon, brasserie and wellness clinic, all with a reassuringly organic, eco-friendly ethos.
A Watch
Will Archie be having a nap now? A feed? A tour of the palace grounds in his royal buggy? Timekeeping is generally a strong royal trait but it’s inappropriate to take out one’s phone to check the time at any kind of engagement, and therefore the likely activities of one’s little darling. So it must be a watch. One of the Luxury London team received one from her husband and newborn son; not only has she worn it every day ever since, a timely (excuse me) reminder of her momentous efforts during labour, but she has also found it immensely practical. We recommend the fittingly named Tank Américaine by Cartier for Meghan. It’s extremely chic in looks and practical too; white gold and diamonds (the hardest of gemstones) can easily withstand Weetabix at breakfast, mud in the park and splashing at bathtime.
A Norland Nanny
The website asks: could you do with an extra pair of hands? We don’t know a new parent who would say no to this, even if they are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Plus, far more than us non-famous, non-royal parents, they need to know they can count on absolute professionalism and discretion at all times, especially when royal engagements whisk them away from Master Archie. Norland Nannies are the Mary (and Matthew, now that men can train too) Poppins’ of the childcare world; what better gift to new parents than an experienced pair of hands to share the loads of nappies, changing, wiping and washing?
