Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have topped the list for the most expensive royal births after welcoming daughter Lilibet in an LA hospital.
Birthing packages at their exclusive institution can cost up to £20,000.
But Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi – who welcomed their baby girl earlier this week at the private wing of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital – weren’t far behind.
Pregnancy experts as CFAH compiled a list of the most expensive royal birth packages ever, with Meghan’s second labour topping the list.
Meghan and her husband Prince Harry headed to the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California to welcome Lilibet into the world.
(Image: REUTERS)
The Spanish-themed oasis of luxury has birth packages costing up to £20,000 – so it isn’t surprising it looks more like a hotel than a hospital.
Natural births at the retreat cost £10,000, while a Caesarean section costs a whopping £20,000.
It’s also believed that pop star and pal of the Duke and Duchess Katy Perry also gave birth to her daughter Daisy there last year.
The hospital keeps a staff of over 600 physicians, and welcomes around 2,400 babies each year.
(Image: PA)
And there might have been a clear reason for Meghan and Harry to opt for the Cottage Hospital, as it’s one of the closest facilities to their £11million mansion in Montecito, and around a 10-minute drive by car.
Each of the hospital’s birthing rooms includes a recliner, rocking chair and sofa as well as the main birthing bed.
Patients can also order room service and help themselves to snacks from the fully-stocked pantry – and Meghan would have enjoyed her very own Jacuzzi tub for some hydrotherapy during her labour.
The rooms also include an outside terrace for a bit of fresh air for expecting parents, plus WiFi, a video monitor and computer keyboard.
(Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
As one would expect, the hospital relies on state-of-the-art technology.
Meghan’s first birth as she welcomed son Archie into the world took place at The Portland Hospital, where Sarah Fergusson also gave birth to her daughters.
Births there can cost upwards of £10,000, and in keeping with its luxe prices, celebrities like Victoria Beckham have also given birth there.
The hospital includes five-star catering, the undivided attention of a consultant and hand-crafted baby mementos made of silver – so it’s no surprise the Royals go there to have babies!
Vying for second place in the list is Princess Beatrice, with a birth that set her back £8,775.
(Image: GETTY)
She attended the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, which can cost anywhere from £6,475 to £10,650.
Prices in the private Kensington Wing vary – for consultant-led care with a “vaginal delivery package” it costs £6,475. But for midwife-led care, the “platinum emergency or elective section package” costs a whopping 10 grand.
The hospital has its reasons for the expense, however, as £75 bottles of champagne and smoked salmon are available for a cheeky post-birth snack.
Rooms also feature flatscreen TVs and luxurious walk-in showers.
It was Sophie Countess of Wessex who had the cheapest birth by far, however – as she welcomed her baby at a free NHS hospital.
Sophie’s little girl Louise was born premature, and she underwent an emergency C-section at NHS Frimley Park Hospital in Camberley.
The Countess also decided to have her second child, James, at the hospital too, and in 2014 made a very emotional visit to the facility to open its new neonatal unit.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
