Meghan Markle hires Oprah’s party planner for 40th birthday party at her California mansion

Meghan Markle has hired Oprah Winfrey‘s party planner for her low-key birthday party when she turns 40 on Wednesday, a source has claimed.

The Duchess of Sussex, 39, has reportedly enlisted top celebrity wedding and event planner, Colin Cowie, to organise her birthday celebration at the £11million mansion she shares with husband Harry in Santa Barbara, California. 

The party planner was recommended to mother-of-two by the TV host who is a friend of the couple after their ground-breaking interview earlier this year. 

‘Meghan wants a small gathering. About 65 people are invited, her closest friends and family,’ a source said, speaking to The Mirror. ‘Colin was recommended to her by Oprah who always puts on fabulous parties.’

Meghan Markle, 39, has enlisted Oprah Winfrey’s party planner for her low-key birthday party with 65 of her closest family and friends when she turns 40 this week

Prince Harry has reportedly ordered a cake for his wife from a local bakery, Posies & Sugar, which creates cakes in a simple semi-naked icing look and decorated with flowers. 

Meghan’s guests will reportedly be treated to ‘grazing tables’ at the party, complete with locally sourced foods and wines, to celebrate her milestone birthday this week.

The party will be held in line with Covid rules as California has eased its restrictions.

Meghan’s birthday bash is expected to be a low-key event compared to her extravagant $500,000 baby shower in New York before Archie’s arrival in 2019. 

Top celebrity wedding and event planner, Colin Cowie, is set to organise the birthday celebrations at the couple’s £11million Californian mansion where guests will be treated to ‘grazing tables’, complete with locally sourced foods and wines

The party planner was recommended by the TV host (pictured), who is a friend of the couple after their explosive interview earlier this year and attended their wedding in 2018

Prince Harry has reportedly ordered a cake for his wife from a local bakery, Posies & Sugar, which creates cakes in a simple semi-naked icing look and decorated with flowers (pictured)

In 2018, Colin was voted Vogue’s No.1 wedding planner and caterer in the north-east United States and his high-achieving mantra is: ‘The equation for the gold standard of service isn’t 1+1=2. It’s 1+1=3. What can you do to stay ahead of the curve?’

Previously, he has organised parties for A-list stars including the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Tom Cruise and Kim Kardashian. 

It comes after the couple’s explosive interview with Oprah in March, where Meghan and Harry laid bare their brief life as a working royal couple.

During the interview, they alleged a member of the family – not the Queen or Philip – made a racist comment about their son, and revealed how the duchess had suicidal thoughts but her approaches to the monarchy for help were turned down. 

Winfrey was left open-mouthed when the duchess said a fellow royal was worried about how dark their son Archie’s skin tone might be.