Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex – have had to return some of the presents they received for their royal wedding.
The couple, who were apparently inundated with packages and parcels at their Kensington Palace home, are reportedly sending back around NZ$13 million worth of gifts.
And the reason why boils down to royal protocol…
According to official royal guidelines, “The fundamental principle governing the acceptance of gifts by Members of The Royal Family is that no gifts, including hospitality or services, should be accepted which would, or might appear to, place the Member of The Royal Family under any obligation to the donor.”
That means, gifts from individuals not known personally “should be refused where there are concerns about the propriety or motives of the donor or the gift itself.”
Bags of Love, for instance, will be receiving a return package from the loved-up duo. They reportedly sent the newlyweds a matching bikini and swim shorts set in the hopes they would wear the coordinating pieces on their honeymoon.
Meghan, 36, and Harry, 33, are reportedly returning millions of dollars worth of wedding gifts due to official royal protocol.
Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36, tied the knot on Saturday 19 May in Windsor.
In lieu of gifts, the couple asked well-wishers to contribute to their big day with a charitable donation to one (or more!) of seven personally selected charities.
“Prince Harry & Ms. Meghan Markle are incredibly grateful for the goodwill they have received since their engagement, & have asked that anyone who might wish to mark the occasion of their wedding considers giving to charity, instead of sending a gift,” the palace said in a statement on Twitter.
“The couple have personally chosen 7 charities which represent a range of issues that they are passionate about, including sport for social change, women’s empowerment, conservation, the environment, homelessness, HIV and the Armed Forces.”
And while the pair have no formal relationships with the charities listed (you can find the full list of charities here), it’s clear they opted for organisations that resonate with them.
Harry chose to include the Children’s HIV Association, melding with his mission to continue his mother, Princess Diana’s incredible efforts to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. Meghan, meanwhile, picked the Myna Mahila Foundation after visiting the organisation on a recent trip to India.
The Sunday Times later revealed that the couple had also put together a private gift list with Soho House, which was shared with their closest friends and family.
The top-secret list included everything from bath and shower gel valued at just NZ$34 to a “cosy” emperor bed worth a cool NZ$4000.
