Harry And Meghan's Wedding Gifts

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot on 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The couple asked for donations to seven charities of their choice instead of traditional wedding presents. However, they reportedly received £7 million worth of gifts, which they had to return due to royal protocol.

Harry and Meghan asked for charity donations instead of gifts

In 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle asked their wedding guests to donate to charity instead of giving them gifts. The couple chose seven charities for their guests to donate to, none of which they had any official ties to. These charities were:

• CHIVA (Children's HIV Association)
• Crisis
• The Myna Mahila Foundation
• Scotty's Little Soldiers
• StreetGames
• Surfers Against Sewage
• The Wilderness Foundation UK

These charities represent a range of issues that the couple are passionate about, including sport for social change and the Armed Forces. Despite their request, Harry and Meghan still received an estimated £7 million worth of gifts, which they had to return. As working members of the royal family, they had to follow strict rules regarding the acceptance of gifts from members of the public and private companies. One of these rules stated that gifts could not be accepted if they were meant to be used as walking advertisements.

The couple received a £7 million gift haul

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot on 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The wedding was attended by around 600 guests, and the couple received a £7 million gift haul. However, they had to return most of these gifts due to royal protocol.

The royal gift policy states that the family cannot accept gifts from anyone hoping to "exploit the gift for commercial purposes". They can only accept consumable gifts, such as flowers and food, or gifts worth less than £150. As a result, Harry and Meghan reportedly sent back an estimated £7 million worth of presents to the senders.

Despite the rules, some people sent generous gifts to the couple. Many companies also sent wedding gifts, which were also returned for two reasons. Firstly, royal protocol dictates that "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". Secondly, if companies give presents to royals, it could be seen as a form of advertising, which is not appropriate.

Harry and Meghan had requested that, instead of wedding presents, people made donations to one of their preferred charities. They chose a handful of charities and requested donations in lieu of gifts, including Children's HIV Association, Crisis (support for homeless people), Myna Mahila Foundation (women's empowerment in Mumbai), Scotty's Little Soldiers (support for children who lost a parent in the British Armed Forces), StreetGames (health empowerment for disadvantaged communities), Surfers Against Sewage (marine conservation), and The Wilderness Foundation UK.

Despite their request, some people still sent gifts to the couple. Harry and Meghan were reportedly inundated with gifts from well-wishing members of the public. However, for safety reasons, they were not allowed to keep any of these gifts.

Royals can't accept certain gifts

The British Royal Family receives thousands of gifts every year, from well-wishers, world leaders, and businesses. However, the Royals are not allowed to accept all gifts, and there are strict protocols in place regarding gift-giving to members of the Royal Family.

The Royal Family's gift policy states that members cannot accept gifts or hospitality that would place them under obligation to the donor. They are not allowed to accept gifts if they will be expected to do something in return. The Royal code states that gifts from commercial enterprises in the UK are usually refused, unless the item is a souvenir of an official visit or marks a wedding or special occasion. Overseas gifts are normally refused unless advised otherwise by the Foreign Office or the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The Royals can accept gifts from government bodies, trade associations, guilds, civic bodies, the armed services, and charities, especially if they have a direct link with the organisation or if the gift marks a personal occasion. They can also accept smaller gifts from individuals they don't know, such as flowers, food, "reasonable" amounts of consumables, and non-controversial books, as long as the gifts are worth less than £150. They cannot accept anything over this amount.

Official gifts, which are received by members of the Royal Family in connection with their official duties, are not the private property of the family member and cannot be sold or traded. They can be worn, used, or placed on public display in palaces. Gifts from another head of state or government automatically become part of the Royal Collection. Personal gifts, on the other hand, are those from people whom the Royals know privately and are owned by the family member.

In the case of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, an official statement requested that guests send gifts to Kensington Palace instead of bringing them to the ceremony or reception. The couple also requested that, in lieu of wedding gifts, people make donations to one of seven charitable organisations. Despite this, Harry and Meghan reportedly sent an estimated £7 million worth of presents back to the senders, as they were not allowed to accept gifts that could be used for commercial purposes.

The public were told to send gifts to Kensington Palace

Despite the rules, some people chose to ignore the request and sent generous gifts to Kensington Palace anyway. It is estimated that Harry and Meghan sent back around £7 million ($9.3 million) worth of presents. However, the couple did accept gifts from members of the public during their trip to Nigeria, as they were no longer bound by the same rules as they were no longer working members of the Royal Family.

Harry and Meghan chose a handful of charities and requested that donations be sent there instead of gifts. Some of the charities included Children's HIV Association, Crisis, Myna Mahila Foundation, Scotty's Little Soldiers, StreetGames, Surfers Against Sewage, and The Wilderness Foundation UK.

Harry and Meghan kept presents from Nigeria

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor. The couple received an abundance of gifts from the public to congratulate them on their special day. However, they had to return an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) worth of presents to the senders. This was due to the royal gift policy, which states that the royal family can't accept gifts from anyone hoping to "exploit the gift for commercial purposes" and can only accept consumable gifts like flowers and food or gifts worth less than £150 ($200).

Harry and Meghan, however, were allowed to keep the presents they received during their three-day tour of Nigeria. This was because, by the time of their trip in 2024, they were no longer senior working members of the royal family. They had stepped back from their royal duties in 2020 and were no longer bound by the strict rules regarding the acceptance of gifts.

During their time in Nigeria, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were showered with gifts, including artwork, clothing, jewellery, and literature. One memorable gift that Prince Harry received was a painting of him and his late mother, Princess Diana. The couple also received a portrait of themselves from the governor of Kaduna state, Senator Uba Sani. They were also presented with traditional Nigerian outfits, such as a waistcoat and a Hula cap for Harry, and a skirt and a matching shawl for Meghan. Additionally, they were given personalised T-shirts, with "Harry Dreams Big" and "Meghan Dreams Big" emblazoned on them.

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