Deborah Chan
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot on 19 May 2018 in a ceremony at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The couple received an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) worth of gifts, most of which they returned. This was due to the royal gift policy, which states that the family cannot accept gifts from anyone hoping to exploit the gift for commercial purposes. Instead, the couple requested donations to charities in lieu of wedding gifts.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Wedding date | 19 May 2018 |
| Wedding location | St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, UK |
| Wedding gifts received | Yes |
| Wedding gifts returned | Yes |
| Reason for returning gifts | Royals are not allowed to receive gifts from businesses or people they do not personally know, to prevent them from being exploited for commercial purposes |
| Value of gifts returned | £7 million ($9.3 million) |
| Alternative to wedding gifts | Charity donations to seven different charities |
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What You'll Learn
Harry and Meghan asked for charity donations
Members of the royal family are not allowed to receive gifts from the public or companies that could be used for advertising. This means that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had to return most of their wedding gifts. In fact, they were required to send back an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) worth of presents.
Instead of accepting gifts, Harry and Meghan asked for charity donations. They chose a handful of charities and requested that donations be sent there instead of wedding gifts. The seven charities they selected included:
- Children's HIV Association
- Crisis (support for homeless people)
- Myna Mahila Foundation (women's empowerment in Mumbai)
- Scotty's Little Soldiers (supports children who have lost a parent in the British Armed Forces)
These charities reflect issues that the couple is passionate about, including women's empowerment, conservation, the environment, and homelessness.
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They returned £7 million worth of gifts
Despite requesting that well-wishers donate to charity instead of sending them wedding gifts, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle received an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) worth of presents, which they returned to the senders.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were inundated with packages and parcels at their Kensington Palace home, but members of the royal family are not allowed to receive gifts from the public or companies that could be construed as advertising. The official guidelines from the royal family explain 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.
In line with this, Kensington Palace released a statement before the wedding, asking that any gifts be sent to the palace for review, rather than to the ceremony or reception venue at Windsor Castle.
The royal gift policy states that the family can only accept gifts that are consumable, like flowers and food, or worth less than £150 ($200).
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Royals can't accept gifts that could be commercial advertisements
The Royal Family receives thousands of gifts every year, from well-wishers, world leaders, and businesses. The gifts can be divided into two categories: official and personal. Official gifts are those received by the family in connection with their official duties or those sent by businesses or individuals they do not personally know. They are not the private property of the family member they were given to and cannot be sold or traded. Personal gifts are those from people whom members of the royal family know in a private capacity and are not given in connection with an official engagement or duty. These can be of any value and are owned by the family member privately.
The Royal Family is not allowed to accept gifts from anyone hoping to "exploit the gift for commercial purposes". In other words, they cannot accept gifts if the items are meant as walking advertisements. This is because the royals should not be placed under any obligation to the donor. This rule also applies to wedding gifts. For example, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had to return an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) worth of wedding presents.
Despite the rules, some people sent Harry and Meghan generous gifts anyway. The couple chose a handful of charities and requested donations be sent there instead of wedding gifts. Some of the charities included the Children's HIV Association, Crisis (support for homeless people), and the Myna Mahila Foundation (women's empowerment in Mumbai).
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The couple set up a private gift list for close friends and family
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, United Kingdom. The couple, who tied the knot in front of 2,640 members of the public invited to the castle, asked that well-wishers donate to charity instead of sending gifts. They chose seven charities to support, including the Children's HIV Association, Crisis (support for homeless people), and the Myna Mahila Foundation (women's empowerment in Mumbai).
Despite their wishes, Harry and Meghan reportedly received an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) worth of presents, which they had to send back. This was due to royal protocol, which states that members of the royal family cannot accept gifts from the public or companies that could be used for commercial purposes. The couple also set up a private gift list for close friends and family, curated with the exclusive members' club, Soho House. The list reportedly contained home items to furnish their future residence, the 21-room Apartment 1 in Kensington Palace.
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was highly anticipated by the public, with thousands of fans lining the streets of Windsor to cheer on the royal couple and catch a glimpse of them in their sleek cars and horse-drawn carriage. The wedding ceremony broke with royal tradition by being held on a weekend and included elements of African-American culture. The bride's dress, cake, and flowers were speculated to influence the choices of other British brides.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding gifts differed from those of previous royal couples, who often received impressive tokens such as animals named after them, antique furniture, jewellery, cars, and even houses. While some modern royal couples opt for charitable donations, they still receive physical gifts to mark their wedded status.
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Meghan received a diamond tennis bracelet from King Charles
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot on 19 May 2018 at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. While the couple received an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) worth of wedding gifts from the public, they were unable to accept most of these gifts due to royal protocol. According to the official guidelines, members of the royal family cannot accept gifts from the public or companies that could be construed as advertising.
However, Meghan did receive a special wedding gift from her father-in-law, King Charles. The gift in question was a diamond tennis bracelet created by royal warrant holders Bentley & Skinner, featuring ninety-two round brilliant-cut diamonds, weighing seven carats in total, and worth at least £4,900. Meghan debuted the bracelet as she arrived at the Cliveden House Hotel the night before her wedding, and she has since worn it on several special occasions, including during her first royal tour with Harry in the fall of 2018 and at the 2022 Invictus Games. The bracelet, a reminder of her new father-in-law, has become a regular part of Meghan's jewelry rotation, and her choice to wear it recently in Santa Barbara amidst the controversy surrounding the book 'Endgame' has sparked speculation that she is using her jewelry to send subtle messages of support to King Charles.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did receive wedding gifts, despite asking well-wishers to donate to charity instead. They were inundated with £7 million ($9.3 million) worth of unsolicited gifts, which they had to return.
Members of the Royal Family are not allowed to receive gifts from the public or companies that could be used for advertising or commercial purposes. They also cannot accept gifts from people they do not personally know.
It is unclear exactly what gifts were sent to the couple, but they did receive a physical gift from King Charles—a diamond tennis bracelet, which Meghan wore regularly after the wedding.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose seven charities for people to donate to, including Children’s HIV Association, Crisis (support for homeless people), and Myna Mahila Foundation (women’s empowerment in Mumbai).
