Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were forced to return gifts worth more than £7 million ($8.8 million) after their lavish wedding.
In May 2018, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had a star-studded wedding at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, in the presence of A-list celebrities including Oprah Winfrey and David Beckham. The newlyweds asked for donations to some charities in lieu of wedding gifts, but the couple nevertheless received gifts from fans and well-wishers from all over the world.
The public who flocked to Windsor Castle to catch a glimpse of the historic wedding even brought gifts, but they were unable to give them to the happy couple and were instead returned to them. A royal statement urged well-wishers to send any gifts to Kensington Palace, where Harry and Meghan were working at the time, as the prince lived in Nottingham Villa at Kensington Palace.
Harry and Meghan were unable to keep the gifts due to security reasons, and royal etiquette dictates that many touching gifts from fans around the world must be sent back. Prior to 2020, members of the royal family (Harry and Meghan were royals) were not allowed to personally accept any gifts from the public.
However, a source told the Mirror that there were reports of companies"For the sake of publicity"And after giving them wedding gifts, they were forced to send back gifts worth millions of pounds. It's no secret that anything related to the royal family, such as shoes or clothing worn by Meghan and Kate Middleton, sells out almost instantly. According to reports,"The Kate effect"The British fashion industry has grown by £1 billion, and she has led the growth of a small brand with just one pair of boots.
The official royal guidelines state that:"The basic principle for members of the royal family to accept gifts is that no gift, including hospitality or service, imposes any obligation on the part of the royal family to the donor. Instead of accepting wedding gifts, Harry and Meghan asked the well-wishers to donate to one of the seven charities they had in mind, including: Chiva, Crisis, Myna Mahalia Foundation, Scotty'S Little Soldiers, Streetgames, Surfers Against Sewage, and The Wilderness Foundation Uk.。
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau donated $50,000 to Jumpstart, a charity that helps disadvantaged children play sports. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to:"Pillars"$5,000 was donated by the organization (pillars), which supports the children and families of prisoners in the country.