The royal soil remains uncharted territory for public knowledge except for the nitpicks that make headlines now and then. Owing to its regality and honorary positions, the royal household holds to heart many stringent customs and protocols whose authority is a power player on its own. Being from the lineage of royal blood, when Prince Harry tied the knot with Meghan Markle, the enthusiasm in the masses was exceptional. And they had a custom deeply rooted in the royal household. 

So much so that it cost the Duke and the Duchess royally for a surprising reason for their wedding shenanigans.

The lesser-known royal protocol

During Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding ceremony, fans clustered at Windsor on May 19th, 2018, bearing wedding presents. While fans eagerly anticipated a glimpse of the royal couple, an unprecedented setback emerged concerning the destiny of gifts valued at around $8.8 million in total. The Mirror reports that the couple had to return the wedding gifts. The reason is that the royals are not allowed to accept gifts from the public as they could put the members “under any obligation to the donor.”. 

Furthermore, the royal guidelines strictly deny the acceptance of gifts since it could make way for the newlyweds to be used for “publicity”. However, prior to the wedding day, an official statement had been sent out in concern to the fans. It acknowledged that if any wellwisher desired to gift them wedding gifts, the same should be sent to Kensington Palace and not Windsor. But the gifts flooding in at Windsor Castle had to be returned. 

Despite Markle and the Prince having had to hand back the gifts, they had one wedding gift request for their followers.  

What was the wedding present request by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry?

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry entered the phase of marital bliss back in 2018. Ever since, the duo has showcased their growing bond over the years. Although reports may suggest developments of their PDA-packed moments fading, it looks far from over. Turning back the pages, there is no doubt that the setback regarding the presents was disappointing for the fans back in the day. However, the Duke and the Duchess had a special request before their big day.

The royal couple wanted people to donate to one of the seven charities as their wedding token. The list includes CHIVA, Crisis, Myna Mahalia Foundation, Scotty’s Little Soldiers, StreetGames, Surfers Against Sewage, and The Wilderness Foundation UK. As Markle and Prince Harry are popular for their active charity work, it seems like there could have been no better present for them than this. Especially since a few years later, the couple themselves founded the Archewell Foundation.

Did you know about the reason behind the couple’s returning of the gifts? Let us know in the comments below!