Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are having to return their wedding gifts because of royal protocol

published 31 May 2018

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was one of the highlights of this month but sadly for the newlyweds they'll be returning their wedding gifts which have an approximated value of £7 million.

Before their nuptials, the couple had announced that instead of gifts they would like people wishing to give them a wedding present to make a donation to a charity, and even presented some of the ones closest to their hearts.

This marked another way Prince Harry and Meghan were following in his older brother Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton's footsteps, who also made the same request when they got married in 2011.

However, some well-wishers still sent the newlyweds wedding presents that they're now having to return - despite how much they might not want to!

This is due to a policy from Kensington Palace which is in place to protect the royals from being exploited by brands and celebrities who are trying to cash-in on a connection to the family.

The couple will have been sent gifts from a number of people and businesses but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not want to be unintentionally promoting certain things by association - hence the policy of rejecting all gifts.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle cannot accept any wedding gifts from strangers

According to the Daily Star, the gifts sent to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a net worth of around £7 million. The paper reports that the official policy on gifts is: 'When gifts are accepted, the consent of the Member of the Royal Family should be contingent upon the enterprise undertaking not to exploit the gift for commercial purposes.'

The guidelines continue: 'Gifts offered by private individuals living in the UK not personally known to the Member of the Royal Family should be refused where there are concerns about the propriety or motives of the donor or the gift itself.'

So if Harry and Meghan did accept a gift, we probably wouldn't hear about it as the sender could not promote the fact that the couple had received or kept the item.

The royal family's strict protocols when it comes to accepting gifts means that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and even Prince Louis will never get to play with gifts sent to them by people who they do not directly know.

According to the Daily Star, The Cambridges have returned free gifts with a value of more than £30 million when you take into account gifts sent for their wedding and for the births of each of their three children.

What do you think about the fact the newlyweds cannot accept any wedding gifts? Is it a shame or do you agree with Kensington Palace's policy? Join the conversation over on our Facebook page!

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.