When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot in May 2018, hundreds of royal devotees flocked to Windsor in hopes of presenting gifts to the newlyweds.
However, unbeknownst to many well-wishers, a strict royal directive forbade the couple from accepting gifts brought directly to the wedding venue or ceremony.
Harry and Meghan returned their wedding gifts
On the eve of the wedding, Kensington Palace issued a statement asking those wishing to give gifts to send them to the couple’s London residence.
The order explained that the acceptance of direct donations would be conditional on the companies guaranteeing that they would not benefit commercially from the royal connection.
This precaution is intended to prevent gifts from being exploited for promotional purposes.
Despite the protocol made public, the crowd turned out at Windsor with gifts valued at some £7 million.
Though surely well-meaning, Harry and Meghan had no choice but to return the generous but prohibited contributions.
The requirement is in line with broader guidelines governing gift-giving to members of the royal family.
When gifts are sanctioned, their value generally cannot exceed £150.
In addition, recipients must donate the items to staff or charities if they are not keeping them for personal use.
Similar conventions apply to bouquets of flowers given at engagements, which the royals subsequently redistribute to charitable causes.
Given the clearly communicated and established gifting rules, Harry and Meghan deserve no criticism for enforcing the rules.
Returning the gifts may have proved disappointing, but adhering to protocol takes precedence.
As newlyweds, questioning such deep-rooted traditions would have been frowned upon.
In fact, the small sacrifice probably avoided major problems and lived up to what was expected of all royal brides and grooms before them.