This Is What Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Want Instead of Wedding Gifts
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding plans continue to showcase the couple’s socially conscious nature. The bride and groom-to-be — who have revealed several sustainable and eco-friendly details so far — have also just announced that they would prefer donations to their favorite charities in lieu of wedding gifts.
“Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle are incredibly grateful for the goodwill shown to them since the announcement of their engagement and are keen that as many people as possible benefit from this generosity of spirit,” Kensington Palace said in a statement on Monday. “The couple have therefore asked that anyone who might wish to mark the occasion considers making a donation to charity, rather than sending a wedding gift.”
Together, Harry and Meghan have selected seven organizations that reflect their shared values. The list of charities includes the Children’s HIV Association (CHIVA), Crisis, the Myna Mahila Foundation, Scotty’s Little Soldiers, StreetGames, Surfers Against Sewage, and The Wilderness Foundation UK.
Kensington Palace also said that while Harry and Markle do not currently have any formal relationship with the charities they have chosen, they’re happy to help amplify the work these primarily small organizations are doing.
Following the couple’s engagement, Markle was quick to transition out of her acting career and join the prince in attending official engagements, many of which focus on social change. “I think what’s been really exciting … is the causes that are really important to me that I can focus even more energy on,” Markle said in the couple’s first joint interview following their engagement announcement. “Very early out of the gate, I think you realize you have access or a voice that people are willing to listen to, and with that comes a lot of responsibility, which I take seriously.”
While the latest royal wedding development is amazing news for all of the organizations that stand to benefit from their inclusion, it’s not great news for Markle’s former Suits costar Patrick J. Adams — he was hoping to get the couple a fancy blender for their nuptials.
What do you think of Harry and Meghan’s charitable donation request? Let us know @BritandCo!
(photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)