'Who cares': Internet remains unmoved as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry return $9M in wedding gifts due to royal protocol

Palace aides enforced this return to prevent individuals and companies from leveraging the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for publicity
PUBLISHED JAN 12, 2024
 Meghan and Harry's wedding gift return causes stir on Social Media (Dominic Lipinski - Pool/Getty Images)
Meghan and Harry's wedding gift return causes stir on Social Media (Dominic Lipinski - Pool/Getty Images)

MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA: Despite their dream wedding in 2018, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were obliged to return $8.9 million worth of gifts, according to reports.

Palace aides enforced this return to prevent individuals and companies from leveraging the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for publicity.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry return $8.9M in wedding gifts due to royal protocol

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the pre-closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry got married in 2018 (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

The policy stems from the fundamental principle that royal family members should not accept gifts that might place them under any obligation to the donor.

Official guidelines dictate that no gifts, including hospitality or services, should be accepted if they create an obligation.

“The fundamental principle governing the acceptance of gifts by members of the royal family is that no gifts, including hospitality or services, should be accepted which would, or might appear to, place the member of the royal family under any obligation to the donor,” official guidelines read.

WINDSOR, ENGLAND - MAY 19: (EDITORS NOTE: Retransmission of #960087582 with alternate crop.) Prince
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry asked guests to donate to charities (Getty Images)

Although the couple couldn't keep the pricey offerings, they directed attendees to donate to various charities, including HIVA, Crisis, Myna Mahalia Foundation, Scotty’s Little Soldiers, StreetGames, Surfers Against Sewage, and The Wilderness Foundation UK.

At the wedding reception, Meghan Markle emotionally shared a story about their union, emphasizing the modern fairytale nature of their relationship.

During their wedding reception, the 'Suits' star delivered an emotional speech celebrating their union, referring to their love story as a "modern fairytale."

She said, "Onto the crux of why I wanted to speak tonight. First of all, it’s been a while,” Meghan said. “But mostly, I wanted to share a story. A story that I wrote about the man that I love and the way that we met. Let’s call this a modern fairytale.”

The Internet seems uninterested in Meghan and Harry's gift return

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala at New York Hilton on December 06, 2022, in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Return $9 Million in Wedding Gifts, Netizens React (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala)

Reactions on social media suggest that the internet remains uninterested in Meghan Markle and Prince Harry being forced to return $9 million worth of wedding gifts due to royal protocol.

One user nonchalantly commented, "Omg OK get off my feed. They didn't return anything. They were not allowed to accept them." Another user expressed indifference, stating, "Who cares. Return them and live your lives."

The other user responded with, "Jealous much!"

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