Entertainment

Harry & Meghan's Request For Their Wedding Gifts Really Adds To Their “Best Couple” Status

by Nicole Pomarico
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Now that we can say Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are getting married next month, it's time for the details to start rolling in — including what the royal couple who has everything wants for a present. Harry and Markle are asking for charitable donations in lieu of wedding gifts, but this should surprise absolutely no one given their charitable pasts and recent royal wedding history.

According to an announcement from Kensington Palace's Twitter account on Monday morning, they are asking that anyone who wishes to send them a gift donate to one of their seven pre-selected causes instead. Being that the royal wedding is kind of a big deal, this is not only an awesome way for them to help a lot of people, but it's also likely a lot more practical for them than to receive physical gifts. Knowing how many they'd probably get (and probably will still get, despite this request), there's a good chance they'd never be able to use everything anyway.

"The couple have personally chosen 7 charities which represent a range of issues that they are passionate about, including sport for social change, women's empowerment, conservation, the environment, homelessness, HIV and the Armed Forces," Kensington Palace said.

The palace went on to share each charity that Markle and Harry had selected, and they've included some pretty awesome ones. Organizations on their list include CHIVA, which helps children living with HIV, Crisis UK, which works to end homelessness, and the Myna Mahila Foundation, which helps women living in Mubai's slums, giving them access to jobs and menstrual hygiene products.

Harry and Markle are also asking anyone wishing to give them a gift to support Corporal Scotty, an organization that helps children who have lost a parent in the British Armed Forces, Street Games, which encourages children in disadvantaged areas of the UK to play sports, and Surfers Against Sewage, which works to protect beaches and ocean life. The final organization on their list is Wilderness UK, which helps underserved teenagers learn skills and even find employment in nature and rural areas.

Using their wedding to support charities instead of gifts is similar to what Kate Middleton and Prince William did when they got married in 2011. As Today pointed out, they were able to raise $1.7 million for their Royal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund. William and Harry's dad, Charles, took a different route when he married Diana, though — they registered for gifts at the General Trade Company and ended up receiving over 6,000 physical presents, according to The Telegraph. That's a lot, and chances are probably pretty good that Markle and Harry would have made out similarly (or with more) if they'd decided to take a more traditional approach.

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It's pretty cool to think how many lives and communities can and will be improved thanks to Markle and Harry's wedding and those who choose to donate to these charities. Wedding gifts are a fun tradition that comes with getting married, so it's very generous of them to choose to give back instead. Besides, anything that they need for their home is probably easy for Markle and Harry to get; if they really want a Crock Pot, they can just buy one... or have the Royal Crock Pot Purchaser buy it, however that works.

Hopefully, after the wedding, the palace will release a grand total of the donations that were made, just like after Middleton and William tied the knot. Now, we just have to wait for more wedding details that could be revealed before May 19 is here. Kensington Palace, your move.