Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Won’t Accept Wedding Gifts, Asking for Charity Donations Instead

Typically, guests give envelopes filled with money to the bride and groom when they go to a wedding. But, to no surprise, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want to do things a bit differently when it comes to their wedding gifts for their Saturday, May 19 nuptials.

Instead of accepting gifts, the couple is asking if all attendees could donate to charity, Kensington Palace announced on Monday, April 9. "Prince Harry & Ms. Meghan Markle are incredibly grateful for the goodwill they have received since their engagement, and have asked that anyone who might wish to mark the occasion of their wedding considers giving to charity, instead of sending a gift," the Twitter statement read.

Prince Harry & Ms. Meghan Markle are incredibly grateful for the goodwill they have received since their engagement, & have asked that anyone who might wish to mark the occasion of their wedding considers giving to charity, instead of sending a gift. https://t.co/lzfrRmoeUv pic.twitter.com/nxrTZtIKBY

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 9, 2018

"The couple have personally chosen seven 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," the note continued. The palace then followed up with a series of tweets describing all the charities in detail.

It seems Harry wants to follow in his big brother Prince William's footsteps. At his April 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton, the duo chose to set up a Charitable Gift Fund where guests could donate to the 26 different charities that they chose, and the duo raised nearly $1.4 million!

At the time, Clarence House released a statement saying, "Having been touched by the goodwill shown them since the announcement of their engagement, Prince William and Miss Middleton have asked that anyone who might wish to give them a wedding gift consider giving instead to a charitable fund. Many of the charities are little known, without existing royal patronage, and undertake excellent work within specific communities. They are charities that have a particular resonance with Prince William and Miss Middleton and reflect issues in which the couple have been particularly interested in their lives to date."

In the past, Harry and Meghan have both expressed how invested they are in charity. Harry, 33, is the patron of many charities he set up with his brother and sister-in-law, and back when Meghan, 36, was an actress on Suits, she was a UN advocate and Global Ambassador for World Vision. We may not be invited to their upcoming wedding — but we'd still donate to their causes!

Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Prince William, and all things royal!