Royal couple request charity donations not wedding presents
Melanie May | 11 April 2018 | News
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have asked people to consider donating to charity instead of buying them a wedding present, Kensington Palace has announced.
The couple have selected seven organisations they would like to support, none of which they have formal relationships with but 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 announcement states:
“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.“
The seven charities they have chosen are:
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- CHIVA (Children’s HIV Association)
- Crisis
- Myna Mahila Foundation
- Scotty’s Little Soldiers
- StreetGames
- Surfers Against Sewage
- The Wilderness Foundation UK
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
Dr Amanda Williams, Chair of CHIVA, said:
“We are delighted and honoured that Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have chosen to recognise our work supporting the health and wellbeing of children and young people living with HIV in the UK and Ireland. We are a very small charity and through our work we support over 1,000 young people living with HIV. All donations will make a significant difference to our programmes of work and lead to direct improvements in the lives of these young people.”
Suhani Jalota, who founded Myna Mahila in 2015, also commented, saying:
“Myna Mahila Foundation is delighted to be a part of this special occasion for Ms. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. This support will enable us to expand our reach into more urban slums in Mumbai, empowering local women through access to menstrual hygiene products and employment opportunities.”
This is not the first time members of the Royal Family have made such a request. Back in 2011, Prince William and Kate Middleton also asked people to donate to charity in lieu of gifts.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.