Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Ask for Charity Donations Instead of Wedding Gifts

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be accepting donations to charity instead of wedding gifts for May's royal wedding.

"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," Kensington Palace said in a statement Monday.

There are seven charitable organizations that the couple has chosen for their guests to donate to: Chiva (an organization for children with HIV), Crisis, the Myna Mahila Foundation, Scotty’s Little Soldiers (a charity for bereaved armed forces children), StreetGames, Surfers Against Sewage and The Wilderness Foundation U.K.

"The couple [has] chosen charities [that] represent a range of issues they are passionate about, including sport for social change, women’s empowerment, conservation, the environment, homelessness, HIV and the armed forces," the palace statement read. "Many of these are small charities, and the couple [is] pleased to be able to amplify and shine a light on their work."

The couple is following in the footsteps of Prince William and wife Kate Middleton, who did the same for their 2011 wedding.

The princes are no strangers to charitable giving, having co-founded The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry in 2009. 

That organization focuses on giving guidance and support to disadvantaged young people, building awareness on sustainable development and environmental conservation, and on the welfare of members of the Armed Forces and their families.

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