It’s Not All Gag Gifts; Here’s What Else the Royals Give Each Other for Christmas
Millions of people around the world exchange presents with their families during the holidays, and Britain’s royal family is no different. They celebrate Christmas each year and exchange presents on Christmas Eve. While most people have heard that they don’t buy each other expensive, extravagant items, not everyone just gets cheap gag gifts.
Over the years, the royals have given each other some pretty hilarious presents. One year, Prince Harry gave Queen Elizabeth a shower cap that read “Ain’t life a b****.” The Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) gave her brother-in-law a “Grow Your Own Girlfriend” kit (pre-Meghan Markle). And Meghan once gave a stuffed singing hamster to the queen.
Now, someone who used to work for the family is revealing the popular gifts that the royal husbands often give their wives for Christmas. Plus, Prince William once gave Kate a gift years ago that wasn’t a gag, but it probably should have been.
The gifts royals get from their spouses that aren’t gag presents
Grant Harrold was King Charles’s butler for seven years. During his time working for the now-monarch, Harrold’s duties included those of valet, housekeeper, house manager, and driver. He also looked after Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate whenever they stayed at Highgrove House.
Speaking on Behalf of Slots Temple, Harrold told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “They exchange light-hearted, joke gifts on Christmas Eve. But on Christmas Day, they give more meaningful presents. These can include heirloom pieces — jewelry passed down from the late queen, the Queen Mother, or Princess Diana to the king or Prince William, and then on to Camilla or Catherine. There’s still a large amount of personal jewelry in the family that hasn’t been publicly seen, so passing on heirlooms is very likely.”
He added, “They also give new jewelry. The royals do buy from modern jewelers — for example, Catherine has been seen in pieces made by a close family friend. So Christmas gifts could easily include both antiques and contemporary designs.”
The gift Prince William gave Kate that wasn’t a gag gift but should have been
Jewelry seems like a safe bet for Prince William to give his wife, especially since he admitted he’s not the best at picking out gifts. One year, he gave the princess a present she wasn’t thrilled about.
William’s admission about a not-so-great gift he got Kate came during a chat on The Peter Crouch Podcast a few years back. The former England striker and others discussed some of the worst gifts they got for their significant others.
When William was asked if he’s good at buying presents for Kate, the prince responded: “I’m average. I’m not brilliant.” He then confessed, “I gave my wife a pair of binoculars once.”
Everyone broke out into laughter as William tried to explain himself, saying, “It was early on in our courtship.”
The future king shared that Kate reacted by flashing him a perplexed look, wondering why he gave her binoculars. Thinking back, William acknowledged that he had “no idea” why he chose them as a present. It makes sense why he would opt for something like jewelry nowadays instead.
