When you're a member of the royal family, everything you do has to follow specific protocol, even when it comes to your wedding.
When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry tied the knot back in May, they had rules that controlled everything from which flowers should be in the bouquet to what the couple is to do with their gifts.
"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 couple have therefore asked that anyone who might wish to mark the occasion considers making a donation to charity, rather than sending a wedding gift," read a statement from Kensington palace released on behalf of the couple before the big day.
"Prince Harry and Ms. Markle have personally selected seven organizations they would like to support, reflecting their shared values."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were incredibly grateful for the goodwill shown to them after the announcement of their engagement and are were keen that as many people as possible benefited from this generosity of spirit. The couple asked that anyone who might wish to mark the occasion considers making a donation to charity, rather than sending a wedding gift.
Prince Harry and Ms. Markle have personally selected seven organisations they would like to support, reflecting their shared values. They chose: CHIVA (Children's HIV Association), Crisis (national charity for homeless people), Myna Mahila Foundation, Scotty's Little Soldiers, StreetGames, Surfers Against Sewage and The Wilderness Foundation UK
StreetGames uses sport to change lives across the UK, helping people and communities to become healthier, safer and more...
Posted by The Royal Family on Monday, April 9, 2018
Despite this, the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex still received million of dollars in gifts from their friends, family, celebrities and businesses.
In the days following the lavish nuptials, it was reported that the couple would be returning around $9 million worth of gifts.
This is mainly because there is a strict gift-receiving policy that every member of the royal family must adhere to.
"The fundamental principle governing the acceptance of gifts by Members of The Royal Family is that no gifts, including hospitality or services, should be accepted which would, or might appear to, place the Member of The Royal Family under any obligation to the donor," states the guideline.
"Gifts offered by private individuals living in the UK not personally known to the Member of the Royal Family should be refused where there are concerns about the propriety or motives of the donor or the gift itself."
While some of the couple's family members and friends did respect their wishes by generously donating to charity, the Queen wasn't one of them.
Instead, Her Majesty has reportedly given her grandson and the former actress another gorgeous house!
York Cottage, Sandringham Estate
Elizabeth II has gifted the couple with the Adelaide Cottage in Windsor just months after it was reported that she gave them the York Cottage on Sandringham Estate, where she and her closest family members spend Christmas.
York Cottage was originally called the Bachelor's Cottage. It was built by Edward VII after his 1863 marriage to Princess Alexandra in order to help with overflow from the main house.
Although Kensington Palace has declined to comment, it seems like Meghan and Harry have no plans to return this gift as a source close to the family told Daily Mail that "the couple had been for a viewing, liked it and will move in soon."
Adelaide Cottage
According to The Daily Mail, the Queen has also gifted Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, a beautiful home. The estate, named Adelaide Cottage, has been a longtime residence of royal family members, and it is the second house that the Queen has given her youngest grandson.
Built in 1831, the Adelaide cottage, is located near St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where Meghan and Harry exchanged their vows. It was once home to Princess Margaret's former flame Group Captain Peter Townsend.
"Windsor is a very special place for Prince Harry, and he and Ms. Markle have regularly spent time there during the last year," a Kensington Palace rep previously said.
Queen Elizabeth has reportedly offered to gift Adelaide Cottage to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex https://t.co/E0p0UwZ9g6 pic.twitter.com/syF1Yen4nY
— Travel + Leisure (@TravelLeisure) July 24, 2018
The private abode, which was renovated in 2015, is said to have "seven gated entrances and exits to Windsor Castle so the newlyweds could come and go without worrying about being photographed."
According to Historic England, the couple's master bedroom "boasts a coved ceiling with gilded dolphins and rope ornament from a 19th Century Royal yacht" as well as "a marble Graeco-Egyptian fireplace."
The couple, who are currently living at Kensington Palace's Nottingham Cottage beside Kate Middleton and Prince William, have been rumored to have signed a two-year lease for an estate in Costwolds, located 90 minutes outside of London.
According to People, locals have spotted the duo on numerous occasions. They've been known to frequently visit Soho Farmhouse, a hotel and members' club.
If this is true, they will be in close proximity to another famous pair- David and Victoria Beckham. The retired soccer star and the former Spice Girl-turned-fashion designer have a country home in that same town.
Perhaps one day Meghan and Harry will give us a glimpse into what their new home looks like, but until then we'll just have to let our imagination do the work.
