Prince Harry, Meghan Markle request charitable donations instead of wedding gifts

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle don’t want every day wedding gifts like new china, a vase or a stand mixer as gifts from the public for their upcoming wedding.

Instead, the couple – whose passion for humanitarian issues reportedly brought them together -- would like donations made to their favorite charities, Kensington Palace announced today.

“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 palace said in a statement. “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.”

The couple, who will wed on May 19 at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, identified seven charities for well-wishers to direct their donations to, if they are so inclined.

Two of the charities -- the Children's HIV Association (CHIVA) and Crisis -- provide support for HIV and homelessness, two issues that Harry and his brother, Prince William, have actively supported in their own charitable work, carrying on the legacy of their mother, the late Diana Princess of Wales.

The charities chosen by Markle and Harry also include Surfers Against Sewage, which focuses on marine conservation, to Scotty's Little Soldiers, which supports children who have lost a parent serving in the military, to the Myna Mahila Foundation, a charity focused on supporting women in Mumbai.

Markle saw the work of the Myna Mahila Foundation firsthand when she visited the charity last year, and wrote about it in Time magazine.

Neither Harry, 33, nor Markle, 36, have a formal relationship with any of the chosen charities, according to Kensington Palace.

The palace announced last month that people who are involved in charitable work will also play a role on Harry and Markle's wedding day.

Among the 2,640 people Harry and Markle plan to invite onto the grounds of Windsor Castle to see their wedding carriage procession depart will be 200 individuals who take part in charities and organizations of which Harry serves as royal patron.

The other 2,440 members of the invited public will be selected from different regions of the U.K. with a special emphasis on those who have served their community, according to Kensington Palace.

Click HERE to read more about the seven charities chosen by Harry and Markle.