I like this news so much that I’m not even going to drop a “Waity” reference in here. Kate Middleton and Prince William have decided that they won’t be doing a wedding registry at IKEA and Pottery Barn! Instead, their people updated the official royal wedding site with information about their favorite charities, and have asked people to make charitable donations in lieu of wedding gifts. But I made Kate a special hat! Oh, well. I guess the hat will be her engagement present, not her wedding present.
Royal officials say Prince William and Kate Middleton are asking for charitable donations in lieu of wedding gifts to celebrate their April 29 marriage.
The palace says that, “touched by the goodwill shown them,” the couple has selected 26 charities with particular resonance for them to benefit from a special charity gift fund.
The charities – including some based in Canada, Australia and New Zealand – represent a broad swath of issues, from support for army widows to local community foundations and the arts.
Anyone wishing to donate can go to a website and pick a beneficiary. The funds will be held in a dedicated account and grants will be distributed in partnership with the charities for maximum impact, the palace added.
[From Huffington Post]
I like this idea so, so much. I think it’s what more couples should do for their wedding registry, especially if the couple already has money, or already has a home and all of their silverware and everything. Of course, I bet many people have already sent their gifts, right? I mean, the engagement is already four months old – they must have already gotten some nice gifts.
If you’d like to see which charities have been spotlighted, go here – the site is very fancy!
Photos courtesy of Fame.
that middle pick with the purse…thats her mom right?
Guess I’ll return the toaster.
Super classy. But really, what could they need or want that they couldn’t buy for themselves? And they’ve been living together for years, so “no gifts” is really appropriate.
Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen the resemblance before, but she looks like Danika Patrick in the picture with her purse!!! Now every picture I look at of her, the GoDaddy jingle starts running through my head…..
While strictly speaking, it is poor etiquette to presume to tell people where and how to spend their money (since we should never assume that we are getting gifts to begin with, officially), I can’t help but give them a pass on this one. They are already very wealthy, they certainly don’t need help setting up a household, and their intentions are altruistic.
And that is a fancy website!
I. LOVE. THIS. IDEA.
Totally gonna steal it for my own wedding.
Charity is a great idea. I guess I’ll keep the horse-whip and boots I brought for Kate.
Am I the only one sitting here thinking “Ok, where is the catch?”? Does that makes me malicious? Oh well, don’t blame me I’m for third world eastern Europe country, blame it on my childhood…
Exactly what they should do, and also what I expected them to do. You know they will still get a load of stuff, though, and a lot of homemade gifts….bless your heart, Kaiser. Perhaps you can model that hat for us? 😉 Maybe I can crochet her a pot holder? Well, maybe if I knew what colors she had in her kitchen. Or if I knew how to crochet.
I approve so very strongly. I do not understand why rich folks need gifts. If I were a rich folk, I wouldn’t ask my pals for dishes; I would just want them to come to the party and wish us well. This is a beautiful gesture and Diana would be so proud.
Now, can we discuss the Most Awesome Picture Ever, with the sequins and the roller skates? What the hell?
i like this idea and i think more couples should do it. i don’t get it when couples who have lived together for a long time or have more money than i do expect presents for getting married.
a great idea, and yes, the late Princess would be proud.
I also think it’s ridiculous for couples who are a)living together for a while, b)extremely wealthy or c)on a second (third, etc) marriage to register for gifts.
I think I’d also do this if I ever got married.
Er, this is pretty much standard in the UK? As most couples will have been living together for years, so giftlists are mostly pointless. I’ve been to loads of weddings who have done that.
A nice gift back to the GBP who are funding this charade, would be to deliver on the bank holiday we were promised. But apparently, they can’t even do that.
@Mae – yeah, I thought it was fairly standard here in the US as well for second+ marriages, for people who don’t need cash/gifts, etc. I’m honestly surprised that some who have posted have not heard of this idea before.
I wished they had said something sooner. I didn’t include the receipt for the blender so they’ll just have to keep it.
The whole ‘don’t buy a gift, donate to xyz charity’ thing is really quite normal in lots of European countries, at least if people are reasonably well-off.
Birthdays, weddings, whatever. Why ask for something you don’t need.
Obviously, it is appropriate for the royals (or anyone in that caliber of wealth) to do ask for charitable donations, but still… It kinda sucks for poor Waity.
As wedding gifts, Diana got unbelievably expensive jewelry from guests like the Sultan of Brunai and the King of Saudi Arabia. Jewelry that the Queen & the Royal family would have never sprung for. Plus it was jewelry that was “her own” as opposed to on loan from the Crown jewels. She got to keep those pieces after the divorce.
I too think it is an excellent idea. Totally gonna steal it.
@Bubbling, the catch is that it’s good PR for them, and helps to solidify the ‘Royal brand’ as noble, caring, generous and selfless in the eyes of the general public.
They are probably genuinely well-meaning, but nevertheless there is almost always an ulterior motive.
Good for them. I hope Mariah Carey is taking notes!
@Bubbling- Where’s the catch?
I am guessing all the high rollers and royalty will not be filling the charity coffers but instead, filling Waity’s lap with lots and lots of diamonds.
Fabulous and smart to suggest charity for the little people though. Who needs 10000 tea cosies?
“Now, can we discuss the Most Awesome Picture Ever, with the sequins and the roller skates? What the hell?”
I’ve seen those pics before. As I recall, she was at an 80’s retro party, so it was a costume, not what she would normally wear.
Why is Kate at a roller disco in the last pic?
I agree with WYIJM: it is a very common thing to do in Europe. It is often done for wedding and birth registries (we don’t do baby showers around here).
I have received many wedding invitations and birth announcements that clearly stated not to bring any presents but rather to donate to charity XYZ.
It’s going to get them good PR worldwide but it was more than expected over here. It would have been extremely tacky and vulgar on their behalf to have had a wedding registry according to our standards (they are well off and don’t need financial support from their guests to start their married life).
Gasp, Kaiser, are you praising Waity! ;^)
Yes, it’s a nice gesture but hardly new. Donating to charity in lieu of gifts has been going on for a long time in many places. The least they can do considering they will be living on the tax payers dime/pence for the rest of their lives.
Yes, Lisa Turtle, I remember all the fabulous stuff Diana hauled in; sapphires the size of tables! I bet Waity will get her fair share, though. One of the reasons she held on for nine years.
I’ve never known anyone personally who did that, but I think it’s a great idea.
That’s what I did for my 40th birthday. I asked people who would normally give me a gift (family, a very few close friends) to donate to a charity instead.
As for its being “common” in the U.S. (#14), I’d say “not unheard of” is more accurate. Because I’ve heard of this idea, but I’m the only person I know who’s actually done it. I’m not trying to brag, that’s just my experience living all over the country. Frankly, I wish more people would do this. I don’t understand all of the hoopla about birthdays for adults. Want to get together with your friends? Fine, no reason not to–but too many people seem to think that everything is a milestone (note: 40 is not!) and expect a big splash made for them. I say, make your own splash.
I really want to do the same thing for my wedding coming up. we are both in our 30s and have both had our own houses for quite a few years so its not as though we have nothing but EVERYONE keeps saying we have to register or people will give us gifts anyway, which I really don’t want that.
Sorry I don’t think she is cute at all….he could have done better but judging from the way he starting to look more and more like his dad I guessing not.
My husband and I try to do this all the time, but no one listens and we just end up with a bunch of stuff we end up donating.
Also, I know he’s a bit wonk looking at times, but Will looks dashing in that uni!
She is ugly.
@black: I think she’s very cute but not so much when she isn’t smiling. That one photo is a harbinger of her middle age.
Maybe I’m just too unwashed mass-y, but can someone tell me why she never appears without pantyhose unless she’s in a bikini? Is it just not done to go bare-legged? I mean, she’s at roller disco, for crying out loud!
The pantyhose are great at disguising cellulite but I think the roller skating pics are from a themed dress up party/charity thing , anyone remember ‘Xanadu’ all part of the costume and helps prevent scraped bleeding knees when the inevitable happens.
Diana rarely appeared without hose, usually only when she was wearing a longish mid calf dress, bare legs are probably considered un-lady-like in the royal circles.
I think it is awesome that they are doing this and I am VERY happy that they included a charity from New Zealand. 🙂
We had a bad earth quake down here recently that would otherwise be forgotten about what with the awful devastation that has now happened in Japan. 🙁
Goodness, these older photos of her really highlight her recent weight loss. I hope she doesn’t lose anymore!
Great idea about the charitable donations.
We did this for my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary a couple of years ago.
I don´t buy this. Maybe they don´t want to accept wedding gifts from “ordinary” people, but I really doubt that Kate would tell to Saudi Prince to stick his diamonds back to safe and rather donate. I´m sure sooner or later she will show us all the shiny wedding gifts she got.
In that middle photo she looks like she’s walking toward a pap as she reaches inside her bag for a can of mace.
beautiful!
Thanks to Will & Kate for having the New Zealand Christchurch Earthquake Appeal on their list 🙂
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