Meghan Has Received Her First Royal Birthday Gift
Meghan Markle will celebrate her 37th birthday on Saturday, August 4. This will be her first birthday as a member of the Royal Family and as a married woman.
Duchess Meghan is loved by many people so it is expected that she’ll receive many presents from fans. And she has already received her first one.
Animal rights organisation PETA has sent Meghan a ÂŁ290 vegan leather handbag by sustainable brand Alexandra K.
Elisa Allen, PETA Director, told OK! Online: “PETA believes this animal-friendly bag is absolutely perfect for the Duchess, as she is mostly vegan and cares about animals and the environment- in sharp contrast to the leather industry, which, in partnership with the meat trade, kills over one billion animals every year.
“Chances are that this gorgeous handbag will inspire the Duchess to embrace vegan fashion and leave all animal skins out of her wardrobe, as she’s already done with fur.
“PETA hopes the gift will encourage the royal family and its fans alike to embrace compassionate brands like Alexandra K and to steer clear of cruelly obtained animal skins.”
The gift seems very appropriate for Meghan. We already know that the Duchess is health conscious and a fan of vegan-friendly products. She has often spoken out about her diet and fitness.
She revealed earlier: “I try to eat vegan during the week and then have a little bit more flexibility with what I dig into on the weekends.
”But at the same time, it’s all about balance.”
The royals have a rule that doesn’t allow them to accept gifts from people they don’t know. But Meghan should actually be allowed to keep this one.
The royal family’s website states: The rules state: “Gifts from public bodies Members of The Royal Family may accept gifts from government bodies, trade associations, guilds, civic bodies, the armed services, charities or similar organisations in the UK, especially those with which the Member of The Royal Family has an established connection, in the course of official engagements or to mark special personal occasions.”
However, if the gift had been sent from the designer it would have been a different story.
The website continues: “Gifts offered by commercial enterprises in the UK should normally be declined, unless they are offered as a souvenir of an official visit to the enterprises’ premises, to mark a Royal marriage or other special personal occasion.
“When gifts are accepted, the consent of the Member of The Royal Family should be contingent upon the enterprise undertaking not to exploit the gift for commercial purposes.
“Gifts, including samples, should always be returned unless it is not justifiable to do so on the grounds of cost. If such gifts are not returned, they should be treated as official gifts.”