As expected, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have asked for charitable donations to seven worthy organisations in lieu of wedding gifts. The Palace said: "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."
'Prince Harry and Ms. Markle do not have any formal relationships with the charities chosen. The couple have chosen charities which represent a range of issues that they are passionate about, including sport for social change, women's empowerment, conservation, the environment, homelessness, HIV and the Armed Forces. Many of these are small charities, and the couple are pleased to be able to amplify and shine a light on their work.'
The Telegraph reports:
'In asking guests and well-wishers to donate money rather than give them presents, the Prince and Ms Markle follow in the footsteps of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who asked for money to be donated to their own charitable fund, which supported 26 charities of their choice, when they got married, raising more than £1million.'
The couple chose little-known organisations in the hopes of raising their profiles and significantly boosting donations in the coming weeks.
The only foreign charity chosen is the Myna Mahila Foundation, an organisation close to Meghan's heart. In January 2017, she visited the charity, which empowers women in Mumbai’s urban slums, by providing them with a trusted network, where they are supported professionally and personally to help them grow as individuals and businesswomen. Myna offers women from these communities stable employment close to their homes, and breaks taboos around menstrual hygiene by offering women access to low cost sanitary pads and accurate information at their doorstep. Providing mothers in the community with these products helps them equip their daughters to stay in school. The pads are manufactured and distributed by women from these communities.
Following the visit, Meghan penned a powerful essay for Time: "How periods affect potential"
'When a girl misses school because of her period, cumulatively that puts her behind her male classmates by 145 days. And that’s the mitigated setback if she opts to stay in school, which most do not. The latter elect to return home, increasing their subjection to dangerous work, susceptibility to being victims of violence, and most commonly, being conditioned for early childhood marriage. As a female in India, the challenge of survival begins at birth, first overcoming female feticide, then being victim to malnourishment, potentially abuse, and lack of access to proper sanitation facilities. Why, if she is able to overcome all of these challenges and finally get to school, should her education and potential to succeed, be sacrificed because of shame surrounding her period?'
Suhani Jalota, who founded Myna Mahila in 2015, said: "Myna Mahila Foundation is delighted to be a part of this special occasion for Ms. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. This support will enable us to expand our reach into more urban slums in Mumbai, empowering local women through access to menstrual hygiene products and employment opportunities."
The Children’s HIV Association (CHIVA) supports children growing up with HIV and their families, across the UK and Ireland. The charity aims to enhance the wellbeing of children and young people with HIV and to create a more hopeful and optimistic future for them, ensuring they achieve their greatest potential.
More from The Telegraph:
'A spokeswoman told the Telegraph: “We only found out a couple of weeks ago that we have been chosen, it’s a huge honour and will make a huge difference to us. “We are a very small charity so it’s a massive deal.”
She said Prince Harry had been aware of their work since members of their youth committee spoke to him at the International AIDS Conference in Durban in 2016 and that a group had subsequently met him at Kensington Palace.'
Dr Amanda Williams, Chair of CHIVA, said: "We are delighted and honoured that Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have chosen to recognise our work supporting the health and wellbeing of children and young people living with HIV in the UK and Ireland. We are grateful for the opportunity to raise awareness of the complex issues for young people growing up with HIV. We are a very small charity and through our work we support over 1,000 young people living with HIV. All donations will make a significant difference to our programmes of work and lead to direct improvements in the lives of these young people."
Crisis is the national charity for homeless people. The charity helps people directly out of homelessness, working side by side with thousands of people each year to help them rebuild their lives and leave homelessness behind for good. The Telegraph adds: "There has been a furore over the treatment of homeless people in Windsor after Tory councillor Simon Dudley called on police to clear rough sleepers from the town before the event." Following the coverage of the decision, it was very much thought Harry and Meghan would select a homeless charity to benefit from their wedding.
Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “We are hugely grateful that Prince Harry and Ms. Markle are asking the public to support Crisis as they celebrate their wedding. Homelessness is one of the most urgent issues of our time, but at Crisis we know what it takes to end it. Donations will help us to support more people to leave homelessness behind through our housing, employment, education and advice services across the country, and to campaign for the changes needed to solve the homelessness crisis once and for all.”
Given Harry's history and work with the armed forces, we knew a military charity would be on the cards. I think you'll agree the choice is a very special one. Inspired by the experience of Army widow Nikki Scott, the charity honours husband Corporal Lee Scott’s memory – both as a loyal soldier and a loving father – and provides a practical yet personal way for the public at large to show their appreciation for those brave individuals who make the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country. Nikki and Lee have 2 children, Kai and Brooke, so Nikki saw first-hand the effect the loss of a loved one in these circumstances can have on a child. It was on a family holiday some 9 months after Lee was killed that Nikki saw her son Kai, 5 at the time, laugh and smile for the first time since his Dad’s death. She realised that there must be so many more children who had also lost a parent serving in the British Armed Forces but hadn’t had that opportunity to smile again. She decided to set up the charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers to do just that, to help their children smile.
The charity’s assistance is divided into 3 distinct programmes.
- ‘Smiles’ offers the children that opportunity to smile again through a wide range of fun activities and gifts. This includes holiday breaks, group events, special experiences and gifts at difficult times of the year.
- The ‘Support’ programme aims to assist with the more emotional side of bereavement and includes access to professional counselling and a family support network.
- Finally, the ‘Strides’ programme is designed to help with the charity’s beneficiaries’ personal development and includes a range of activity and educational grants.
Scotty’s Little Soldiers Founder, Nikki Scott, said: “To have been personally chosen by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is an incredible honour for Scotty’s Little Soldiers and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity. Having met Prince Harry at Buckingham Palace last year, I know that the Armed Forces and looking after the children our heroes have left behind is close to his heart. "Scotty’s Little Soldiers offers a vital support network for children, who at such a young age, have already gone through so much. Just having the opportunity to spend time with other children who have gone through something similar or receiving a gift on the anniversary of their parent’s death can help reassure them that they are not alone.”
StreetGames uses sport to change lives across the UK, helping people and communities to become healthier, safer and more successful. StreetGames uses sport to help young people to kick-start a cycle of positive change in their own lives that resonates across their communities. If the name sounds familiar, it's because the couple saw the work of the organisation first-hand during their visit to Cardiff in January.
Jane Ashworth OBE, CEO of StreetGames, said: "All of us at StreetGames are absolutely thrilled to have been personally chosen by Prince Harry and Ms. Markle. It’s a great honour to have our work using sport to change lives and communities recognised in this way."
Surfers Against Sewage is a national marine conservation and campaigning charity, which inspires, unites and empowers communities to take action to protect oceans, beaches, waves and wildlife.
Hugo Tagholm, Chief Executive of Surfers Against Sewage, said: “Surfers Against Sewage is thrilled to be one of the charities chosen to benefit from donations marking the wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle. Our work as a national marine conservation charity empowers tens of thousands of volunteers annually to protect beaches for everyone. We are currently focused on tackling plastic pollution and this support will help us move towards our vision of Plastic Free Coastlines.”
The Wilderness Foundation UK promotes the benefits and enjoyment of wild nature. Through the great outdoors, the charity helps build resilience in vulnerable teenagers, introduces rural employment to urban youth, and brings science to life.
Jo Roberts, CEO of The Wilderness Foundation UK, said: "We are deeply touched and honoured that Prince Harry and Ms Markle have chosen to support The Wilderness Foundation and its beneficiaries. As the world’s population grows exponentially the planet’s remaining wild places and resources are coming under increasing threat. It has never been more important for us as humans to protect the planet that gives us life. Whilst teaching conservation values, we in turn use the positive power of nature to support and recharge the lives of challenged and vulnerable young people and adults."
If you would like to donate to any of Harry and Meghan's chosen charities, here are the links:
- Myna Mahila Foundation
- CHIVA
- Crisis
- Scotty's Little Soldiers
- StreetGames
- Surfers Against Sewage
- The Wilderness Foundation UK
A brilliant variety of incredibly worthy organisations chosen. If considering a donation, which organisation piqued your interest? Does the work of one in particular resonate with you?