Cary reveals that Meghan sold Harry and Meghan goodie bags on eBay after
gifting guests at a royal wedding as ads move. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
extended invitations to over 2,000 members of the public for their royal
wedding, and these guests received special goodie bags.
The invitees gathered at Windsor Castle to witness the couple’s arrival and
the Carriage procession as it left the castle. Meanwhile, approximately 600 of
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s guests had seats in the Nave and the choir of
St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Notable attendees included Oprah, Amal Clooney, George Clooney, Priyanka
Chopra, Carey Mulligan, Idris Elba, and more. While goodie bags were handed
out to the thousands of spectators outside the chapel, the select 600 guests
inside didn’t receive them, as their invitation was already considered a
coveted gift.
The monogrammed gift bags featured Meghan and Harry’s initials, their wedding
date, and the ceremony’s location. These bags contained simple items, such as
cookies, a piece of chocolate, a water bottle, a magnet with “Harry and
Meghan’s Wedding,” and a 20% off coupon for The Shops at Windsor. According to
ABC News foreign correspondent James Longman, guests could also enjoy coffee
and a bacon buddy.
The practice of distributing gift bags at weddings is more common in the
United States than in royal traditions. Previous royal weddings, dating back
to Queen Victoria, typically involved giving beautifully packaged slices of
wedding cake to guests.
Harry and Meghan were the first members of the royal family to introduce gift
bags to their wedding guests. While this appeared to be a generous gesture, it
was later revealed that Meghan utilized it as a marketing strategy through the
Royal brand. After the wedding, she reportedly sold some of these gift bags on
eBay, drawing criticism for doing so shortly after the Windsor Castle wedding.
Some of the listings were priced at thousands of pounds, with one listing
going for as much as £3,000.
The sets included an order of service, a wristband, a chocolate coin, a bottle
of water, shortbread, and a magnet. In the days following the wedding, these
goodie bags were listed online for £21,000, with the listing inviting
potential buyers to own a unique piece of royal history. Kensington Palace had
previously stated in March 2018 that Harry and Meghan invited 2,640 people to
the Windsor grounds to witness their arrivals, emphasizing their desire to
include the public in their celebrations.