When Princess Charlotte was given a seriously extravagant gift worth a whopping £36,000, the young royal was not allowed to keep it, because of a strict rule the Royal Family have to follow
You might well expect a royal to be lavished with expensive gifts on a regular basis, but when Princess Charlotte was given one seriously extravagant present it wasn’t likely that she would be allowed to keep it.
Charlotte, who is turning nine years old and is the third in line to the throne, was given the lavish £36,000 gift back when she was a tiny baby that Prince William and Princess Kate had only just welcomed into the world – but due to strict royal protocol, the tiny tot didn’t get to make the most of the unbelievably expensive pressie.
The costly gift came from the Natural Sapphire Company and it was probably one of the most luxurious baby rattles ever crafted. Per The Express, the rattle was made from 18k white gold and adorned with diamonds, sapphires, and rubies to create a Union Jack.
The company explained just why they had wanted to go all out for Princess Charlotte’s birth on their website. “When Kate and William were engaged with the iconic blue sapphire ring that once belonged to Princess Diana, our sapphire ring sales rocketed. Women everywhere wanted to be just as fashionable as Kate.
“Today, we continue to grow as a business and it is with great joy that we celebrate the birth of a new royal. We’re thanking Kate and William for introducing our company to the world, by gifting a custom-designed baby rattle, fit for their Princess.
“Baby gifts made from precious metals are a tradition dating back to the 18th century. Our luxury rattle, worth $45,000 (£36,000), is made from 18k white gold; lined with sapphires, rubies, and diamonds to produce the Union Jack flag. Such a unique gift, unlike any they will receive from well wishes around the world, will surely be treasured.”
While Kate and William are sure to have appreciated the gesture for their lucky new daughter, reports from 2015 claimed that it was seriously unlikely that Charlotte was ever allowed to keep the opulent rattle. “Kensington Palace could not confirm whether the lavish baby toy was received by William and Kate as a general rule, it said, gifts from commercial companies were not accepted,” the Express explains.
However, just because Charlotte wasn’t allowed to keep the bejeweled rattle, that doesn’t mean she didn’t have one to play with: King Charles is reported to have bought her one made from willow, which cost a much more modest £25 – far less pressure for the infant princess to play with, and her parents.
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