There is a little-known rule in the royal family regarding Christmas presents that reportedly “disappointed” Prince Harry as a teenager.
According to royal writer Craig Brown, the royals have a “ridiculously low” spending limit – around £5 – on Christmas presents. This meant they had to come up with gifts that were “outlandish or a little bit cheeky”.
In his book Voyage Around the Queen, Brown says that “an inflatable toilet seat” or “grow-your-own-girlfriend kits” were typical gifts they exchanged. Brown says expensive and luxurious Christmas gifts were “scorned” by the royals.
Brown says that during a tour of Sandringham, his guide revealed that older family members “really appreciate” the smaller gifts, while the younger royals sometimes struggled with the rule. He writes: “It seems they don’t lack for much – and unfortunately, some of the newer members of the royal family have broken this rule.”
“But just to give you an idea, the spending limit is ridiculously low. I don’t know what the current limit is – but probably five pounds is the absolute maximum. So you’ll have to think of something fancy or maybe a bit cheeky or something you’ve made yourself – a jar of chutney or a jar of jam. Things like that are really appreciated.
“To give you an idea of some of the fun gifts – and I’m not sure I should say this! – maybe an inflatable toilet seat or a grow-your-own-girlfriend kit. These are things that we know have been given in the past – and I won’t give away who gave them or who got them! Or a whoopee cushion is another example! So, pretty childish gifts! But that’s what they like to get.”
In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry recalls one year when he was sitting on the Sandringham estate on Christmas Eve, opening presents, when he chose one from Princess Margaret. He wrote: ‘As I stood in front of my pile, I decided to open the smallest present first.
“The sign said, ‘From Aunt Margo.’ I looked over and shouted, ‘Thank you, Aunt Margo!'”
Harry claims he then ripped open the paper and found a pen, which Princess Margaret noted was wrapped in a small rubber fish. Harry continues: “I said, ‘Oh. A ballpoint pen. Wow.'”
“She said, ‘Yes. A ballpoint pen.'”
“But it wasn’t just any pen,” she noted. “There was a little rubber fish wrapped around it.”
“I said, ‘Oh. A fish pen! OK.'”
“I said to myself: This is cold-blooded.”
Brown claims the Duke’s disappointment is “unsatiated”, but says Harry “forgot to mention” that there is usually a cap on gifts.
