Princess Charlotte forced to 'hand back' lavish gift worth staggering £36,000
Princess Charlotte, who is third in line to the throne, had to return an incredibly lavish gift she received as a newborn. The now-nine year old princess was presented with a £36,000 item when she was born back in May 2015. However, due to strict royal protocols, the middle child of the Prince and Princess of Wales wasn't allowed to keep this extravagant present.
The gift in question was from Natural Sapphire Company, which gifted a costly baby rattle made from 18ct white gold and decorated with diamonds, sapphires, and rubies to create a Union Jack. The company explained on their website why they decided to splurge for Princess Charlotte's birth.
They wrote: "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.
READ MORE:Prince Harry and Meghan Markle told to 'move on' as neighbours grow 'fed up' of couple
"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."
However, it appears that Princess Charlotte never actually played with the rattle as it was reported back in 2015 that Kate likely didn't keep the precious gift. According to information from Kensington Palace, generally, presents from businesses aren't accepted.
Even if the young royal didn't hang onto the luxurious baby toy, she certainly wasn't left without any special mementos from her earliest days as it was reported that her grandfather King Charles gifted her an artisan wavy willow shaker worth £25.
This isn't the only special gift the monarch has given one of his grandchildren as it was previously revealed that he had an incredible present installed at his Gloucestershire home, Highgrove House, for Prince George when he celebrated his first birthday.
A Victorian-style Shepherd’s hut, was presented to the young royal from Dorset-based company Plankbridge and includes everything from a wood-burning stove to a day bed. The hut can be spotted by visitors during a guided tour through The King's gardens and is thought to be a popular spot for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to play in.
This isn't the only incredible tribute to Prince George that King Charles put in place. During an appearance on The One Show, Charles answered questions on how we can all live more sustainably. The interview was filmed in Prince George’s Wood, which The King has called an 'old man’s obsession'.
He explained the sweet tribute to his grandson: “This was a rather empty field that the farm didn’t need anymore. The great thing was that I managed to plant it the same year that my grandson was born, the eldest, George, so I thought I’d call it Prince George’s wood."
