Why the royals are asking for money, not gifts for new baby

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Photo / Getty Images

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have asked for charity donations instead of gifts in the lead up to the birth of their first child.

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are currently expecting their first child together, and have said that rather than receiving gifts, they'd prefer their fans to use their money to support four charities - The Lunchbox Fund, Little Village HQ, Well Child, and Baby2Baby.

A post shared on their joint Instagram account, read: "What an incredibly special surprise the grassroots led #globalsussexbabyshower was last Sunday! The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are immensely grateful for the outpouring of love and support in anticipation of the birth of their first child.

"In lieu of sending gifts, the couple have long planned to encourage members of the public to make donations to select charities for children and parents in need. If you already made a donation, the couple send you their greatest thanks. If you are thinking about it, they ask that you kindly consider the following organisations they've selected, which we will highlight here over the next few days: @thelunchboxfund @littlevillagehq @wellchild @baby2baby (sic)"

The post then concluded by thanking the couple's loyal supporters for their "warm wishes".

It read: "The Duke and Duchess remain appreciative for your warm wishes and kindness during this especially happy time in their lives! Thank you for sharing the love."

Meanwhile, it was recently reported that the Duke and Duchess are actively seeking a male nanny for their baby.

A source explained: "Hiring a 'manny' is far more common in the US - a nation that Meghan is more in tune with - than in the UK.

"She's keen to introduce the royal family to what she considers a more enlightened, modern, American approach. Of course, Harry had a very Tomboyish nanny himself in Tiggy who taught him and William about abseiling, fishing and other outdoor pursuits in Monmouthshire.

"He and Meghan have discussed nannies and both have open mind to a male nanny. They will definitely try to shortlist one. Meghan and Harry are exploring all their options, and will be employing a nanny from September."

-Bang! Showbiz