(Image: Getty Images)Buying gifts for a princess is undoubtedly a daunting task, especially when she has a wardrobe and jewellery box brimming with creations from the world’s top designers.
Prince William can attest to this, having previously confessed that finding the perfect present for his wife hasn’t always been straightforward.
Reflecting on an “awful” gift he gave to his now-wife Kate Middleton in the early stages of their relationship, William admitted he still doesn’t understand why he chose it. The Princess has “never let him forget” about this peculiar choice of gift.
The Prince of Wales shared this anecdote during a 2020 appearance on former England footballer Peter Crouch’s podcast on BBC Radio Five Live.
During the show, Crouch confessed that he had bought his wife, model Abbey Clancy, a raincoat for her birthday three years running.
Following Crouch’s candid admission, William revealed: “I did get my wife a pair of binoculars once for Christmas – she’s never let me forget that. I wrapped them. They were really nice. I was trying to convince myself about it. I was like, ‘But these are really amazing, look how far you can see!’ She was looking at me, going, ‘They’re binoculars. What’s going on?'”.
“That was early on in the courtship that was – I think that sealed the deal. It didn’t go well. Honestly, I have no idea why I bought her a pair of binoculars, it seemed like a good idea at the time.”, reports the Mirror.
It’s common knowledge that the Royal family tend not to indulge each other with extravagant gifts for birthdays and Christmases, instead choosing silly and light-hearted presents.
Kate Middleton and Prince William on the day of their graduation ceremony at St Andrew’s University in St Andrew’s on June 23, 2005(Image: Clarence House via GettyImages)In his 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry disclosed that he once received a fish ballpoint pen from Princess Margaret, while also confessing that he once presented his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth with a bath mat inscribed with ‘Ain’t life a b*tch’.
Kate has also previously revealed that she once gave Harry a grow-your-own-girlfriend kit, following his many years in the limelight as an eligible bachelor before he met Meghan.
The royals adhere to unique Christmas traditions rooted in their German heritage. Presents are exchanged on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day, with family members arranging their gifts in specific piles in the afternoon before congregating at 6pm to commence the unwrapping.
The Prince and Princess of Wales marked their 14th wedding anniversary on April 29, and are thought to have first become a couple sometime in early 2002. The pair initially met during the autumn of 2001 at the University of St Andrew’s in Scotland.
With Prince William celebrating his 43rd birthday this month, let’s hope that Princess Kate has something a bit more special than binoculars to surprise him with.