The best Royal-approved gifts to spoil your loved ones with this year
We know what we're talking about when it comes to Royal-approved gifts - these are our favourites for 2023
When it comes to the best Royal-approved Christmas gifts, we’ve got you covered. We’re always looking at what the Royals are wearing and buying, from fashion picks to beauty essentials.
Royals like Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and Duchess Sophie are known for their high-end beauty and fashion favourites, but that’s not to say they’re not affordable. If you’re looking for some of the best beauty gift ideas or a new festive outfit to gift your loved one this year, we’ve rounded up all of our favourite gift ideas that get the Royal stamp of approval.
It’s always worth checking out royal-approved gifts as if anyone knows an exceptional, high-quality product that will stand the test of time, it’s the Royal Family. They are known for regularly championing British heritage brands and favour staples that are the epitome of sophistication and which can be re-worn again and again for numerous occasions. With so much attention paid to everything they do and wear, they’ve found what works for them and their choice of investment pieces are often classic rather than particularly trend-led. This makes so many of them perfect presents to fit in with the rest of your wardrobe or beauty collection.
Royal-approved fragrances
RRP: £118 at Jo Malone
If Kate Middleton happily spritzes a certain cologne spray, we have no doubt that it’s classy, elegant and wearable. This floral fragrance has notes of clementine flower, orange blossom and water lily, with undertones of balsamic vetiver for a musky, punchy depth. You can’t go wrong with this unisex fragrance as a gift this year.
RRP: £78 at Amazon
Duchess Sophie has worn this timeless Ralph Lauren scent for years, and if it’s good enough for a Royal, it’s good enough to gift this year. If your loved one is a fan of a grown-up fruity perfume, they’ll be obsessed with the notes of lotus flower, guava, white lily, rose, patchouli and white violet in this fruity, floral fragrance.
RRP: £96.80 at Atelier
This high-end perfume pick is one of Meghan Markle’s favourite scents, and we can see why. With notes of bergamot, Sicilian orange, sandalwood and white butterfly jasmine, the unique fragrance is the perfect gift that keeps on giving - gift it to your mum, sister or best friend and they may have a new favourite scent to return to.
Royal-approved beauty gifts
RRP: £21 at Fenwick
Kate was first seen using the Clarins Lip Perfector at Wimbledon in 2019, and fans have flocked to purchase the pretty pale pink lippy since. The Toffee Pink Shimmer shade seems to be Kate’s choice, but there’s 22 other colours to choose from. This is a sweet beauty stocking filler that adds a little luxury to your loved one’s makeup routine.
Meghan Markle swears by this lip treatment for giving her ‘kissable and buttery’ lips, and while it’s not the most affordable lip balm, it’s perfect for a beauty gift. Working to exfoliate, hydrate and give a slight tint to the lips, the treatment has plenty of nourishing ingredients like meadowfoam seed, grapeseed oils and blackcurrant.
A tinted moisturiser might not be the first beauty gift that springs to mind, but it could be the perfect Christmas gift for mum or for a friend who’s been wanting to try out the Royal-approved product. Kate’s perfect complexion is attributed to this hero product, which offers a light, natural coverage with a subtle tint for a healthy glow.
Only got £10 to spend on a Secret Santa gift or looking for a teeny stocking filler for a friend? This gorgeous but subtle shade of nail polish is loved by Kate Middleton for its neutral, elegant colour. Ballet Slippers was also one of Essie’s first ever shades, and over 40 years later, the quality and simplicity of the colour hasn’t waned.
RRP: from £43.70 at Parfum Dreams
We’ve written about Kate’s ‘Botox in a bottle’ serum more than once, because if there’s any way we can get our skin to look half as good as the Princess’s, we need to know how. The gentle serum works to smooth and firm the skin, with natural ingredients and results that last up to nine hours.
RRP: £39 at Naturismo
Like the cult Living Luminizer product, which was one of Meghan Markle’s favourite makeup items, Magic Luminizer features light-reflecting technology for healthy and youthful-looking skin. Her former makeup artist shouted out the Living Luminizer highlighter for its dewy, glowing finish that doesn’t make the skin look greasy.
RRP: £47 at Amazon
One of the best cleansing balms is an essential in your skincare routine, and while this option is a little more expensive than others on the market, it makes a luxurious-feeling gift for a loved one. Kate Middleton’s makeup artist Arabella Preston says that the Princess of Wales uses the accompanying muslin cloth to remove her makeup and residue after applying the balm as everything melts away.
RRP: £43.50 at SpaceNK
This luxurious bath oil is rumoured to have been used by members of the Royal family, and while it may be a little pricey for a bath product, you can be sure your recipient will love the nourishing ingredients and sweet scent. With essential oils like lavender, lemon peel, geranium, eucalyptus and rosemary, the bath oil will become their new favourite ritual.
RRP: £16.24 at Sweetcare
Last year, the Telegraph reported that the late Queen Elizabeth was a fan of one of the best hand creams and one of our personal favourites, the Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream. It’s great for dry skin, but it’s light in texture and doesn’t make the skin greasy. As it’s a little more high-end than your average hand cream, it’s the perfect treat to pop in a stocking.
Royal-approved fashion gifts
RRP: £156 at Ray-Ban
Kate Middleton is rarely seen wearing sunglasses that aren’t Ray-Ban’s Wayfarer Classic Havanas. The sporty-yet-chic sunnies are the ideal grown-up present if you’re looking for ideas for 18th birthday gifts, as they’ll last your recipient for years to come and they’re never going to go out of style.
Kate is known to be a fan of simple, stylish pendants on gold chains, and this particular Astley Clarke necklace is, luckily for us, not too pricey to be purchased as a gift for someone. If you did want to really treat someone, though, you could add a pair of simple hoops or studs to complete the sophisticated set.
The Princess of Wales isn’t the only Royal who’s known for their love of Ray-ban sunglasses. Meghan Markle is a fan of the Classic Polarized Aviator style, and has been spotted in the gold-framed pair several times. The pair offer 100% UV protection, so they’re a practical yet stylish option for a fashion-forward friend.
RRP: £89 at Missoma
Another classic jewellery staple loved by the Princess of Wales, these pretty charm hoop earrings feature are coated with 18-karat gold-plated vermeil. Kate’s been seen to wear the pair with rhodochrosite stones embedded in the hoops, but there’s also the option of amazonite, rainbow moonstone or turquoise. These would be a lovely 21st birthday gift idea, or a Christmas gift for a close friend.
RRP: £75 at Phase Eight
While this isn’t the exact jumpsuit that Carole Middleton was spotted in last summer at Wimbledon, it bears a striking resemblance to the floral print jumpsuit she wore from Boden. This flattering jumpsuit is the perfect effortless holiday outfit, but there’s no reason your recipient couldn’t wear it in colder months, too.
RRP: £105 at Farfetch
More than one member of the Royal family has been spotted with this Longchamp bag - Kate first sported it on her graduation day in 2005, Princess Anne has worn it several times over the years in varying colours, and Meghan Markle has also been known to carry the stylish bag. We love every shade of the tote-style bag but think that the neutral brown is a staple for an autumn capsule wardrobe (and brown is the colour of the season, after all).
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Hannah is the UK Shopping Writer for woman&home. As a shopping writer, Hannah has written on everything from period pants to wine subscriptions, and is especially interested in sustainable alternatives to well-known products, as well as books and homeware accessories.
Before she joined the team at woman&home Hannah headed up the social media accounts for Wonderland in 2019, where she was also a Contributing Editor for the magazine’s sister titles. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hannah also explored evolving shopping trends at New York Magazine’s The Strategist UK, researching everything from face masks to status candles and even pens.
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