Kate's disastrous gift from Prince William is something that she's "never" let him forget - and he doesn’t know why he bought it.
Gift-giving can be a tricky business and if you’re a member of the Royal Family, creativity is particularly called for at Christmas when it’s understood that the theme for presents is affordable or amusing. The Princess of Wales famously gave the late Queen Elizabeth a jar of homemade chutney during her first Christmas spent at Sandringham. When it comes to presents exchanged between couples, jewellery is often a popular choice and Prince William reportedly gave her the stunning Sézane earrings she wore on Christmas Day in 2022. However, he hasn’t always hit the nail on the head when it comes to buying Kate presents.
During his appearance on footballer Peter Crouch’s podcast, the Prince of Wales revealed Kate’s disastrous gift from him that he’ll "never" be allowed to forget. In his defence, it was "early on" in their romance and Prince William has a sense of humour about his mistake.
After Peter admitted that he had bought his wife Abbey Clancy the same raincoat three years running, the future King was asked if he could beat that "worst present story".
"I probably can. I did get my wife a pair of binoculars once - she's never let me forget that. That was early on in the courtship, that was," Prince William responded, before adding jokingly, "Tell you what, I think that sealed the deal, really, she fell for me at that point."
Questioned further by Peter Crouch, sports journalist Tom Fordyce and radio presenter Chris Stark, Prince William revealed that he had gone so far as to wrap them. He also gave a few hilarious details about how his now-wife of 13 years had reacted to the binoculars.
The senior royal explained, "And I tried to convince her - well I think I was convincing myself - about it. I was like, ‘Yeah but these are really amazing, look how far you can see’. And she’s looking at me going, ‘They’re binoculars, like, what’s going on?’"
Ultimately, Prince William reflected that "it didn’t go well", before adding that he "[has] no idea" why he bought Kate a pair of binoculars in the first place. Kate’s disastrous gift might have left her flummoxed at the time, but since she apparently will "never let" him forget it, it seems to have become a good-humoured joke between them.
Prince William appeared on the podcast in support of the Heads Up campaign, which he spearheaded and which was launched by the Football Association and Heads Together. This encourages men to feel more comfortable opening up about mental health and to feel able to support their loved ones during tough times.
The Prince of Wales shared various personal insights and his remarks about his gift-giving mishap were very relatable for many people. He has given the future Queen Consort some beautiful pieces since the binoculars, supposedly including a pair of green amethyst earrings after Princess Charlotte was born.
Kate, in turn, is said to have given him a heart-warming present for his 37th birthday in 2019. According to The Sun, a source claimed to Fabulous Digital that Prince William received a scrapbook filled with family pictures and Prince George, Charlotte and Louis’s artwork.
"It’s taken a great deal of time and effort to make, and as a present, it means something," the source alleged. "You could say it’s a reminder to William about what is really important. It’s been put together with a great deal of care".
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