Prince William once recalled the very unusual present he bought for his now wife in the early days of their relationship, admitting that the bizarre gift “didn’t go down well”
It’s no doubt that buying gifts for a princess would be hard work, knowing she has a wardrobe and jewellery box filled with the works of the world ’s best designers. The same can be said for Prince William, who has previously admitted that buying gifts for his wife hasn’t always been an easy task.
William has looked back on the “awful” gift he gave to his now wife Princess Kate in the early days of their relationship, as he even admitted he didn’t know why he bought it for his then girlfriend, who has “never let him forget” the very odd choice in gift .
The Prince of Wales revealed the bizarre present during an appearance on former England striker Peter Crouch’s podcast on BBC Radio Five Live in 2020, during which Crouch admitted that he had once bought his wife, model Abbey Clancy, a raincoat for her birthday three years in a row.
After his frank confession, William then admitted: “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.”
It’s a well-known fact that the royal family tend not to spoil each other with lavish gifts to celebrate birthdays and Christmases, instead opting for light-hearted and silly presents.
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry revealed he once received a fish ballpoint pen from Princess Margaret, while also admitting he once gifted his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth a bath mat that read ‘Ain’t life a b*tch’.
Kate has also previously shared that she once gifted Harry a grow-your-own-girlfriend kit, after his many years in the spotlight as an eligible bachelor before he met Meghan.
The royals follow unique Christmas traditions rooted in their German heritage. Gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day, with family members placing their presents in specific piles in the afternoon before gathering at 6pm to begin the unwrapping.
The Prince and Princess of Wales celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary on April 29, and are believed to have first become a couple sometime in early 2002. The pair first met during the autumn of 2001 at the University of St Andrew’s in Scotland.
With Prince William celebrating his 43rd birthday today, let’s hope that Princess Kate has something a bit more special than binoculars to surprise him with.