Author: Maria Puente / Source: USA TODAY
The newlyweds glowed at their first post-royal wedding appearance. USA TODAY
Your Royal Highnesses, meet Harry and Meghan, two baby koalas — still in their mothers’ pouches — named for you at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, a gift from the people of New South Wales, Australia, in honor of your wedding.
In keeping with Prince Harry and the former Meghan Markle’s request for donations to their charities in lieu of wedding gifts, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said her Aussie state also will be making a cash donation toward preserving koala habitats.
It’s one of the more unusual gifts the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex have received or been promised in honor of their spectacular nuptials Saturday at Windsor Castle.
For instance: There’s a bull in an Indian sanctuary named Merry, (a mashup of Harry and Meghan) who owes his new easy life to the royal couple.
But what could be more perfect than a couple of koala cuties — far away Down Under — that you’ll never have to worry about feeding and cleaning up after?
Wishing Harry and Meghan a very happy wedding day tomorrow. As a gift from the people of NSW we have named these two koalas (still in their Mums’ pouches) Harry and Meghan at @tarongazoo. We have also donated $5,000 towards preserving koala habitats. #royalweddingpic.twitter.com/iyTYEjT2Rb
— Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB)
Taronga Zoo, the harbor-side menagerie of Australia’s wonderfully quirky wildlife, already has a relationship with the royals: The Prince George Bilby Exhibit, named for Prince William and Duchess Kate’s first baby and royal heir, Prince George of Cambridge.
George was just about 10 months old when he visited his namesake bilby during a 2014 Down Under tour with his parents, getting up close and personal with the critter that looks sort of like a rat, only bigger and cuter. It was the world’s second official look at (human) baby George, so the reaction was a global outpouring of “awwws” — along with new interest in endangered Australian marsupials.
Similar cooing will likely result from some of the other unusual gifts the couple will receive. But aside from that, the “Merry” royal wedding is going to be a huge boon for good causes.
Royal couples don’t really need dish sets but they can steer big money to charities. The couple’s seven chosen charities advocate for causes such as sport for social change, women’s empowerment, conservation and the environment, homelessness, HIV and the armed forces.
So far, Kensington Palace has not issued any details on how much money has been raised via the wedding. But here are some of the other royal wedding gifts we know about:
Prince Seeiso and Princess Mabereng of Lesotho
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