Meghan Markle Gave the Queen a Singing Hamster Toy for Christmas

published 27 December 2020

When it came time to get a gift for the Queen during her first Christmas with the royal family, Meghan Markle went with a hilarious, silly gift that was a big hit with her then-future grandmother-in-law.
Meghan attended her first royal Christmas in 2017, not long after she and Harry publicly announced their engagement. According to a report from The Sun, Meghan got the Queen a singing, dancing hamster toy for the occasion.
The Queen reportedly "burst out laughing" at the hilarious gift and said, "It can keep my dogs company," after her corgis tried to get ahold of the toy.

Finding the perfect gift for your significant other's grandma? Stressful. Finding said perfect gift when your S.O.'s grandma is the Queen? Panic-inducing.

Meghan Markle nailed it though with her first-ever Christmas gift for Queen Elizabeth II. In 2017, shortly after her engagement to Prince Harry was announced, Meghan spent Christmas with the royal family and took part in their famous gag gift exchange. When it came to finding the perfect gift for the Queen, Meghan leaned into humor and embraced some good old-fashioned silliness, gifting the monarch a singing hamster toy.

"Meghan bought a little hamster that sings with a little rope for Her Majesty," a source said of the gift, according to The Sun. "It was so funny, especially when the corgis tried to take hold of the toy."

The Queen was apparently a big fan and "burst out laughing" at the funny present. "It can keep my dogs company," she reportedly told Meghan at the time.

Now we can't help but wonder what kind of gifts Meghan and Harry might have sent the Queen this year.

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.