
He may be the future king and a person of privilege and fortune, but even Prince William has been known to slip up and give a terrible gift—one that his wife (and then girlfriend) Kate Middleton apparently won’t let him forget.
While speaking on an episode of Peter Crouch’s podcast, William admitted “I did get my wife a pair of binoculars once—she’s never let me forget that.”
The couple met when both were still teenagers at the University of St. Andrews in 2001.
“That was early on in the courtship,” William said of his embarrassing gift. “Think that sealed the deal.” As Crouch laughed, William continued “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.”
Apparently unlike her husband, according to Hello, Kate “has seemingly nailed the art of selecting unique gifts,” the outlet reports. “For her first ever Christmas at Sandringham with the Queen, Kate whipped up a batch of homemade chutney using her grandmother’s special recipe.”
The new Princess of Wales opened up about that intimidating moment—what, after all, do you get the Queen for Christmas?—in an ITV documentary celebrating Her late Majesty’s ninetieth birthday.
“She [the Queen] really cares,” Kate said. “I can remember being at Sandringham for the first time at Christmas. And I was worried what to give the Queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking ‘Gosh, what should I give her?’ I thought back to what I would give my own grandparents. And I thought, ‘I’ll make her something.’ Which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny’s recipe of chutney.”
The gift went over well: “I was slightly worried about it,” Kate continued, “but I noticed the next day that it was on the table.”
Rachel Burchfield is a writer whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family. In addition to serving as the royal editor at Marie Claire, she has worked with publications like Vogue, Vanity Fair, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. She cohosts Podcast Royal, a show that provides candid commentary on the biggest royal family headlines and offers segments on fashion, beauty, health and wellness, and lifestyle.
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