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It would probably be impossible to throw a wedding more public than Meghan Markle and Prince Harry‘s 2018 nuptials, but later, they revealed that they saved plenty of private moments for themselves, too. From their secret backyard wedding ceremony to their engagement party, there were a few moments that only their closets loved ones would have been privy to at the time, and Harry used one of them to inspire an anniversary gift he gave Meghan this year that left her speechless.
Meghan showed off the gift Harry gave her on Instagram.
Meghan and Harry celebrated eight years of marriage on Tuesday, May 19 (seriously, how has it already been eight years?) and she took to her Instagram Stories to show off the present that Harry bestowed upon her this year: A very stately bronze penguin.
At first, it seems like this gift kind of came out of left field, but if you know the lore behind it, you know that Harry couldn’t possibly have chosen a more perfect present for his wife.
The gift has the sweetest story behind it.
In the video Meghan shared on her Instagram Stories (which has since expired), she explains to kids Archie and Lilibet the significance of the gift — and the photo of her and Harry wearing matching penguin onesies while posing together in a mirror.
“When mama and papa got engaged, we had a party with all of our friends, and we said, ‘Everyone wear an animal onesie,'” she said. “We were penguins, because we’re together for life.”
According to People, the sculpture was created by an artist named Georgia Gerber. You can see the statue, titled “Pair of Kings,” on her website, which comes with a solid price tag of $4,200. That’s a pretty nice gift, and Harry definitely gets extra props for choosing something in bronze, which is the traditional gift for an eighth wedding anniversary.
The story about Harry and Meghan’s penguin onesies first came out in their Netflix docuseries.
We first heard about Harry and Meghan’s engagement party in their 2022 docuseries, Harry & Meghan, when their friend Lucy Fraser shared the story of the onesies. The party was held before the couple announced their engagement publicly, so it sounds like they got to celebrate with those closest to them for a bit before the world found out a royal wedding was in the works.
“We had a little engagement party and everyone was dressed in animal onesies,” Lucy said. “And Meg and Harry were in matching penguin onesies because penguins mate for life, and they were so sweet and we had so much fun.”
It’s a pretty cute story, especially now that they get to tell their kids all about it — and honestly, a statue to remember the moment by truly is the most fitting gift.
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