Harry and Meghan plea to Instagram fans to stop sending baby gifts

  • Royal

The official Instagram account for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has pleaded with the couple's fans to stop sending baby gifts, asking them to instead donate to charity.

The couple have been inundated by presents ahead of the birth of their first child, expected to be born later this month or early in May.

On their newly launched account, a message was posted reading: "In lieu of sending gifts, the couple have long planned to encourage members of the public to make donations to select charities for children and parents in need. If you already made a donation, the couple send you their greatest thanks."

The post went on to list four charities they recommend those wishing to give gifts donate to.

The post ended with the couple saying: "The Duke and Duchess remain appreciative for your warm wishes and kindness during this especially happy time in their lives! Thank you for sharing the love."

The post follows internet trend #GlobalSussexBabyShower which saw people send gifts to the soon-to-be parents.

Harry and Meghan's new Instagram account has been a royal success since its launch earlier this week. It has already broken a record to become the fastest account to reach one million followers.

The launch of the account is a step towards an increasing division between Harry and his brother, William. The Queen announced earlier this year the brothers will have their own Royal Households in time for the birth of Harry and Meghan's first child.

Earlier this week, they moved to Windsor ahead of the birth of the newest member of the Royal family.