Princess Charlotte forced to 'hand back' plush gift worth staggering £36,000 due to royal rule

Princess Charlotte was given a very generous gift when she was born in 2015 - but the young royal was not allowed to keep it due to strict rules within the Royal Family

Princess Charlotte, who is third in line to the throne, had to return an incredibly lavish gift she received as a newborn.

The now-nine year old princess was presented with a £36,000 item when she was born back in May 2015. But due to strict Royal protocols, the middle child of the Prince and Princess of Wales wasn't allowed to keep this extravagant present.

The gift in question was from Natural Sapphire Company, which gifted a costly baby rattle made from 18ct white gold and decorated with diamonds, sapphires, and rubies to create a Union Jack. The company explained on its website why it decided to splurge for Princess Charlotte's birth.

It wrote: "When Kate and William were engaged with the iconic blue sapphire ring that once belonged to Princess Diana, our sapphire ring sales rocketed. Women everywhere wanted to be just as fashionable as Kate. Today, we continue to grow as a business and it is with great joy that we celebrate the birth of a new royal."

"We're thanking Kate and William for introducing our company to the world, by gifting a custom-designed baby rattle, fit for their Princess. Baby gifts made from precious metals are a tradition dating back to the 18th century. Our luxury rattle, worth $45,000 (£36,000), is made from 18k white gold; lined with sapphires, rubies, and diamonds to produce the Union Jack flag," reports Edinburgh Live.

But it appears that Princess Charlotte never actually played with the rattle. Back in 2015, reports suggested that Kate likely didn't keep the precious gift, with Kensington Palace stating that gifts from businesses are generally not accepted.

Despite not keeping the luxurious baby toy, the young Royal wasn't left without any special keepsakes from her early days. It's been reported that her grandfather, King Charles, gifted her a handcrafted wavy willow shaker worth £25.

This isn't the only special gift the monarch has given to one of his grandchildren. It was previously revealed that he had an amazing present installed at his Gloucestershire home, Highgrove House, for Prince George's first birthday.

A Victorian-style Shepherd's hut, gifted by Dorset-based company Plankbridge, includes everything from a wood-burning stove to a day bed. The hut can be seen by visitors during a guided tour through The King's gardens and is believed to be a favourite play spot for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

This isn't the only incredible tribute to Prince George that King Charles has made. During an appearance on The One Show, Charles answered questions about how we can all live more sustainably.

The interview was conducted in Prince George's Wood, a location The King has affectionately dubbed an 'old man's obsession'. He revealed the heartfelt reason behind naming the woodland after his eldest grandson: "This was a rather empty field that the farm didn't need anymore. The great thing was that I managed to plant it the same year that my grandson was born, the eldest, George, so I thought I'd call it Prince George's wood."