Meghan Markle will celebrate her first birthday as a royal on Saturday (August 4), but she's already received her first gift. The Duchess of Sussex was gifted a gorgeous handbag from an unexpected source to help her celebrate her 37th birthday. Animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent Meghan quite a chic present, which also happens to have an important message behind it.
The burgundy box bag is made of cruelty-free, vegan leather by sustainable fashion brand Alexandra K. Meghan is reportedly a huge fan of vegan-friendly products and has also adopted a "part-time" vegan diet. During an interview with Best Health in 2016, long before she married into the royal family, Meghan revealed that she “tries to eat vegan during the week and have a little more flexibility with what I dig into on the weekends.” It definitely seems like this vegan handbag is a perfect gift for the Duchess.
Elisa Allen, PETA Director, spoke with OK! Online about sending Meghan a birthday present: "Chances are that this gorgeous handbag will inspire the Duchess to embrace vegan fashion and leave all animal skins out of her wardrobe, as she's already done with fur." She also added that “This bag suits Meghan Markle's fashion sensibility and eco- and animal-friendly attitudes to a T. PETA hopes the gift will encourage the royal family and its fans alike to embrace compassionate brands like Alexandra K and to steer clear of cruelly obtained animal skins."
Meghan's healthy outlook on life has already influenced her husband, Prince Harry, so she may be able to convince her fellow royals to adopt her habit of using cruelty-free, vegan products, as well. After all, she was able to help Prince Harry drop his junk food and smoking habits after they moved in together.