Royal wedding: Inside the goody bags, from shortbread to fridge magnets

If there isn't a party bag, is it even a party?

No traditional celebration - royal or not - would be complete without the staple British party quirk that is the humble goody bag.

Whether it’s bursting with kitsch clobber straight out of a Christmas cracker or stuffed to the brim with miniature champagne bottles, its contents are largely irrelevant, all that matters is its prerequisite status - and the royal wedding was no exception.

In addition to the 600 guests who watched the ceremony inside St George’s Chapel, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex invited 2,640 members of the public to the grounds of Windsor Castle to revel in the festivities.

(AFP (AFP)

Out of those invited, 1,200 had been singled out for their contribution to their communities.

“1,200 members of the public from every corner of the United Kingdom will be nominated to attend by nine regional Lord Lieutenant offices," a statement released by Kensington Palace in March read.

“The couple has asked that the people chosen are from a broad range of backgrounds and ages, including young people who have shown strong leadership, and those who have served their communities.”

These special guests - dubbed “community champions” - were a mixture of charity workers and local volunteers and were the lucky receptors of the royal goody bags, which came in the form of a canvas tote bag complete with a bright blue handle.

Each tote contained paraphernalia relating to the royal couple, including a chocolate coin embossed with their initials, a commemorative fridge magnet, shortbread, a bottle of water and a 20 per cent discount voucher for the Windsor Castle gift shop.

“They want their Wedding Day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations too,” the Palace's statement read.

“This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters and values of the Bride and Groom.”