Page "Sophie, Countess of Wessex" Paragraph 18

Royal Family guidelines and procedures relating to gifts drafted in 2003 state that " before accepting any gift, careful consideration should always be given, wherever practicable, to the donor, the reason for and occasion of the gift and the nature of the gift itself (..) Equally, before declining the offer of a gift, careful consideration should be given to any offence that might be caused by such action.