The Specialty Doughnuts That Dunkin' Sells Only During Royal Weddings

We may never know if the British royal family runs on Dunkin', but that hasn't prevented the doughnut chain from paying tribute to the weddings of some of the monarchy's most prominent members. The company has now twice released what it dubbed the "Royal Love Donut," first to celebrate the union of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011, then the nuptials between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. And by Dunkin' standards, the doughnuts were rather elaborate — as should be expected of anything marking a wedding for people with a collection of scepters.

Nearly every element of the heart-shaped confection had symbolic meaning (at least as much symbolism as you can eke out of a doughnut), from the jelly center (in honor of lives filled with happiness) to the white frosting on William and Kate's version (the traditional wedding gown color). The doughnuts were sold the week leading up to both weddings, and some shops opened early on the day of the ceremonies for die-hard fans who needed themed sweets while watching the vows live. In 2018, Dunkin' added to the spectacle of it all by parading a horse-drawn carriage fit for a cruller-binging Cinderella through New York's Central Park. The doughnut buggy was emblazoned with the brand's orange-and-pink color scheme, and one of Bravo's Real Housewives took the maiden voyage, naturally, because "reality TV star" is about as close as one gets to royalty in the U.S.

If you're waiting with bated breath for the re-release of the Royal Love Donut, go ahead and exhale. Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana's only children have both married, and it'll likely be at least a decade before the next generation starts getting hitched. On top of that, the British-born Dunkin' CEO (and apparent royalist) who led the initiative for the limited-edition treats has since retired.

If you're mourning the prolonged absence of the Royal Love Donut, try finding solace in different desserts that were actually served at prior royal weddings. There's the Battenberg cake, a pink-and-yellow checkerboard-patterned sponge cake wrapped in marzipan, whose origins are often attributed to the 1884 wedding of British Princess Victoria to German Prince Louis of Battenberg. It's since become a staple of English tea service. Mint chocolate chip ice cream rose to popularity after it was served at Princess Anne and Captain Mark Philips's marriage reception in 1973. Of course, you can find the flavor at pretty much any parlor or supermarket frozen food aisle these days. And while most Americans eat (or avoid) fruitcake during the holiday season, that was the grand finale of Charles and Diana's extravagant wedding menu in July of 1981.