London: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have asked well-wishers not to send them wedding gifts but instead donate to a number of charities, including the Myna Mahila Foundation in Mumbai which deals with women's health issues.

The American actress from the soap Suits, then 35 and in the early stages of her romance with Harry, visited India in January last year and wrote at length in Time magazine about how the schooling of girls was disrupted when they were menstruating.

On getting engaged to Harry, Buckingham Palace encouraged her to drop all her past connections in readiness for life as a member of the British royal family. But the choice of a charity in Mumbai, obviously close to her heart, suggests she might want to develop closer links with India after marriage.

The Myna Mahila Foundation "empowers women in Mumbai's urban slums, by offering stable employment close to their homes, and breaking taboos around menstrual hygiene by offering women access to low cost sanitary pads, and accurate information".

Suhani Jalota, who founded Myna Mahila in 2015, welcomed Meghan's gesture in a statement: "This support will enable us to expand our reach into more urban slums in Mumbai, empowering local women through access to menstrual hygiene products and employment opportunities."

Apart from Myna Mahila, Meghan and Harry have selected six other charities: CHIVA (Children's HIV Association); Crisis; Scotty's Little Soldiers (a charity for bereaved Armed Forces children); StreetGames; Surfers Against Sewage; and The Wilderness Foundation UK.

Kensington Palace explained: "Prince Harry and Ms Markle do not have any formal relationships with the charities chosen.

"The couple have chosen charities which represent a range of issues that they are passionate about, including sport for social change, women's empowerment, conservation, the environment, homelessness, HIV and the Armed Forces. Many of these are small charities, and the couple are pleased to be able to amplify and shine a light on their work."

Meghan's five-day trip to India was as an ambassador for World Vision - a role that Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, also held. Meghan said at the time: "I never wanted to be a lady who lunches - I've always wanted to be a woman who works. And this type of work is what feeds my soul, and fuels my purpose."

In her Time magazine article, she reported: "I travelled to Delhi and Mumbai this January with World Vision to meet girls and women directly impacted by the stigmatisation of menstrual health and to learn how it hinders girls' education. During my time in the slum communities outside of Mumbai, I shadowed women who are part of a microfinance system where they manufacture sanitary napkins and sell them within the community."

Meghan pushed for a public debate on the subject: "We need to rise above our puritanical bashfulness when it comes to talking about menstruation. Wasted opportunity is unacceptable with stakes this high. To break the cycle of poverty, and to achieve economic growth and sustainability in developing countries, young women need access to education."