With the birth of their third child just a few months away, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will no doubt be busy preparing a nursery at their Kensington Palace home for their bundle of joy. It is likely that the royal couple will re-use several pieces they purchased for their eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, but what else should they be doing? And how can you create the perfect nursery for your own little prince or princess? We asked the experts from two of Kate's favourite brands – Blue Almonds and Rachel Riley – for their top tips.
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Kate bought a Blue Almonds Moses basket ahead of the birth of Prince George
When she was expecting her first child, Prince George, in 2013, the Duchess was spotted shopping for nursery essentials with her mum Carole Middleton. And among the pieces she bought was a traditional Moses basket from Blue Almonds baby boutique, located close to her home in Kensington.
The photographs sparked a huge increase in sales of the basket, and Blue Almonds owner Izabela Minkiewicz says that is not the only essential parents should consider buying for their baby's nursery, telling HELLO! that a cot bed, changing station and a comfortable armchair are all must-haves.
A cot bed is an essential for any nursery
Meanwhile, Rachel Riley, who is launching a homeware range this spring, suggested: "I love a nursery to be filled with matching pieces. I would suggest a fitted cot sheet and cot bumper with some matching cot pockets, a nappy stacker and laundry bag so baby's essentials can be stored away, a cosy knitted blanket and some matching scatter cushions which can be placed on a chair in the nursery. I would finish the room off with matching curtains too. So sweet!"
Rachel Riley is launching a homeware range this spring
Parents should consider the colour scheme too. "A nursery should be a space in which the baby and parents can relax," Izabela told HELLO!. "The right colour palette can help to create a warm ambience and this can be created by having an accent wall with a pastel colour or a delicate wallpaper, maybe a colour co-ordinated rug in the middle or the room or some colourful decorative pillows or even a chic musical mobile above the bed or a subtle night light."
A neutral colour palette is perfect for a nursery
These will all be things Prince William and Kate will already have considered following the births of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, however they may decide to make some updates to the room for their third baby. "With a third child on the way, it is not always easy to decide what to do in the nursery. But this will be another very special addition to the family and he / she needs to be treated in a special way," Izabela said.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their third child
"The Duchess of Cambridge strikes me as a very pragmatic and sensible woman who is prone to recycling, so I would expect her to recycle some of the existing nursery items. As George is now four, now would be the perfect time for him to transform his room into a more grown up space and if the Duchess of Cambridge has another boy, he can have George's nursery."
The Blue Almonds owner continued: "However, I am sure she will add lots of special touches to the new baby's room by choosing new wallpaper and a new fabric theme and perhaps adding some personalised artwork with which to decorate the walls and some other beautiful accessories to complete the space. If parents decide not to learn the gender of their child in advance - as has been the case with both George and Charlotte - we would always suggest chic tones with neutral whites, grey and silver."
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