Is it a boy or a girl? The nation is still on tenterhooks about the gender of Kate Middleton and Prince William's child.When the duo's little Prince or Princess arrives in six weeks time, well-wishers will no doubt be overcome by a fresh wave of royal baby fever. In the meantime fans of Britain's golden couple can have fun browsing through the commemorative memorabilia already in production for Baby Cambridge. Merchandisers are selling mugs and plates of the kind we saw for their magnificent wedding or more recently the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation – along with babygros and bibs.From the quirky to cute, HELLO! Online has delved through a range of souvenirs celebrating the special birth.
Kate, who has been preparing the baby's nursery with the help of her mother Carole Middleton, would probably be tickled by Bloomsbury's picture book, Shhh! Don’t Wake the Royal Baby, which centres on her firstborn.The cover shows the Queen parachuting down, white hair fluttering in the wind, with the royal baby strapped onto her chest, and is a nod to her stunt for last year's Olympic opening ceremony.The book tells the tale of the royal family trying to do everything they can to pacify their little bundle of joy who can't seem to fall asleep from the yip-yapping of corgis and the marching guards. With her patience and calm, Kate will surely settle into motherhood quickly and the tale will remain just that.
Playing the gender-guessing game, retailers have flooded the market with keepsakes for a girl or a boy. British designer Sophie Allport has created two beautiful commemorative royal baby mugs, one pink and one blue, but only one will go to production when the baby is born.
Prestat, chocolatiers to Her Majesty the Queen holding two royal warrants, has taken no chances and released mini truffle sets, one that comes in hot pink and the other aqua blue. The pink box is filled with delicious Marc de Champagne truffles while the blue box contains sea salt caramel dark chocolate truffles.
But the royal baby isn't the only one who's been favoured by merchandisers. Auntie Pippa Middleton has also got a mention and no doubt will take a liking to beautyandthebib's gorgeous little bib, emblazoned with affectionate words.
Mclaggan Smith Mugs have gone for a quirkier and less traditional approach in their mug designs. One notably amusing illustration shows a royal member pushing a dog in a pram, with the phrase "Yummy ma'am" underneath.
Just as Prince William and Kate had their photo printed on wedding souvenirs such as mugs, plates and bowls, references to the royal baby have appeared on such keepsakes. Milly Green has illustrated a whole children's tableware set with sweet images of storks, royal dogs, rocking horses and more.
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