It’s safe to say Prince William and Kate Middleton’s third child will have everything it could possibly need – but nevertheless, well-wishers will want to give the baby a gift. But what do you get a royal baby – and a royal baby whose father will one day be King, at that?
Here are just a few likely options, judging from past royal baby births:
A soft toy: a good soft toy is hard to beat and something that can be loved for years to come. Whether it’s a classic teddy bear, a bunny rabbit or a zoo animal, a new baby is going to love their first soft toy.
A blanket: Prince George received an embroidered blanket from Spain as a gift from Former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg – practical and stylish. Former New Zealand Prime Minister John Key gifted Princess Charlotte a blanket made from local Stansborough wool.
A flowering plant: while not a traditional gift, a beautiful flowering plant is a wonderful way to acknowledge a child’s birth and track their growth – as the plant grows, so will the child. With any luck, the plant will thrive and the child can learn to care for it when they are older.
A rattle: Prince Charles gave granddaughter Princess Charlotte a willow rattle woven by Irish basket maker Ciaran Hogan. The young royal also received a silver rattle from Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and a jewel-encrusted rattle worth $44,000 from the Natural Sapphire Company.
A name train: who doesn’t love toy trains? A wooden name train will provide a child with plenty of fun – and help them learn to spell their own name.
Picture books: classic picture books are a great gift that children can treasure as they grow up and put aside for their future family. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron gifted Prince George a collection of Roald Dahl books upon his birth. For Princess Charlotte, Cameron gifted a copy of Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales.
An embroidered bib: royal or not, there’s no denying that babies can be very messy eaters. A luxury bib embroidered with cute animal pictures will be useful to any young child.