Opportunistic retailers are selling everything from tea towels to sick bags to commemorate the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Liz Burke looks at the best and worst royal souvenirs on offer.
When Princess Diana and Prince Charles wed in 1981, few households in the Commonwealth were left without a plate, mug, or even a tea-towel, emblazoned with the couple’s faces to commemorate the occasion.
In pictures: Kate Middleton’s family photos
With Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton just around the corner, royal watchers once again find themselves in the grip of commemorative merchandise frenzy and this time the offerings are a little more inventive.
As well as the usual memorabilia, souvenir-makers are cashing in on the wedding of the century with a range of royally-themed products to suit any taste or sense of humour.
The Royal Mint released the official royal wedding coin this week.
While the embossed image of the couple isn’t the most flattering, with Kate appearing rather toothy and her fiancé boasting a significantly fuller mane than recent photographs depict, it has been greeted with a better reception than the disastrous royal engagement coin.
The first commemorative coin of its kind was met with criticism and derision from fans of the princess-to-be who questioned the image’s likeness to the real Ms Middleton.
Prince William has personally approved official souvenirs including a tankard, plate, and pill box, but the couple’s faces have also been stamped on mugs, caps, t-shirts, and some more amusing commemorative paraphernalia.
As well as conservative tea-towels and tapestries, a royal wedding play set is available for the kids, and more mocking royal watchers can enjoy souvenir condoms bearing the slogan “Lie back and think of England,” and listing “lavishly lubed” and “regally ribbed” among the product’s benefits.
For the lads, commemorative t-shirts for Will’s stag do can be purchased online.
Followers of Kate can have her immortalised in doll-form by getting their hands the special edition commemorative barbie-like figurine wearing her now famous engagement dress.
Craft enthusiasts have been not been forgotten, with a special edition Knit Your Own Royal Wedding book by Fiona Goble being released in the UK this week. The handy tome provides knitting patterns for 10 key players at the wedding, including William, Kate, Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles, the Archbishop of Canterbury and even the queen’s famous corgis. Each figure takes about five hours to knit.
Even the most cynical shoppers have been catered for, with paper “sick bags” bearing a photo of Kate and William on sale on the internet.
Related: Prince William to visit Australia before wedding
The royal wedding is also drumming up business for Kate’s family’s business Party Pieces as they too are cashing in on the impending nuptials, preparing to release a range of products for people planning their own royal wedding celebrations.
The Middleton’s will be supplying a range of limited edition party goods, though critics have expressed concern about the family profiting from their daughter’s entry into the royal family.
Your say: Have you got your eye on any royal wedding memorabilia? Do you think Kate’s family should be allowed to make money from their daughter’s wedding?
The Weekly will be tweeting live from London on April 29. Follow @AWW_London and @WomensWeeklyMag for the latest news and gossip.
Video: Royal wedding fever strikes the UK
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