Royal birth set to give much needed boost to businesses
As news of the royal birth is celebrated around the globe a flood of souvenirs and memorabilia will go on sale to mark the occasion - and give a much-needed boost for British businesses.
Mugs, tea towels, plates, postcards and dolls are expected to appear within days of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby being born and a name released.
Days after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced that they were expecting their first baby memorabilia had already hit the shelves, as when they publicly revealed their engagement.
Stoke-on-Trent, the home of England's pottery industry, is a hive of activity as companies gear up for the moment William and Kate's baby is named.
Dr Laura Cohen, chief executive of the British Ceramic Confederation, highlighted how foreign collectors, especially from countries such as America and Japan, prize items from the UK.
Watch: Kate's Baby Bounce: Tonight, 7.30pm on Thursday July 25, ITV 1
Pottery firms will have had nine months to develop their designs for royal baby memorabilia and will be waiting for the moment the name is announced to launch their full range.
Clothing retailers will also be looking to cash in on the birth of the royal baby.
One company has launched a limited edition sleeping bag for babies with a selection of embroidered symbols to represent the interests of William and Kate.
The Gro Company - a provider of baby sleeping suits for safer sleep - has launched the limited edition bespoke His and Her Royal Grobag for newborns to mark the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby.
The Grobags are being sold for £70 each with all proceeds going to The Lullaby Trust - a provider of specialist support for bereaved families and promoter of expert advice on safer baby sleep.
Above the gold stitching of 'His/Her Royal Grobag', there is a helicopter and a toy horse which are a reference to William's career as a pilot and his love of polo.
Kate's days as a hockey player are alluded to with a hockey stick, while their joint love for their dog Lupo features too.
This is all accompanied by a small troop of toy soldiers which the company suggests stands guard over proceedings.
Only 120 of these special limited edition Royal Grobags have been created (60 of each sex) in white, gold and cyan for boys and white, gold and fuchsia for girls.
Early Learning Centre staff up and down the country have been busy stocking 50,000 limited edition royal family toy sets overnight.
Memorabilia to mark the royal birth will be led by the official range produced by the Royal Collection Trust.
In recent years, the organisation has produced high-quality bone china items to mark historic moments for the monarchy.
A spokeswoman for the trust said:
If the trust follows its past ranges, it will probably produce a collection of items to commemorate the baby, who will be third in line to the throne.
These could include a coffee mug, tankard, pillbox and plate decorated with a floral pattern or even heraldic creatures.
The pieces are likely to feature the individual cyphers of the Duke and Duchess - their initials, W or C, below a coronet - the baby's name and date it was born.
In past years, members of the monarchy have approved designs before they have gone into production, so William and Kate are likely to have already cast an eye over the plans.
Unusual items that have marked royal births include a ceramic thimble produced to commemorate the Prince of Wales, who was born on November 14, 1948.
For those who like a flutter, the royal birth provides ample opportunity for a punt on facts and figures associated with the future monarch.
Bets can be made on a whole host of facts from the baby's hair colour to the time it will be born.
The most popular bets with punters are around trying to guess the name of William and Kate's first child - and it won't be long to wait now.