So Kate’s gone into labour and I can’t pretend I’m not a teensy bit excited.
Like many Londoners, having partied in regal fashion at the Royal Wedding, the Babes crew feels invested in the imminent arrival of the future monarch.
Royal baby fever has swept the globe and here in the Capital we’re getting ready to pop the bubbly (fingers crossed for a Bank Holiday).
From the minute the Royal Baby is announced, the London Eye will be lit up in red, white and blue. Over at the Tower of London, there will be a 62 Royal Gun salute, and also a 41 gun salute in Green Park where crowds are already gathering.
We can’t say when baby’s coming, but here are 20 ideas for where and how you can celebrate the birth of Kate and William’s first child.
ROYAL BABY HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
1. London Marriott County Hall Hotel’s Royal Baby Shower Suite offers a glass of bubbly, afternoon tea, private butler and Mamas & Papas goody bag. Until Jul 28, £60 per person (FREE for the mum-to-be)
2. Expecting too? Celebrate Kate’s big day with a Royal Baby Shower Afternoon Tea at St James’s Hotel & Club, including a gift worth £85 from Ralph Lauren Baby, and a pregnancy treatment at Spa Illuminata in Mayfair. Until Jul 31, £89 per person
3. Enjoy A Royal Child at the Athenaeum hotel in Green Park, an exclusive afternoon of photography exhibition featuring 50 images of royal children, served with royal afternoon tea. Weekends from Jun 22-Aug 31, £60 per person
4. Tuck into finger sandwiches, scones and more with a Royal Afternoon Tea, with a caramel crown cake in blue icing for Prince or pink icing for Princess, at The Balcon Restaurant in Pall Mall.
5. And as we welcome Kate to the joys of sleep deprivation, we’re invited to escape for a Mums Only Sunday Sleepover at The Bingham Hotel in Richmond. Enjoy fresh sheets, room service, and luxury bath products! From £150 per night
ROYAL BABY ATTRACTIONS AND MUSEUMS
6. A Royal Arrival at Museum of London is an exhibition showcasing royal baby memorabilia including the tiny booties worn by Queen Victoria’s children Beatrice, Alice and Leopold (until Oct, 2013)
7. Go on a Royal Zoo Baby Trail at London Zoo to meet newborns like Chua, a baby monkey born with a ‘crown-like tuft’ of fur on his head! (ongoing)
6. Head to your nearest historic royal palace. Hampton Court Palace Open Air Cinema launches this weekend with Grease on Saturday and Some Like it Hot on Sunday (Jul 27-28)
9. Remember the baby’s grandma at Fashion Rules at Kensington Palace, a brand new exhibition of gowns made for Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret (Jul 5 until Jul 2015)
10. Scope out the nipper’s future HQ at the Summer Opening at Buckingham Palace, when members of the public can explore the blingiest joint in town. (Jul 27-Aug 31)
ROYAL BABY GIFTS AND MERCHANDISE
11. A Royal Fairytale, telling the magical story from marriage to baby carriage, by Ink Robin and Adam Larkin from Egmont Books, £6.99 (also available as a free interactive iPad app)
12. Super cute A Little Royal Baby Winnie the Pooh china mug, via Born Gifted, £11.99
13. Remember that fab Playmobil Royal Wedding set? Check out the Playmobil Royal Bedroom with queen and baby + 10 accessories for ages 4+, via Hamleys, £13
14. We love the title, Her Royal Happiness, engraved on limited dessert spoons. His Royal Happiness also available, by The Cutlery Commission via Not on the High Street, £16
15. Dig the handmade Mini Knitted Crown, made to order via The Miniature Knit Shop on Etsy, £45
16. How about a cheeky Anarchy in the Nursery onesie via Nippaz with Attitude, £16
17. Indulge in a Baby Box of Biscuits from Fortnum & Mason, £25
18. Crack open some bubbly and toast the new parents with a pair of champagne flutes fit for royalty, via Kensington Palace shop, £40
19. Is it a boy? Swaddle your favourite little guy in a Prince Charming Swaddle pack of 100% cotton wraps (loved by celebs and royalty), or a Princess Posie set for girls, via Aden & Anais, £44.95
20. The Royal Mint is releasing a commemorative £5 silver coin. Or you can stump for official merchandise from the Royal Collection
21. And if you’re planning on throwing a street party, Transport for London has helpfully put together a Royal Baby Celebration Pack, £22.99
