Video: Spectators celebrate outside of St. Mary’s hospital in London
The royal baby has finally made his entrance.
Duchess Kate of Cambridge was rushed to hospital Monday and safely delivered a baby boy.
The birth announcement, via a press release from Kensington Palace, said the boy was born at 4:24 p.m. weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces.
Gallery: The royal baby has arrived
Video: Crowds gather outside of Buckingham Palace to celebrate birth of Prince of Cambridge
Here are some of the ways the world is commemorating the royal birth.
Baby Showers
Baby showers in London and around the world are being held in honour of the future heir to the throne. The Marriott Hotel overlooking Big Ben in London’s downtown is offering a special Royal Baby Shower suite, accommodating up to 20 people. The package is priced at $94 (minimum of 10 people) and includes a private butler, champagne, afternoon tea, and a gift bag for the expecting mom.
Here in Canada, The Monarchist League of Canada is suggesting that everyone hold a royal baby shower during the summer to honour the occasion. Its website offers tips on how to throw your own royal baby shower that includes drink ideas (coffee or tea with maple syrup for sweetening), a congratulatory card, and instead of gifts, it lists charities to make donations in the royals’ honour.
Merchandise
Britain’s tourism industry and retailers are hoping the arrival of the royal baby will improve the country’s bleak economic situation.
The royal birth is projected to pump £243 million into Britain’s economy according to the Centre for Retail Research based in Nottingham.
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Royal souvenirs include commemorative plate sets from upscale retailer Harrod’s and the “Prince Potty Chair” which comes in the shape of the royal throne.
The arts and crafts website Etsy has featured several handcrafted souvenirs for the royal heir. Baby wear, royal baby shower invitations, and baby scrapbooking artwork and will undoubtedly capture the public’s imagination when the sex and name of the royal heir is officially announced.
Food & Drink
If you are planning on celebrating the birth with a stiff drink, gin company Tanqueray released the recipe for “The HRH,” a light and fizzy libation that combines gin, lemon, and champagne in honour of the newest royal.
READ MORE: Tradition, social media to dictate how royal baby birth will be announced
London’s highly-rated Indian restaurant The Cinnamon Club has created the tongue-in-cheek “Royal Labour of Love Menu” that represents the stages of pregnancy: expecting, 9 months, overdue and special delivery.
Head Chef Rakesh Nair describes the menu as “a feast to curb those cravings, keep you and your baby healthy and even help to induce labour.”
Gifts
Gifts will be pouring in for the Duke and Duchess from around the world.
Australia is still deciding what the royal gift will be to the future leader of the Commonwealth. Until she resigned in June after losing a leadership vote, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was knitting a kangaroo for the newborn.
Current Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told Herald Sun that gift ideas were still being considered and an opal-encrusted rattle could be an option.
READ MORE: Royal pregnancy evokes memories of Princess Diana
Finland’s government agency Kela has sent Will and Kate a baby box that all expectant mothers receive that comes filled with newborn clothes, toys and even condoms. The box can also double as a bassinet when emptied.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are sending the royal couple a faux-sheepskin blanket with a note reminding them that sheepskin, a traditional gift given to newborns in the U.K., is a product of “animal cruelty.”
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