Thanks, baby: Kate Middleton’s tot may bring Brits $380 million

The birth of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s first child is expected to bring $380 million to the British economy in the coming weeks. Talk about a baby bump.

The money will come from the sale of souvenirs and trinkets and other festivities related to the royal birth, according to a report released Monday by the Centre for Retail Research in Nottingham, England. British retailers and even the royals themselves are getting into merchandising for the baby due in July.

“Three million bottles of Champagne and sparkling wine will be opened to celebrate the new baby,” the report projects. From July 1 to Aug. 31, the center expects festivities (and that includes alcohol sales) to bring in $136 million; souvenirs and toys, $125 million; and books, DVDs and media to bring in $119 million.

“This is a good news story and there really is no downside. With the birth coming in July, people will have time to get involved, and that means additional spending,” the center’s director, Joshua Bamfield, told Reuters.

If you’re visiting, say, Highgrove, the estate of Prince Charles in Gloucestershire, you can join the celebration by picking up a pair of Union Jack leather booties for about $35. Or you can snag a royal Guardsman onesie for about $20 at the Royal Collection Trust Shop. (Proceeds from sales go to Prince Charles’ charities and upkeep of royal residences, respectively.)

The royal baby, whose gender and name have not been revealed, would be third in line to the throne, after Prince Charles and Prince William. Middleton’s last solo appearance before the birth was on June 13 at a christening, not of a child but of Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess cruise ship in Southampton, England.

mary.forgione@latimes.com
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