The
Royal Mint has revealed it will gift 2,015 silver pennies to the
families of babies born on the same day as the new prince or princess.
The
tokens will be engraved with the year of their birth to celebrate the
arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's second child.
It is in keeping with the tradition of marking a birth with silver.
Shane Bissett, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: 'The birth of the new Royal baby is a joyous occasion.
'It
is not only special for Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge but for the whole nation, as we celebrate another remarkable
milestone in their life journey together.
'It is also a special day for many mothers and fathers across the country as they also welcome the arrival of their new babies.
'This
is why we wanted to extend this historical moment to them with a unique
and timeless gift that can be treasured for years to come.' For details
visit www.royalmint.com
Indeed
when congratulated by a member of the public about the news that he
would become a grandfather again last year, he said candidly; ‘It’s
wonderful to be a grandfather again. I’m looking forward to it. But I
hope it will be a girl this time.’
Kate
herself has said William was hoping for a daughter, although his
brother, Prince Harry, joked William probably doesn’t realise what he is
taking on
News
of her birth came in the form of a press release to media organisations
followed by a formal – and very modern - announcement two minutes later
on the palace social media channels on Twitter and Instagram.
However
it was made public only after the Queen and other family members had
been informed, including Prince Charles, now a grandfather twice over,
the baby’s uncle Prince Harry, who is currently on an army detachment in
Australia, and, of course, Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole
Middleton, who will play a dominant part in their new grandchild’s
life.
Kensington
Palace had barred journalists from camping outside the hospital in
advance in an attempt to retain what it described as the ‘privacy and
dignity’ of the event.
Hospital
authorities were also said to be keen to avoid what had been described
as the ‘media circus’ around Prince George’s birth.
Instead
media crews were invited to set up only after the Duchess had been
admitted, having been driven from her home at nearby Kensington Palace.
Prince
William had faced a potential two-hour dash to the hospital to be with
his wife if she suddenly went into labour while he was away training in
his new role as a pilot for East Anglia Air Ambulance.
But
earlier this week it emerged that he had completed the initial stage of
his training ‘earlier than expected’ and is now taking six weeks’
unpaid leave until it resumes on June 1.
The
happy coincidence meant that he could be with Kate and George in the
run up to the new baby’s arrival and can take a hands-on parenting role
in the coming weeks.
One group of fans had spent 13 nights
camping outside the hospital, watching the Duchess's due date come and
go last Saturday. There were cheers of delight outside the hospital when
news of the birth came
A royalist takes her spot on a bench
outside the Lindo Wing this morning to await the news of the birth. When
her arrival was announced, cheers of 'princess! princess!' could be
heard among the crowds
Last week the royal couple sent
breakfast pastries and cups of coffee to some of those gathered outside
as a token of their appreciation for their support. Above, fans gather
this morning ahead of the princess's birth
In
recent days the Duchess, who carried out her last public engagement in
March, had been taking her mind off the impending birth by spending some
time with her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, at their sprawling
Georgian mansion in Bucklebury, Berkshire.
On
Sunday she and Carole took her eldest son, Prince George, for a visit
to nearby Bucklebury Farm Park where youngsters can meet a variety of
animals from lambs to wild boar and enjoy a large outdoor playground.
The little prince is a frequent visitor to the park with both his
mother, nanny and grandmother.
Kate
appeared unbothered by her pregnancy, according to onlookers, as she
carried George, accompanied by a low-key Scotland Yard security detail.
William, Kate and George returned to London on Sunday night but have kept a low profile since.
Aside
from suffering again from the debilitating ante-natal vomiting
condition hyperemesis gravidarum in the early stages, the Duchess has
apparently enjoyed another healthy pregnancy.
At
Easter she was seen energetically running about with George at a farm
park in Norfolk, close to the couple’s home, Anmer Hall, with her bump
barely showing still.
William’s
determination to be at the birth, as he was at George’s, is in contrast
to other royal fathers. Prince Philip was enjoying a game of squash
when his first-born son, Charles, was delivered.
Prince William was with 33-year-old
Kate throughout the birth of their daughter. Prince George is being
looked after at the couple's apartment in Kensington Palace by his
grandparents Carole and Michael Middleton
The
couple’s new daughter will be the Queen’s fifth great-grandchild - of
which four are girls - and a great-great-great-great-great grandchild of
Queen Victoria.
It
is not yet known whether little George, who will turn two in July, will
go to the hospital to meet his new sister before the family eventually
depart.
But
sources say they will return to Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace for
‘a few days’ to recuperate before travelling to Norfolk to set up home
at Anmer Hall, their new country estate.
‘The
family will return to Kensington Palace where they are expected to stay
for at least a couple of days. After their time at Kensington Palace
the couple will return to their home in Norfolk,’ an aide revealed.
It will be while the couple are at Kensington Palace that an announcement will be made about the new baby’s name.
Kate,
who undertook her final public duty last month, has not specified how
much maternity leave she intends to take or indeed when her first public
engagement after the birth might be.
But an aide added: ‘As you suspect with two very young children her focus will be on her family over the summer.’
Officials
have also dismissed recent claims that the couple plan to employ a
maternity nurse in addition to their existing nanny, Maria Borrallo.
‘At this stage the Duke and Duchess do not intend to take on any additional staff’ said one.
The
couple have proved to be fiercely protective about their eldest son’s
privacy and are likely to be no different with their daughter.
One photographer who recently shot pictures of Prince George playing in a London park was threatened with legal action.
The
future king has not been seen in the flesh by the British public since
the day he left hospital, although a number of carefully-selected
pictures have been released.
A spokesman for the couple said recently that they had been 'touched' by the public reaction to the birth of their new baby.
In
a statement about the impending royal arrival, he said: ‘The Duke and
Duchess are hugely grateful for the warm wishes they have received from
people throughout the UK and indeed around the world over the last few
months.
‘They
know that people are excited Prince George will soon have a little
brother or sister and it means a great deal to them that so many will be
celebrating this important moment for their family.
‘They are very appreciative that so many people share their excitement as they await the arrival of their second baby.’
Kensington
Palace were forced to reveal news of the Duchess’s condition several
weeks earlier than planned last September after she once again developed
Hyperemesis Gravidarum, the same chronic ante-natal sickness that saw
her hospitalised while she was expecting George.
This
time she was treated by doctors at Kensington Palace, although sources
told the Mail that her condition was ‘just as severe as before’.
As
a result the Duchess, who was barely six weeks pregnant at the time,
was forced to cancel a string of planned public engagements, including
her first solo foreign visit to Malta, and palace officials decided they
had no choice but to make news of her condition public.
She
was not well enough to undertake public engagements until the end of
October when she and her husband officially greeted the President of the
Republic of Singapore on behalf of the Queen at the start of a state
visit to London.
Kate told them that she was delighted to ‘be out of the house’.
Fortunately
she made a full recovery and continued with a light diary of public
engagements until March this year, setting the fashion world alight with
a range of stylish maternity outfits that ranged from a £35 polka dot
dress from online retailer ASOS to a £995 silk chiffon dress by Erdem,
with coats by Mulberry, Seraphine and Alexander McQueen – all with her
trademark high heels.
William,
who is one of two children while his wife is one of three, said
recently that he was looking forward to the birth but described the
arrival of his second child as a ‘game changer’.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
welcomed their first child, Prince George, on July 22 in 2013. The
couple drove themselves away from the Lindo Wing the following day after
a press conference where they introduced their newborn son to the
world's media
