London: He is only a week old, but the royal baby has already been bombarded with gifts from Britain’s party leaders.
Prince George is the lucky recipient of an apple tree, a blanket embroidered by Spanish nuns and a set of books by Roald Dahl.
David Cameron and Ed Miliband both revealed what they had sent William and Kate’s son after Nick Clegg disclosed his present on his weekly radio phone-in programme.
Kensington Palace has been inundated with gifts from well-wishers since the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to the third in line to the throne.
The proud parents asked for donations to charity rather than presents. But the three main party leaders ignored the plea.
The Prime Minister and wife Samantha gave a box-set of books by Roald Dahl, whose works famously include George’s Marvellous Medicine — a story in which a naughty boy creates a magic potion to teach his evil grandmother a lesson.
Other popular titles by the author include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches, The BFG, Matilda and Revolting Rhymes.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge may have to wait a few years before reading the tales to their first son, though.
Dahl’s anarchic style is generally enjoyed by children who are well beyond their toddler years.
Labour leader Ed Miliband gave a three-year-old apple tree, which a party spokesman said was a traditional gift for a first-born son.
It already has some fruit growing on it and was sourced from community groups the Brent Eleven Streets residents association and the London Orchard Project.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg and his wife Miriam sent William and Kate a large bag of coffee to help them cope with the fatigue caused by sleepless nights caring for their new baby.
The Cleggs also gave George a white cot cover and sheet hand-embroidered by nuns in Miriam’s home village in Spain, where the Deputy Prime Minister was holidaying at the time of the royal birth early last week.
Clegg told his LBC radio audience: “We found some beautiful, I think anyway, beautiful cover, a cot cover and a cot sheet which is hand-embroidered in a convent in the village where Miriam comes from in Spain, where I was a few days ago.
“The nuns, they make these beautiful handmade things so we’ve sent that and we’ve thrown in with a gift, a large bag of our favourite coffee because as parents of little boys, we know you need that coffee when you’re coping with little boys.
“Miriam and I sent a letter with a gift just yesterday to Kensington Palace.”
