His Royal Highness Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge may be only 2 months old, but it looks as though he’s already living like a royal a.k.a. receiving gifts that cost thousands of dollars. The tiniest Windsor is being christened on Monday, July 9—and to celebrate the occasion, Prince Harry, his uncle, reportedly dropped £8,000 (that’s around $10,620) on a first-edition Winnie-the-Pooh book. (No word yet whether or not Meghan Markle added her name to her husband’s present, though she’s reportedly an excellent gift giver herself.)
According to The Sun, the price tag was originally even higher. An unnamed source told the publication that Prince Harry had initially planned to get Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, “on sale” for £24,000 (almost $32,000), but “decided Winnie-the-Pooh would be more suitable for a first tome.”
Why spend thousands on a book for a baby who can’t even read yet? According to The Sun, it’s a tribute to Princess Diana. “One of Harry’s happiest childhood memories was being read a bedtime story by his mother,” the source said. “She loved all the old classics, and Harry had the brilliant idea of starting a little library of first editions for Louis, Charlotte, and George to enjoy as they get older.”
This inaugural first edition, according to The Sun, is one of 30,000 that were published way back in 1926.
As for Prince Louis’s christening, it will be performed by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the same bishop who christened Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The ceremony will also take place in the same church as Prince George’s christening, the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace, for an audience of 20 to 30 people. That exclusive guest list includes Louis’ six godparents, all close friends and family of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Prince Harry, however, was not asked to be Louis’ godfather. Then again, after such a generous gift maybe William and Kate will change their minds?
