Prince George to Receive 6-Foot Surfboard During Royal Tour of Australia
Kate Middleton and Prince William are set to kick off their Antipodean tour on Monday and new details about the trip reveal that their son Prince George Alexander Louis will be gifted with a six-foot surfboard in Australia.
The royals are scheduled to have 48 engagements during their forthcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand and locals in both nations are particularly excited about the arrival of baby George.
Despite being just eight-months-old, George is set to receive a large surfboard with graphic laminated at the top and bottom upon arrival in Manly, Sydney. The gift, to be created by local business Bennett Surfboards, has been commissioned by the Mayor of Manly Jean Hay, according to the Daily Telegraph.
It will be designed with a photograph of the famous Manly beach and the words "Greetings from Manly — Surf City Australia," according to reports.
"We send boards all over the world but I can't say we've made one for Buckingham Palace. I suppose it will become an heirloom — a real memento," Bennett said reported the Telegraph.
"It will be a nice souvenir for years to come — maybe they will hang it up in his nursery until he's old enough to use it," he added.
Middleton, 32, and William will arrive in Manly on April 18 where they are expected to watch a surf life-saving display and visit a children's hospice.
The pair are believed to have obtained a passport for George in September ahead of the forthcoming tour.
The trip will mirror the late Princess Diana and Prince Charles' 1983 trip to Australia which marked a then nine-months-old William's first trip abroad. Prior to the trip, the Queen first had to give permission for William, now 31, to travel on the same plane as his father as royal protocol dictates an heir and the next in line must not fly together.