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When it comes to wedding gifts, brides and grooms are often gifted glassware, kitchen appliances, and cookware sets. However, Prince William and Kate Middleton received a special present in honor of their 2011 nuptials that is certainly more appealing to kids than say mundane home essentials. Prince Charles was reportedly the gift-giver behind the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wooden swing. Created by The Oak & Rope Company, the swing is engraved with the royal couple’s names: “William and Catherine,” while the opposite side seems to feature their wedding month and year: “April 2011.”
© HRH The Duchess of CambridgeJeanette Aurdal Nieman, designer and managing director of the family business based in Kent, previously told HOLA! USA’s sister brand HELLO! that she was aware the Cambridges owned one of their swings because Oak & Rope was commissioned to make one for the Duke and Duchess’ royal wedding. “Even though we were a very young and small company then, I made the conscious decision not to discuss this with anybody, and made this clear to everybody working for Oak & Rope too,” Jeanette shared in 2016. “It was a personal present, and we thought it deserved to remain a private matter.”
The swing was seen in Prince George ’s third birthday portraits back in 2016. The future King was photographed by Matt Porteous at the time standing up barefoot on the swing. An additional picture showed George sitting down grasping the manila rope. The swing recently made another appearance in a birthday portrait to mark the Duke’s 38th birthday. Prince William was pictured on the swing with his two-year-old son Prince Louis on his lap, while Princess Charlotte sweetly leaned on her father and Prince George stood behind them.
The solid oak swing comes in three sizes, small ($265), medium ($430) and large ($570). According to HELLO!, the Cambridges own the medium size, which The Oak & Rope Company notes on their website “comfortably fits an adult or two small people.” The Cambridges certainly appear to be enjoying the wedding gift on the grounds of their country home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk, where they have been staying amid the coronavirus pandemic.
