Bear necessity for baby Sussex from Ironbridge teddy makers
When the newest member of the Royal family makes his or her appearance, they will soon be cuddling up with a special piece of Shropshire.
For the son or daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will receive a Royal Baby Bear, created by Ironbridge-based teddy makers Merrythought.
Creating the £125 limited edition bears, which sold out almost straight away, involves a meticulous 15-step process. Merrythought director Sarah Holmes said: "It's a complex process and I don't want to reveal all of our secrets. It's not only attention to detail. Each teddy bear has moving arms, legs and head. Each has a hand-embroidered nose and smile. A lot of specialist parts take place from cutting, to sewing to embroidery, and each element has to be perfect. We have a very stringent quality control process. Any we don't feel are right are not allowed to leave. A lot of time and care goes in."
She added: "They are limited edition, only 100 were produced. They are very exclusive so I expected them to sell out quickly. They always have done with previous Royal Baby bears."
The nation has been waiting with baited breath for news on Baby Sussex, who will be the seventh in line to the throne and is due to make an appearance any day now.
The bears were created using alpaca fleece with 100 per cent cotton back and pure silk, and finished with a cream bow around the neck, an embroidered gold crown and "2019" on one of its feet.
To the average parent, £125 might sound a lot of money for a toy which may end up being dribbled on and bashed about. But Sarah explained that the luxury bears are seen more as a long-term memento that stand the test of time.
She said: "These are designed to be more permanent mementos. More of something you put on a shelf in the nursery, something that has longevity.
"There is definitely a growing trend towards the more premium products over the throwaway ones, especially environmentally.
"We see Merrythought teddy bears as being an investment that could be a companion for life."
Merrythought have been making handmade bears since 1930, and have produced teddies for the Royal collection for many years, including ones for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's children Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte. Last week they launched a teddy bear with the Savoy Hotel which is dressed up as a London guardsman.
