Royal baby fever: Apartment to rent with front-row seats for the birth
FOR those hoping to catch the first glimpse of Kate and William’s baby, it would appear to be the perfect spot.
Just a stone’s throw from the hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge is to give birth today, this holiday apartment apparently offers “front-row seats”.
What’s more, the £143-a-night top-floor property has a powerful telescope and binoculars to help guests sneak an exclusive peak of the new heir to the throne. There is one catch, however. The only part of the hospital visible from the flat is the corner of the orthopaedic ward.
The maternity unit from which Kate is expected to emerge in two weeks’ time, proudly clutching her newborn, is on the opposite side of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, central London.
Yet that has not stopped German online company Wimdu, which rents out holiday apartments across Europe, from cashing in on the impending birth. It has launched a publicity drive to entice tourists over the next few weeks, offering “Royal fanatics front-row seats to witness the birth of the newest heir to the throne”.
Last night an unimpressed royal source said: “It’s a bit cheeky to offer a sneaky glimpse of the new heir to the throne when all you can really see is a brick wall. The part of the hospital where Kate is due to give birth is completely invisible from where this flat is located.
“The only way in which they would be able to see that part of the building was if they had X-ray specs.”
Renowned royalist Margaret Tyler has decorated the flat’s interior, plastered the walls with Union Flag bunting, balloons and posters, and added a life-size cardboard cut-out of William and Kate.
Wimdu denied misleading customers and called it “a bit of fun”, adding: “What we are really advertising is an apartment which will offer guests the chance to enjoy the excitement surrounding the royal birth.”