Prince Harry instead of William on royal wedding mug

Saturday, 19 March 2011 00:50 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Everyone knows Kate Middleton is marrying Prince William. Well, almost everyone. The people behind a souvenir mug that commemorates the royal wedding didn’t get the memo and made a pretty big gaffe.

They got the picture of Kate Middleton correct, but instead of William, the mug features an image of his younger brother, Harry.

According to the UK’s Telegraph, the mug was supposedly designed by Guandong Enterprises, a Chinese firm. But the Telegraph found that the company is “apparently registered in Britain.” Does that mean that this “mistake” could instead be, in the Telegraph’s words, “an elaborate spoof”?

Maybe so. Nothing moves “collectible” merchandise like an error that was supposedly never meant to occur. Indeed, this mug’s joke appeal could make it a hot gag item as the big day draws closer. You can have one of your own for £10 plus shipping and handling.

If royal-inspired mugs aren’t your thing, there are plenty of other souvenirs to consider. And some of them are pretty official. Britain’s Royal Mint released a commemorative coin in honour of the wedding, but it was met with little enthusiasm thanks to the questionable likenesses of William and Kate.

And that’s not all. The Royal Collection is selling approved items like plates, pill boxes, and English china. You know, classy stuff. But not everybody wants to be classy. For those who are tacky and proud of it (or just plain tired of all the royal wedding hype), there are commemorative sick bags.

Meanwhile Prince William is attending a national memorial service in New Zealand to honour the victims of a devastating earthquake in Christchurch that killed 182 people. The National Christchurch Memorial Service is being held in a park not far from some of the worst-hit areas.