With a royal baby come bizarre royal baby gifts, and Finland has gotten the ball rolling with... condoms.
Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, has gifted the Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge its traditional "baby box," an assortment of newborn products given to all expectant mothers in Finland. The BBC reports that the box, which is big enough to double as a bassinet when emptied, includes baby clothes, a bath towel, a teething toy, bra pads, diaper cream and condoms.
The packages are a Finnish tradition dating back to the 1930s, created to give all babies born in Finland an equal start.
Now the British royal baby will have that same equal footing (not that it really needs it). Kela spokeswoman Heidi Liesivesi told the BBC, "Kela wanted to congratulate the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge... The maternity package gained such a positive response from all around the world. The timing was perfect that the royal couple are having a baby."
Sure enough, a Kensington Palace rep confirmed that Kate and Will received the box last week. "We were delighted to receive the very kind gift of the maternity package from the Finnish government. It was a very thoughtful gesture and we're very grateful for it," said the spokesperson, adding, "I'm sure the Duke and Duchess will be very interested to see the contents."
Interested is definitely the right word. Hey, at least Will and Kate won't have to worry about doubling-up on gifts -- we doubt anyone else was considering condoms as a present.
Check out the full contents of Kela's maternity packages on their website. Oh, and stay tuned: We bet there are way weirder royal baby presents on the way.
Need ideas?
