Tuesday 21 April 2015

Royalist awaits Duchess of Cambridge's baby outside hospital


Royalist Terry Hutt

A royalist pensioner sleeping rough outside the hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge is due to give birth says he is "well prepared" for the wait.
It is believed Catherine could go into labour in the next two weeks and the royal couple will be in the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in west London.
Terry Hutt, 79, from Weston-super-Mare, is planning to live on a wooden bench at the hospital until the baby is born
He is hoping for a joint celebration on 30 April - his 80th birthday.
Gifts for the new baby from royalist Terry Hutt
He has taken a few gifts for the royal couple including a set of crocheted baby clothes
Terry Hutt outside St Mary's Hospital in Paddington
Two years ago he waited outside the hospital on a bench for the birth of Prince George
"Every baby that's born, people say to me 'it's only another baby', but this is a royal baby - there's a difference," he said.
"My wife tells me I'm mad. I have a waterproof outfit, a tarpaulin over the bench, decorated with union jacks. We call it the royal bench."
In 2013, Mr Hutt - who is known as "The Union Jack Man" - spent 13 days on the same bench awaiting the arrival of Prince George, being fed tea and porridge by staff at the hospital.
He claims to have been a keen royalist since the age of four, when the King and Queen visited his parents after the Blitz in London and gave him a souvenir mug.
As well as equipment to keep himself warm and dry, Mr Hutt has taken homemade placards welcoming the new prince or princess, as well as gifts for the family including crocheted baby clothes and a moneybox.
"They always accept my presents. Last year I gave them a little red, white and blue duck and they loved that," he said.
Speculating on the sex of the new baby, he said: "My guess could be a girl, but I said that last time and I was wrong."