Fit For A Prince With Love, To Louis

This wellington weaver has created a special present.

- Ciara Pratt

When little Prince Louis is bundled up in his crib or rocked to sleep by the Duchess of Cambridge, there is a high chance he will be swaddled in a precious blanket hailing from New Zealand.

Christine Brimer, a textile designer and weaver, has been revealed as the Kiwi behind one of New Zealand’s official gifts to the new prince, having designed and created the woollen blanket sent to the royal family.

“It was hard to keep it secret!” Christine (54) chuckles. “No-one in my family knew. When it was announced, my daughter, who is also a textile designer, and I were having a chat over breakfast and I asked her, ‘Guess who wove that blanket for the royal baby?’ She said, ‘Oh, who?’, so she had no idea!”

The blanket is woven out of pure wool from Corriedale sheep, sourced from the Anna Gratton mill in Feilding. It features a beautiful motif of the manuka plant to represent New Zealand’s native flora and fauna.

And it truly was a labour of love for the Wellington weaver who, even three years ago, could have never dreamed that one of her own designs would be on its way to royalty.

Christine began her career studying to become a plant physiologist and then later began working in biomedical research. Her love for creating and designing remained just a hobby for much of her life.