A NOTTINGHAM family have spoken of their delight after Prince Harry took their teddy home to parents-to-be Prince William and Princess Kate.
Laura Kanikowski and her 11-month-old daughter Phoebe called out to the Prince as he left brain injury charity Headway, in Basford – the first stop on his Nottingham visit last Thursday.
Despite being about to leave, he went back to the gathered crowd, where the mother and daughter handed over the grey bear.
Before he took the gift, Prince Harry asked Mrs Kanikowski: "Are you sure you want to give it to me? She doesn't look very happy."
Mrs Kanikowski assured him that Phoebe was only downcast due to the long wait and that the Tatty Teddy, decorated with a rose and a ribbon, had been bought especially for him.
The Prince was later pictured arriving back at Kensington Palace still holding the bear, which is believed to have passed on to Prince William and Princess Kate.
"He said thank you very much and then moved on to a little girl next to us who wanted to give him some flowers," recalled Mrs Kanikowski, of Watnall.
"I said to my husband about getting a teddy bear and he said to just get some flowers because he didn't think I'd get close enough to give it to him, but I thought the teddy would be nicer.
"Phoebe hasn't got a clue about any of it because she's not even one yet, but she did look at him and stop crying when he started speaking to us.
"The main reason I went was to get a photo of Phoebe with him in the background because I thought it would be nice for her – and now she's going to have so much to look back on. It will just be amazing for her to know this has happened."
Mrs Kanikowski, a teaching assistant at Southwark Primary School, in Basford, was on a day off on Thursday but went along to the Headway headquarters with the rest of the school.
She bought the bear from Tesco for £3.96.
She added: "I always assume the royals get so many gifts that they are given to charity, so to think that it will be kept and given to the new royal baby makes it very special."
Phoebe's dad, Paul Kanikowski, 38, was amazed when he saw the soft toy making national headlines over the weekend.
"I can't belive it," he said. "They only had about a minute's chat with him then handed the bear over and that was it really. The royals get so many gifts it's unbelievable that this little teddy has caused such a stir, but obviously I'm really proud."
Prince Harry was in Nottingham to officially open the Headway offices in Bagnall Road. He also visited Russell Youth Club, in St Ann's, and the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, in the city centre.
A spokesman for St James' Palace said he assumed the Tatty Teddy now had a permanent home with the young royals.
He added: "It was obviously gratefully received, as are all gifts."
