Liverpool:
A glut of mugs and other souvenirs featuring Prince William and Kate Middleton is set to flood stores in a sales bonanza not seen since the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.
Souvenir-makers are rubbing their hands with glee mindful that memorabilia of the 1981 royal nuptials remain highly sought by collectors.
"Well we've been waiting for an announcement for quite a while now. We've had the design ready since about June. We were just waiting for the final photographs, which came out the other week, and now, since the date was announced, we're in full production now," said Peter Sanders, Director, Prince William Pottery.
Royal wedding memorabilia was pouring off factory production lines after Prince William and Kate Middleton confirmed they're to get married on April 29 next year.
The Prince William Pottery factory in Liverpool is set to manufacture hundreds of thousands of special mugs each bearing the faces of William and Kate enclosed in a heart-shaped design.
The Pottery incidently isn't named after the Prince - but after the street where the company used to be situated when it was founded seventy years ago.
The mugs are expected to sell from around $16 in retail stores and are a traditional way to express the nation's joy at royal weddings.
"The Royals are such a big part of our society and it's a good way to keep a memory, a keepsake of the day," said Peter Sanders, Director, Prince William Pottery:
Industry is also hoping that the marriage date does not change, as it did when the 2005 wedding of Charles and Camilla was postponed a day to April 9 due to the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
The last-minute change meant souvenirs carried the wrong date with manufacturers out of time to produce replacements.
Royal fans can be relied on to snap up mementoes of next year's wedding, from novelty items like tea towels, key rings and fridge magnets to fine china plates and cups.
Previous royal weddings have been marked by commemorative stamps and coins.