LONDON — A William and Catherine monogram mug? A pair of hand-crafted swan paperweights? A dainty wedding bell, perhaps?

With the array of romantic memorabilia flooding the market, royal fans worldwide don’t have to wait till next year to celebrate Prince William’s wedding.

Since the prince announced his engagement to long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton, souvenir shops and chinaware producers have been inundated with order requests for special edition mugs, plates and assorted collectibles.

“We’ve taken masses of pre-sales orders, and people have actually placed orders on items that they can’t even see pictures of because they’re not available yet,” said Stephen Church, whose family has been selling collectibles from a shop in Northampton for more than 100 years.

Manufacturers had special tableware designed months ago. The official announcement of when (April 29) and where (Westminster Abbey) then ignited the race to cash in.

It’s a retail fever that has gripped people from all corners of the world. There is strong interest from collectors in the U.S. and other countries with no royals, Church said. As for Britons – especially those living overseas – owning royal memorabilia could be a way to connect with their country and display patriotism.

Advertisement

“For the British, it’s a feeling of security,” he said. “It’s part of life’s routine that the royal family is there. Buying commemorative products is part of cherishing them.”

Michael  Douglas, recovering from cancer, ready for next role

LOS ANGELES — Michael Douglas is already looking forward to his next film role. The 66-year-old actor, who has been battling throat cancer since August, told the Hollywood Reporter that he’ll play the title part in Steven Soderbergh’s “Liberace,” which is set to begin shooting in May or June.

Douglas says he will learn in January whether his cancer has been eliminated. Doctors have told him there is an 80 percent cure rate.

He says his cancer diagnosis has brought him closer to his 93-year-old father, Kirk Douglas. The two had a strained relationship for many years, but “he really made an effort” after the diagnosis, Douglas said. “He was back here almost 10 days. He came over every day. He was great.”

Depp: Disney despised his portrayal of pirate 

Advertisement

NEW YORK — Johnny Depp’s flamboyant portrayal of Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean” was good enough for an Oscar nomination, but the actor says Walt Disney Studios was less than thrilled.

Depp talked about it in an interview with rocker Patti Smith for the January edition of Vanity Fair magazine.

He said Disney “couldn’t stand” his Sparrow, and one person there even asked if Sparrow was gay. Depp told the Disney executive “all my characters are gay,” and he said that “really made her nervous.”

Depp’s next role is in the movie “The Tourist” with Angelina Jolie. It opens Dec. 10.

Depp said he felt sorry for the way the paparazzi hunted Jolie during filming, and that they had to be careful not to be photographed too close together so rumors wouldn’t start.

Uma’s stalker re-arrested  

Advertisement

NEW YORK — Officials say a man convicted of stalking Uma Thurman has been arrested in Maryland on charges that he called her office despite a New York court order to leave her alone.

Brooklyn prosecutors say Jack Jordan was arrested in North Potomac, Md., shortly before Thanksgiving. He is being held pending extradition to New York.

The former psychiatric patient was sentenced in 2008 to three years of probation. He was also banned from trying to contact the Oscar-nominated actress for five years.

 


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.