The once-hardened-republican PM, Julia Gillard has revealed yet another soft spot for the Royal Family by admitting that she is in the process of knitting a woollen toy kangaroo for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first child when it’s born next month.
Ms Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia, was regarded as one of the most outspoken advocates of republicanism in Australia until recently when she seems to have begun showing an understanding for the Monarchy and also a soft spot for the future royal baby and future King or Queen of Australia.
Despite still supporting Australia becoming a republic, Julia Gillard said that knitting for the baby of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would be a “cute project to work on”.
“In terms of knitting for Kate’s baby – I knit for babies, in part, because they are smaller projects,” Ms Gillard said. “I’ve got not that much time in my life. You can get them done and there’s a sense of satisfaction in having completed it.”
Ms Gillard has received criticism for what she herself termed a ‘slightly absurd’ setup. She said, “but that’s not all of me. [Knitting the kangaroo] is an opportunity to show a side of me.'”
Ms Gillard indicated the kangaroo would probably not be Australia’s official gift to the royal couple.
“I suspect our nation will probably do something a little more than a stuffed kangaroo,” she said.
