The newborn royal baby and third in line to the throne is to be named ‘Tea Party’ after the Windsors’ favourite folk-rock band, an unexpected statement from Buckingham Palace has revealed.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have been fans of Blackbeard’s Tea Party – the riotous folk-rock band known for their contemporary arrangements of traditional music – since the release of their second album ‘Whip Jamboree’ in April of this year.

‘We love their upbeat folk party vibe,’ William said. ‘Whenever we put that CD on, Kate could feel the little blighter kicking and dancing around in her tummy.’

The band are said to be ‘utterly indifferent’ at the news that the Royal baby will be named after them.

‘We’d originally planned to name our baby ‘Blackbeard’ until someone pointed out that naming a future royal after a pirate might be in poor taste,’ the Duchess of Cambridge told us. ‘So ‘Tea Party’ was the obvious choice. It doesn’t have any negative connotations.’

Blackbeard’s Tea Party remain unphased by the newfound interest they have received and won’t be resting on their laurels. They have a full summer of festivals, followed by a UK tour in the autumn. For full details visit www.blackbeardsteaparty.com/gigs.php