Bible museum curator Jean Reid said she bought the special edition Bible along with a life-size Kate and Will cut-out and would hold a special wedding high tea in honour of them.

“We’ve got all the silver trays and tiered cake stands, so it will look a bit posh,” she said.

“We have no idea how many people will come, but it’s a good excuse for a party.”

Unlike the proliferation of Kate and Will mugs, dolls, clothes and even condoms, the royal wedding Bible is a tradition dating from the 17th century.

“They started issuing Bibles for the royal family in 1683. We’ve got some for Queen Victoria’s jubilee and since then they’ve tended to issue Bibles for signature royal occasions,” said Ms Reid.

By coincidence, Ms Reid’s father started collecting Bibles the same year as the last big royal wedding.

“My family was actually in England for Charles and Diana’s wedding in 1981. We bought our plane tickets just before they announced the wedding and airfare prices rose... we happened to get some old Bibles there.”

Ms Reid suspects the short notice of the latest royal engagement explains the somewhat plainer packaging of the Will and Kate edition. “Unfortunately they’ve only got a flimsy cardboard slip with the royal coat of arms,” she said

But that doesn’t bother the museum curator, who with her mother has recently expanded the family’s collection of 1100 Bibles into the shop next door.

“On Friday we’re having princess cakes and cupcakes with Union Jack icing and someone is bringing a chocolate hedgehog cake, which is similar to William’s groom’s cake.”

A high tea fit for a king.