Camilla 'excited' for baby arrival

The Duchess of Cornwall has revealed it is not just the nation waiting for the royal baby to be born as she joined the Queen at a festival celebrating her coronation.

As the best of British was showcased in the gardens of Buckingham Palace for the monarch, Camilla described how she was "excited" about the impending royal birth and eagerly awaiting a phone call.

The Prince of Wales, who will become a grandfather for the first time, said "It won't be long now" when he saw a range of commemorative china that will mark the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's new baby.

In glorious summer sunshine, the Queen toured the Coronation Festival organised by the Royal Warrant Holders Association in the Palace's gardens.

The manicured lawns of the Queen's official residence were covered with pavilions and marquees featuring more than 200 brands which have supplied goods or services for at least five years to the Households of the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh or the Prince of Wales.

And the monarch travelled around the sprawling site in an unusual form of royal travel - a golf buggy. The electric cart is one of the three owned by the Royal Collection Trust and at one point Charles and Camilla joined her on the silent vehicle.

Around 60,000 visitors are expected to attend the four-day event displaying British "innovation, excellence and industry".

As Camilla toured the site, she met Andrew Love, deputy chairman of the Ritz, and his wife Amanda. Mrs Love asked the Duchess: "I bet you are on tenterhooks waiting for the birth," and she replied: "Yes we are very excited. Immensely looking forward to it and waiting for the phone call."

When Charles was shown a range of commemorative Caverswall china to mark the imminent birth of the royal baby, the Prince told Trevor Johnson, the firm's managing director: "Ah, you're doing that. Well, it won't be long now."

The Festival had relatively little baby-related paraphernalia. However one of the few things on show were the baby announcement cards made by stationer Wren Press, which made the invitations for Charles and Camilla's wedding.