Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sent Finnish baby box

Heidi Liesivesi, spokeswoman for Kela, the Finnish social security office that distributes the box, said: “Kela wanted to congratulate the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The maternity package gained such a positive response from all around the world. The timing was perfect that the royal couple are having a baby."

A spokesperson from the palace told the BBC: “We were delighted to receive the very kind gift of the maternity package from the Finnish government. It was a very thoughtful gesture and we’re very grateful for it. I'm sure the duke and duchess will be very interested to see the contents."

The box contains a range of clothing, including a snowsuit, bib, romper and baby-grows; a hooded bath towel, hairbrush, nappy cream, a wash cloth, a toothbrush, a bath thermometer, nail scissors, cloth nappy set, muslin squares, a picture book, a teething toy, condoms and breast pads. The box itself doubles as a crib and comes with a mattress, mattress cover and sleeping bag.

The scheme has been going for 75 years. Titta Vayrynen, a 35-year-old Finnish mother of two boys told the BBC: “There was a recent report saying that Finnish mums are the happiest in the world, and the box was one thing that came to my mind. We are very well taken care of, even now when some public services have been cut down a little.”