- Prince William was seen wearing a loom band on a visit to Coventry
- Accessorised his navy suit with a purple and turquoise bracelet
- Plastic loom bands are this summer's hottest accessory craze
- Were popularised by Duchess of Cambridge after she wore on in April
- Harry Styles and David Beckham are among celebrity fans of the bands
Dapper in a navy suit, red and
blue striped tie and a pair of polished dress shoes, the Duke of
Cambridge was every inch the prince as he met well-wishers in Coventry
today.
But
there was one part of his ensemble that wasn't quite so princely - the
turquoise and purple loom band that peeped out from beneath his cuff.
And
Prince William isn't the only royal to succumb to the loom band craze.
The Duchess of Cambridge is also a fan, after being given a red and pink
band by a little girl during the tour of Australia and New Zealand in
April.
Loom band fan: Prince William greets crowds in Coventry while wearing his turquoise and purple loom band
Loom
bands have become one of this summer's biggest trends, with sales
rocketing by 300 per cent over the past three months - thanks in part to
the Kate effect.
Other celebrities to embrace the trend
include David Beckham and Harry Styles, while the Duchess of Cornwall has also given the
trend the royal seal of approval and regularly wears hers.
Also getting involved with the trend is the Middleton family which is selling the bands on their Party Pieces website.
The bands have also proved lucrative for their inventor, US father-of-two Cheong Choon Ng, who came up with the idea last year.
Since then, his company, Rainbow
Looms, has sold more than four million kits - including a plastic loom,
crochet hook and bands – worldwide.
'The loom bands are an absolute phenomenon,' commented Anna Protherough, senior buyer for kids at Hobbycraft.
Looking good: The loom band craze kicked off in April after the Duchess of Cambridge was seen wearing one
Suits you! Prince William wasn't the only person to sport a loom band with many in the crowd doing the same
Sombre: During his visit to the War Memorial Park in Coventry, Prince William laid a wreath in remembrance
'We
began stocking the kits since they originally launched last year and
since the Duchess of Cambridge was seen wearing one, they have been
flying off our shelves.
'The
options for what you can create are endless and these kits really can
keep children entertained for hours, perfect for the summer holidays.’
Back
in Coventry, many of the well-wishers who turned out to meet Prince
William were wearing theirs, with pink and white and red versions all
visible on waving wrists.
The
prince, who was in the West Midlands city to lay a wreath at War
Memorial Park before attending a local sports day, appeared impressed
with the selection and chatted with the crowds before being whisked
away.
As
for the loom bands, with yet another royal happy to show off his love
for the plastic bracelets, it seems the craze could well be here to
stay.
Helping out: After laying the wreath, the prince - and some local children - planted poppy seeds in the park
And action! Prince William rounded off his visit to the park with a game of tennis played with local children
Style setter: Kate shows off the loom band given to her during the Royal Tour of New Zealand in April
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