Kate Middleton donated 50 copies of her favourite childhood book to baby bank - and it would make an adorable gift for any child

Kate Middleton has donated 50 copies of her favourite childhood book (and one she also read to Prince George, Charlotte and Louis) to a baby bank, and it would make an adorable gift for any child.

Parents who are struggling financially with the rising cost of living or parents-to-be who find out how much it costs to raise a child might find themselves using a baby bank for essential baby items.

And while families in need want to know where to find your local baby bank others might want to give donations and it operates just like a food bank.

The Princess of Wales visited just one of the outlets - Sebby's Corner in Barnet, northwest London - which is a baby bank that provides a safety net for families in need of food and clothing across Barnet, Hertfordshire and London. Upon meeting the people who run it, Kate donated 50 copies of the children's book The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson.

The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark - was £6.99, now £6.64 | bookshop.org

This book is based on Plop, the Baby Barn Owl, who is like every Barn Owl there ever was, except for one thing – he is afraid of the dark. Filled with gentle humour and giving comforting reassurance to night-time fears and anxieties, Jill Tomlinson’s animal bedtime stories have been enjoyed by children for decades.

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The book is one the Princess used to always read as a child and one which she has since read to all three of her children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, as they've been growing up.

Also, Kate Middleton appeared on CBeebies Bedtime Stories back in 2022 where she gave fans a glimpse into her royal parenting routine and read the book to young viewers who had tuned in.

If you missed it, you catch a glimpse of Kate on CBeebies Bedtime Stories below...

During her visit to the baby bank, Kate helped put the finishing touches to a Santa's Grotto. Bianca Sakol, founder and CEO of Sebby’s Corner, told PEOPLE, "It was so lovely that she brought the books. They were books that she said she enjoyed reading with her children."

She added, "Things are so difficult now with the cost of living crisis and those families who were just getting by last year are now struggling and just can’t make ends meet. That’s what services like ours are there for. Every child should have Christmas and we talked a lot about that and how people can help get involved in supporting that.”

She added, “[The Princess] sat down with some of our families and really chatted with them and she understood where they were coming from. She is so warm and empathetic and really makes them feel comfortable and at ease.” 

In other royal news, Prince George and Princess Charlotte will reportedly ‘attend boarding school together’ after ‘heated debates’ between Prince William, Kate Middleton and King Charles III over the children's future and the one ‘slang’ word no one is ever allowed to call Prince George, Charlotte and Louis - and it’s tricky to avoid.