Prince William and Kate have already received their first gift for the new royal baby

Prince William has already received the first gift for his third child, despite Kensington Palace only confirming that wife Kate was expecting again at the beginning of this month.

William, who is already dad to Prince George, four, and Princess Charlotte, two, was bestowed with three hard-carved wooden owls during a recent appearance at Spitalfields Crypt Trust in London - one for each of his offspring.

After receiving the presents, William remarked that they were 'very nice' and thanked the creators for their efforts, adding: 'Thanks very much. Yes, we don't want arguments.'

'We thought it would be nice to give three owls, so a, there was no fighting amongst the kids!' The Spitalfield's Crypt Trust's Director of Services, Sheona Alexander, said to HELLO! magazine of the unique idea.

'And b, it follows a whole story for someone from the very start of their journey to then becoming a trainee within Restoration Station.'

During his visit to the centre, William also met with a participant who was now a trainee midwife, and joked of his impending new arrival: 'All the best with the midwifery, I may see you sooner than you think.'

Restoration Station is a not-for-profit organisation run by the Spitalfields Crypt Trust addiction charity, providing routine, structure and support, plus the opportunity to learn new skills, for people going through recovery. Each student who goes through the project begins by making an owl, just like the trio that the prince was given.

It's not unusual for royal children to be showered with gifts, with William and Kate having collected a wide array of items on behalf of their young family during many of their engagements.

In fact, in January 2017, it was reported that George and Charlotte had been given a staggering 165 presents during their week-long tour of Canada alone, ranging from Lego from the Mayor of Vancouver, to a pair of shoes from the Mayor of Victoria.