Mattel to issue William and Kate dolls for royal anniversary

Five year old Daisy Robinson poses with the new Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge wedding dolls, made by Arklu and which retail as a pair for 100 pounds (165 US dollars), during their launch at Hamley's toy shop in London August 18, 2011.

(Reuters) - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are really getting dolled up for the first anniversary of their royal wedding.

Mattel Inc, the U.S. maker of Barbie dolls, said this week it will release a special two-doll set this April to mark the one-year anniversary of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding at Westminster Abbey.

The figures, part of Mattel's Barbie Collector series, will come dressed up in doll versions of the duds the couple wore in a ceremony that was viewed by an estimated 3 billion people worldwide.

For William, that means a pint-sized version of his red Irish Guards outfit with a bright blue sash.

For Kate, that means a doll-sized version of the traditional white dress and veil she wore, as well as a teeny-tiny tiara, just like the diamond-studded original she borrowed from Queen Elizabeth.

The price for the two-doll set is $100 and Mattel is taking pre-orders at www.barbiecollector.com.

Other couples in Mattel's Barbie Collector series include country singers Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, as well as TV stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

(Reporting by James B. Kelleher)