The royal wedding's teacup gaffe

The image: A teacup celebrating next month's royal nuptials features a very conspicuous — and possibly intentional — mistake. The unofficial souvenir features beaming photographs of Kate Middleton and her husband-to-be, along with flowery adornment. The problem? The man in the picture is not Kate's fiancé, Prince William, but his red-headed brother, Prince Harry. (See for yourself below.) One possible explanation for the mixup is that the mug was manufactured by Guandong Enterprises, a Chinese company. More evidence of the memorabilia's foreign origin: A slightly garbled inscription ("The fairytale romantic union of all the centuries. 29th April 2011."). But perhaps things aren't as they appear. Victoria Ward at The Telegraph notes that the company is registered in England, leading some to suspect an "elaborate spoof." Either way, the mug can be yours for £9.99 (about $16).

The reaction: "Nothing moves 'collectible' merchandise like an error," says Mike Krumboltz at Yahoo!. And the clear mistake on this one "could make it a hot gag item as the big day draws closer." Indeed, the mug's strangeness drives its appeal, says Ali Plumb at Asylum. Among "all the royal wedding memorabilia out there, there can't be too much with Harry on... and it almost makes us want one." Check out the royal mixup:

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