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    The $200 Kate Middleton Barbie

    By Piper Weiss, Shine Staff | Work + Money – Wed, Mar 9, 2011 7:52 PM EST

    The The Move over Princess Barbie, there's a new royal in town. The Franklin Mint has just released a 16-inch plastic version of Kate Middleton. The "Portrait of a Princess" doll is hand-painted, drenched in "simulated" sapphires and diamonds and boasts a price-tag of $195. The Mint, also known as Grand Central Station for royal memorabilia, expects their latest product to break sales records and generate a younger demographic of collectors.

    Kate's not the first Palace bride to be replicated in doll form. The Mint released its own commemorative version of Lady Di in 1997. Since then, several companies have followed suit. The most controversial Di doll was released in 2006 and actually said 25 historic phrases including, "I sit here in sadness." That doll cost under $30.

    This new princess doll doesn't come with a voice box, but it does come with a miniature version of the now-famous blue silk engagement dress and matching faux jewelry. It's also got a "soft vinyl body and chestnut brown handmade wig," which we hope isn't something the doll and the person have in common. Only 5,000 versions of plastic Kate will be for sale worldwide, but come June the Mint will release a second doll. Bridal Kate will be dressed in a replica of the gown she'll have chosen for her April 29 wedding. No wonder Kate's feeling pressure to pick the perfect dress. Ever seen a grown woman dress like Barbie? Very different body types.

    For more on the royal wedding, check out our new site!
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    Related:
    Kate's engagement dress hits the racks
    11 bad Barbie ideas
    Will Kate's dress be a McQueen?
    Kate will wear flats on her wedding day

     

    14 comments

    • judyrae41
      judyrae41  •  1 day 17 hours ago
      My best friend has this doll & in reality, it looks NOTHING like the Princess. It is not a pretty doll at all. It is also NOT a Barbie as it is made by the Franklin Mint. Yet another idiotic story from Piper Weiss.
    • pit bulls bite
      pit bulls bite  •  3 months ago
      pippa ?
    • Miss No Name
      Miss No Name  •  4 months ago
      atleast this barbie's proportions models a REAL PERSON! and its better looking, too
    • kristen
      kristen  •  Houston, Texas  •  4 months ago
      I do not think it should be $200. That is a bit too much for a doll
      • Duchess
        Duchess 1 day 19 hours ago
        Uh... have you seen the price of other collectible dolls? $200 is a darn cheap price! I have friends who have paid over $1,000 for some of their dolls...of course, they're amazing dolls, and definitely rare collectibles made by true artists.
    • Betty
      Betty  •  Pine Plains, New York  •  4 months ago
      Not really ment to be played with. More a collector item. Maybe good investment if you have $200 laying around.
    • Semper Fi !
      Semper Fi !  •  4 months ago
      Most of the barbie dolls are not appropriate toys for kids...they are more designed to suit the fetishes of adults with their unrealistic depiction of bodies!

      As long as we are speaking of dolls for adults...who wants to bet it will not be long before a Pippa-butt barbie comes out? Unless there is already one introduced!
    • BreannaW
      BreannaW  •  4 months ago
      Kate Middleton seems nice and everything, and she's super pretty. But I sure am sick of hearing about her.
    • Saffron
      Saffron  •  1 year 0 months ago
      wow i love it :)
    • witcheryv
      witcheryv  •  Tyler, Texas  •  2 days 0 hours ago
      but now you have a choice from mattels trash dolls, i would rather spend the price of this doll and send a message to mattel that people don't want things like the kartrashians as models for our children
    • mistielovespurple
      mistielovespurple  •  1 year 2 months ago
      Are you kidding me? I still don't get people's obsession with that woman. I get a little annoyed everytime I see an article about her. I hope she doesn't turn out so famous that she turns out like Princess Diana--sometime that kind of fame costs you your life.
    • Louise
      Louise  •  1 year 2 months ago
      Kate Middleton Barbie? I want one, my sister wants one and so does my mother! This doll is beautiful!
    • Piper Weiss, Shine Staff
      Y! Shine Staff Piper Weiss, Shine Staff  •  1 year 2 months ago
      it's a pretty good doll-interpretation of kate though, isn't it? she physically looks closer to the real thing than my marie osmond doll did to her human version.
    • Veronika Bukac
      Veronika Bukac  •  Elmhurst, Illinois  •  4 months ago
      i love kate way better than pippa so glad there isnt a pippa doll!
    • Birdie1234
      Birdie1234  •  1 year 2 months ago
      Is that moment in the blue dress going to be her defining moment? I wish they'd get married and get done with it.
     Post a comment

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