George Gets a New Car Seat for New Zealand Leg of Tour
- princegeorgepieces
- Apr 5, 2014
- 2 min read
We in the blogosphere aren’t the only ones anxiously waiting for the Cambridge’s immanant New Zealand arrival. As last minute preparations are being made, a photo surfaced this morning of the car seat George will be using while in the New Zealand leg of the Royal Tour. Plunket car seat services technician, Aethalia O'Connor, recently installed a Maxi-Cosi car seat in the vehicle the Cambridges will be using while in the country. The only problem? The car seat was installed facing forward, a practice generally considered unsafe for children under the age of two and one which Plunket has traditionally discouraged. Let the controversy begin.
Plunket is the largest provider of free support for the development, health, and wellbeing of children under five in New Zealand. They offer a variety of services including parent groups, education, toy libraries, playgroups, and car seat rentals. They’re a pretty neat organization, and you’ll be hearing more about them in the next couple of days as Prince George will be attending a Plunket Nurse and Parents group at the New Zealand Government House on April 9.
Prince George will be riding comfortably in his new Maxi-Cosi car seat, even if facing forward. Maxi-Cosi, a company with roots in the Netherlands, is now Canadian owned by Dorel Industries and has a global presence. We at Prince George Pieces believe the model of the seat to be the Tobi Toddler Car Seat created specifically for international Maxi-Cosi customers and retailing for about $500 New Zealand Dollars (about $430 US). Unfortunately, this model is not available to US customers right now, but Maxi-Cosi offers plenty of excellent American alternatives. We like the Pria model, which retails in the States for $250.
In response to the installation protests, Plunket says the car seat and its direction were requested by Kensington Palace. “While it is Plunket's practice to recommend rear-facing seats for an eight month old, there is no legal requirement to do so. The final decision on the selection and installation of a child restraint rests with the parent or caregiver.”
* Photo credit: Plunket
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UPDATE
4/6/14
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