Hat brand stops taking orders after Archie causes sell out in two days

The Duchess of Sussex was gifted the hat during the royal tour of New Zealand in 2018

(PA)

A hat worn by Archie Harrison in a picture posted on New Year’s Day has caused such a buying frenzy that the manufacturer has stopped taking orders.

The Sussexes shared an Instagram photograph of the royal baby and his father Prince Harry on 1 January while on holiday in Canada.

In the image, Archie is wearing a merino wool beanie hat, which was given to his mother Meghan Markle during the royal tour of New Zealand in 2018.

The hat was made by community knitting group, Make Give Live, which donates one hat to charity for every hat sold to a customer.

Becky Smith, co-founder of the social enterprise, gave the hat to Markle when she was pregnant with Archie, and was surprised when she saw it pop up on Instagram.

In a post on the brand’s social media, Ms Smith wrote: “We are so happy to see that the gorgeous little Make Give Live hat that Archie got before he was born has kept his head warm this year.”

But being catapulted into the spotlight also caused a surge in orders, with thousands placed in the first 48 hours of 2020.

Because the group uses volunteers to make the hats in community venues like libraries and cafes, they have decided to pause orders so workers don’t feel pressure to meet demand.

On the Make Give Live website, a statement reads: “All our products are handmade by our community groups and so, any orders placed now will experience a delay in delivery.

“Please sign up to our newsletter to be kept up to date with stock availability. Thank you so much for your patience and support.”

Make Give Live was founded in 2016 as a way to encourage community, decrease loneliness, and improve mental health by bringing people together to knit and talk and a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

For every hat sold, another is donated to a “Kiwi in need” through charities working with homeless people or other vulnerable groups.

There are currently 11 groups stitching hats, including one for newly arrived refugees at the Mangere resettlement centre in Auckland.