The souvenir that will get you to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding
It may not be the most eye-catching royal wedding souvenir but it is probably the most useful.
A special edition Oyster card will go on sale eight days before Prince William and Kate Middleton get married.
The world's most popular travel smartcard, with more than 43 million issued since 2003, has never been adapted as a souvenir before.
But it follows a tradition set in 1981 when London Transport issued its first £2 travel card for spectators at the wedding of Charles and Diana.
A total of 750,000 of the royal Oysters will be sold across every Tube station and at railway stations already selling the cards.
Buyers will have to spend at least £10 per card - £5 deposit plus a minimum of £5 credit to pay for journeys. If they are kept as souvenirs and not returned TfL stands to make between £3.75 million and £7.5 million.
Boris Johnson said: "Just as royal wedding fever starts to take hold in the city, this fantastic commemorative Oyster card is a great chance for Londoners and visitors to have a slice of the action as a fabulous memento of the happy day.
"I would also recommend the card to the happy couple as the cheapest, easiest way of getting around this city, especially as it bears their resemblance."
The card features a portrait of the couple taken at St James's Palace last November when they revealed that they had got engaged in Kenya three weeks earlier. The text reads: "To commemorate the marriage of Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton 29 April 2011." It comes in a black plastic wallet sponsored by MasterCard.
With around one million people expected to travel to central London for the wedding, TfL has promised to run a full service.
However many bus routes will be diverted as a result of road closures stretching from Waterloo bridge to Piccadilly and Hyde Park Corner.
TfL commissioner Peter Hendy said: "London's transport network will play a key role in helping people travel to the wedding celebrations, so it is appropriate that we commemorate the day with a limited edition Oyster card. I'm sure they will be a hugely popular souvenir of the day while ensuring Londoners and visitors get the cheapest fares for their journeys."
TfL was attracted to the idea of making money from souvenir editions of the Oyster card after seeing the way Hong Kong had marketed its Octopus card.
The Octopus was the world's first electronic travel smart card and has been used to mark Chinese New Year - the first being Year of the Pig in 2007 and film premieres, such as the animated Chinese blockbuster Dragon Blade.
If the initiative is successful, TfL plans to issue souvenir Oysters next year for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations and for the Olympics.
