Australia's republican prime minister Julia Gillard has raised eyebrows after being photographed knitting a kangaroo toy for the royal baby.
The photoshoot for the Australian Women’s Weekly depicts Ms Gillard in an armchair with her dog Reuben at her feet.
The pictures have been branded “contrived” and “remarkable” in parts of the Australian media. Ms Gillard has traditionally rejected feminine images.
She admitted “this feels slightly absurd” during the photoshoot.
The prime minister said she decided to knit the kangaroo for the baby of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge as a gift, saying it would be “a cute project to work on”.
She insisted she had not changed her views that Australia should be a republic: “I campaigned for a yes case. We will get there again.
“There is a real sense of respect for the Queen, so I do think a natural moment to look again will be when her reign comes to an end.”
