Official Platinum Jubilee commemorative range goes on sale
Release date: Monday 8 November 2021
A range of official chinaware produced by Royal Collection Trust has gone on sale today to celebrate the forthcoming Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen in 2022. Each item of English fine bone china is made by hand in Stoke-on-Trent using methods and techniques that have remained unchanged for 250 years. From the development of initial designs and creation of individual moulds, to the hand-finishing with 22-carat gold and manufacture of special packaging, the production process encompasses the skills of over 50 individuals from several factories at the heart of the Potteries.
The design and colour scheme of the range take inspiration from Her Majesty’s Robe of Estate, worn on the Coronation Day, 2 June 1953. Set against a deep purple background, it features golden olive leaves and ears of wheat, symbolising peace and plenty. The central feature is a coat of arms with the national emblems of the United Kingdom: roses, shamrocks, thistles and daffodils. This is framed by a circular border of oak leaves, signifying strength, stability and longevity.
The official chinaware range includes a teacup and saucer (£65.00), mug (£25.00), tankard (£40.00), side plate (£40.00) and pillbox (£45.00). A range of limited-edition commemorative pieces will be introduced in the coming months. The lilac and purple cardboard packaging, which is also made by hand in Stoke-on-Trent, features a gold Platinum Jubilee emblem and is fully recyclable. Platinum Jubilee handmade hanging decorations are available in time for Christmas, including a fine bone china bauble (£45.00), a velvet roundel decoration (£19.95) and a crown decoration (£25.00).
Hand-cut crystal tot glasses (£18.95) are sandblasted and engraved with a Platinum Jubilee emblem. A set of souvenir spoons (£35), made in County Durham using English lead-free pewter, are plated in 24-carat gold and each topped with a hand-painted Coronation motif: an orb, a sceptre, a crown and a throne.
A complementary range of commemorative items has also gone on sale, including a magnet (£3.95) and a chocolate bar (£3.95). Cotton tea towels (£9.95) are printed in Northern Ireland while shortbread biscuits (£6.95 for a large tube and £2.95 for a mini tube) are baked in Scotland.
The commemorative retail range also includes the official Platinum Jubilee souvenir publication, The Queen: 70 Glorious Years (£19.95). This beautifully produced hardback book features 77 photographs chosen to illustrate memorable events in the reign of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. Formal photographs of Her Majesty undertaking official duties on occasions such as the Coronation, the State Opening of Parliament and Trooping the Colour are shown alongside informal family pictures of The Queen as a young girl, wife and mother, on holiday and enjoying the company of her children and dogs.
Each photograph is accompanied by resonant quotations from speeches given by Her Majesty throughout her reign, from her wartime Children’s Hour radio broadcast at the age of 14 and her first televised Christmas Day broadcast in 1957 to her speeches welcoming Commonwealth leaders and US Presidents to Buckingham Palace or responding to the warm hospitality extended to her on State Visits around the world.
All profits from sales of the official chinaware range and commemorative items go to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity, for the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational programmes.
Ends
Products can be purchased online from www.rct.uk/shop, and will be sold in Royal Collection Trust shops at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace and on Buckingham Palace Road, and at Royal Collection Trust shops at Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
For further information, imagery and samples please contact the Royal Collection Trust Press Office, +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected].