Royal commemorative china and other items are nothing new – royalty-watchers around the world have collected the items produced to note various royal events since the restoration of Charles II in 1660. That event was so popular and important that potters created commemorative cups and plates as permanent sourvenirs that royalists could purchase and display in their homes.
These early pieces commemorative various events, although perhaps the first royal wedding souvenir was produced only three years later, when Charles II married Catherine of Braganza in 1663. Items in majolica, as well as pewter and glass were all created to celebrate this marriage.
Royal Wedding China: Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
While commemorative pieces were made throughout the reigns of many British monarchs, they were necessarily limited in quantity due to the difficulty in making and transporting affordable china. As pottery for household use became more widely available, manufacturers began to expand their lines of decorative wares. By the time the young Queen Victoria came to the throne, commemorative pottery was well established in Britain.
The immense popularity of Queen Victoria was quickly translated to items commemorating her accession in 1837. Then, three years later, when she and Prince Albert married, all sorts of items flooded onto the market; decorated plates, jugs, bowls, flasks, figurines, and mugs were offered for sale across Britain.
Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, and Princess Alexandra of Denmark
When Victoria’s son, Prince Edward, married Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863, the occasion was kept low-key by the Queen, who remained in mourning after the death of Prince Albert in 1861. The couple was young, attractive, and enjoyed an active social life, and Edward often represented his reclusive mother at public events.
Thus they were popular, and china manufacturers took advantage of their popularity to offer numerous items commemorating their marriage. These highly collectible items ranged from relatively common china plates and cups to busts and figurines. China commemoratives were not the only ones produced – magazine illustrations, photographs, and other paper goods were widely available.
Commemoratives and souvenirs continued to be popular throughout the reign of Edward and Alexandra, and were produced for many occasions other than royal weddings – deaths of royal family members, official visits to various parts of the country, and their silver wedding anniversary, for example.
Prince George, Duke of York, and Princess Mary of Teck
The royal wedding of George, King Edward’s second son, took place in 1893, but there were few commemorative china pieces produced for this occasion. This may be simply because George only became heir to the throne the year before, when his elder brother died, and the public didn’t know him well.
A few plates, teacups, and mugs are known to exist, along with several tins. China commemoratives for the coronation of George and Mary, a visit to Canada, and many other occasions were manufactured at other times during their reign. Playing cards, teapots, toby jugs, and even such things as soap-drainers and candleholders were also created to mark various events in the lives of the King and Queen.
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor
While the marriage of the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VII, and Wallis Warfield Simpson, was hardly a Royal Wedding in one sense, it was the joining of a member of the royal family. Only a couple of china items were created for this event in 1937, and naturally enough, are very hard to find.
George, Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon
When Bertie, as he was known to the family, married Lady Elizabeth in 1923, he was not the heir to the throne, though since his older brother was unmarried, there was a certain amount of public interest, and a few commemorative items were produced. Chocolate tins are the most common, though china mugs were also made. Many more collectibles were created to note other events, but wedding items are relatively rare.
Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten
Princess Elizabeth, heir to the monarchy since her birth, was the subject of much interest as a child and young woman, so that when she married in 1947, the country was entranced. Oddly enough, though, the range of souvenirs was rather limited. Some beautiful Minton china was produced, and a number of smaller companies offered mugs, but most people had to content themselves with cardboard badges and magazine illustrations.
The Queen’s Children
The Queen’s four children can be considered together, as all of their weddings have been commemorated with china, tins, and a variety of other products. Many of these items are readily available in antique shops and from eBay or other online sources.
- Anne and Mark Phillips (1973)
- Charles and Lady Diana Spencer (1981)
- Andrew and Sarah Ferguson (1986)
- Anne and Timothy Laurence (1992)
- Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones (1999)
- Charles and Camilla Shand Parker Bowles (2005)
Collecting Royal Wedding Commemorative China and Souvenirs
For almost 350 years people have been making and collecting china, glass, metal, paper (and more recently, plastic) items that mark events such as weddings in the royal family of Britain. Other countries also produce items to commemorate events in the lives of their public officials and royals, as well as significant current events.
Hobbyists around the world collect an incredible array of items, but royal commemoratives, especially for such happy events as Royal Weddings, always seem to be popular choices. Collectibles for Prince William and Kate Middleton are likely to be in great demand in the U.K. and many other countries.
Sources:
- Hallinan, Lincoln. British Commemoratives, Antique Collector's Club, c1995
- Flynn, Douglas H. and Alan H. Bolton. British Royalty Commemoratives, Schiffer, c1994
Katharine Garstka - Katharine Garstka specializes in genealogical research and in historical and genealogical writing.
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