Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

U.K. ceramic maker rolls out souvenirs for King's May coronation

Share
STOKE-ON-TRENT, England -

With just five weeks before King Charles III's coronation, a British manufacturer of fine bone china is busy making "God Save The King" commemorative plates and mugs for the historic occasion.

Craftspeople at the Duchess China factory in the central England city of Stoke-on-Trent painted delicate gold edges on more teacups and saucers Thursday to make sure there are enough to meet the expected demand for royal souvenirs.

When Charles is crowned at London's Westminster Abbey on May 6, the ceremony will be the U.K.'s first coronation since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was the subject of the same ritual just shy of 70 years earlier. He inherited the throne when Elizabeth died in September.

Duchess China started producing china tableware in 1888. Its range of commemorative china features the Union Jack colours of red, white and blue, and come emblazoned with the words "God Save the King."

The manufacturer said the design was inspired by china produced in the 1930s for the coronation of King George VI, Charles' grandfather.

"We've had (orders) as far afield as New Zealand and over the other side, America. It's really reassuring that the Royal Family are so well liked in all these different countries," Jason Simms, the company's managing director, said.

Simms said Duchess China has struggled in recent years, partly because of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. He hopes the coronation will restore some of the lustre by showcasing Britain's ceramics industry and skilled craftspeople.

"We are using this as a real chance to get across a great British product out into a public domain across the globe," he said.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.