Royal souvenirs for the coronation of Charles III: from cups to tea

Tazze, dishes, postcards. The British newspapers have no doubts: to remember the day of today 6 May, the day of the coronation of Charles III and his wife Camilla, you have to bet on coins and stamps: the 50 pence for Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 is already worth £450 on eBay.

The dish is no different memorial commissioned by the Royal Collection Trust and handmade in Staffordshire. Finished in 22-karat gold, it is a limited edition and only a thousand will win it.

A crown for twenty pounds

But the trinkets of royal souvenirs won’t leave anyone disappointed.

Only the reproduction of the Saint Edward’s Crown can be found even for 20 pounds in any shop in London.

It is the same that the new king will wear,

For this day, live on world television (on Rai 1 from 12), it will also be possible to have fun with street parties. On sale everywhere the “Coronation Quiche”: it is “veg” based on spinach, broad beans, eggs and cheese.

It was approved by Carlo and Camilla themselves.

Charles III: what are really royal souvenirs?

«The tradition of ceramic royal souvenirs, which began with Charles II Stuart, continued with all subsequent sovereigns but literally exploded at the time of the coronation of Elizabeth II, cCharles III seems to have reached the end of the line» actually says Marina Minelli, historic royal influencer.

«In 1953 all the Stoke on Trent pottery companies produced hundreds of cups, teapots, mugs, plates decorated with the heraldic symbols of the kingdom, the monogram but above all with the face of the young sovereign while today we are talking about very few pieces».

A behind the scenes of the awaited “Coronation 2023” that la Minelli analyzes with the gaze of the collector and passionate.

«I was the first in Italy to collect ‘royal commemorative pottery’ and today I own over 1000 pieces».

An important but above all coherent and organic whole, so much so that it is hosted, for temporary exhibitions, also in some museums including the Glauco Lombardi in Parma.

Fascinating objects

‘English memorial pottery is a fascinating object – explains Marina Minelli – because for centuries they have been telling the story of a nation and its monarchy which, even through these simple artifacts, is celebrated and made popular by reaching the homes and daily lives of its subjects».

According to what he says, the first “royal pottery” date back to the mid-seventeenth century, i.e. at the time when Charles II returned to England after years of exile.

The king is practically unknown so someone thinks of painting his portrait (approximate but always with a crown) and his name on plates, jugs and mugs.

The idea is hugely successful and continues even when the Hanoverians arrive. Meanwhile in Staffordshire the pottery district was born and grew where materials and techniques were perfected.

The afternoon tea

In the mid-eighteenth century with the beginning of the industrial revolution and the start of production in series ceramics begin to be accessible to an ever wider segment of the population.
When, a century later, the habit takes hold of the afternoon tea, the homage to the sovereigns and the royal family takes place making them protagonists of the British ritual par excellence.

«My collection – explains Marina Minelli – starts from Queen Victoria but focuses on Elizabeth II, who for me is an absolute and unattainable myth, but the collection is not closed in a closet.

I often use, of course with great care, many plates and cups.

Last November, for example, I organized a commemorative lunch dedicated to the queen and set the table with my ‘commemorative royals’ ».

Charles III: that’s why royal souvenirs are made

Weddings, births, jubilees, travels but above all coronations, or the key moment in the life of a sovereign, are celebrated with a rich and colorful series of objects.

The pottery for Queen Victoria, first portrayed as a young woman and then as an elderly matriarch, is still relatively simple but the ceramics dedicated to his nephew George V are small masterpieces of elegance.

In 1937 George VI takes theThe place of his brother Edward VIII also on the “royal pottery” but the companies risked bankruptcy because they have already produced hundreds of cups in honor of the king who instead abdicates to marry Wallis Simpson.

Royal souvenirs: tastes have changed

With Elizabeth II, consecrated on June 2, 1953, this tradition reaches its moment of maximum splendor, in terms of quantity, variety and artistic quality of the artifacts.

The great popular enthusiasm for the beginning of this new reign means that the ceramics dedicated to the young sovereign are literally snapped up and this success helps the recovery of the ceramic companies after the long and difficult period of the war.

Since 1993, the Royal Collection Trust has had its own line which it sells in the shops of royal palaces and castles, but until the early 2000s, large companies such as Spode, Wedgwood, Mason’s, Churchill, Royal Albert, Burleigh, Emma Bridgewater they continued to produce for major events such as jubilees and royal weddings.

«Today tastes have changed, companies have closed their doors or have transferred their production abroad – observes Marina Minelli – and ‘royal pottery’ is produced in decidedly reduced numbers»

«We have already seen it for the Platinum Jubilee and also for the coronation of Charles III we are talking about a few dozen pieces».

Just to give an example, Burleigh, the last manufacture in Stoke on Trent to work according to traditional techniques and which, among other things, owes its salvation to the Prince’s Trust, has decided not to create celebratory objects for the new king».

In short, also from this point of view the coronation of Charles III will be completely different from that of his predecessors.

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