A king is born
Welcome to Prince George, who was born at 4.24pm on Monday, 22 July. I remember when Prince William was born after his parents’ fairytale wedding. It was a time of hope and prosperity. The public adored the young Princess Diana and were excited to see the new baby, spending a fortune on collectables to celebrate the baby, even before the name and gender were known.
Fast forward around 30 years and it’s a very different time economically, so much so that many firms did not release any information at all until the 8lb 6oz baby boy was born and named. Some of the big producers of memorabilia have no plans to create anything at all to celebrate the birth. And I’m sad that there won’t be a Bell’s Whisky decanter as no more are being produced to mark Royal occasions. Just as well – I still have my ones (still full, surprisingly enough), for the births of Princes William and Harry.
Many firms waited until the baby boy was safely born before revealing what they will be producing, including the Royal Collection. This is very different from previous years when goods were available long before the birth.
1. Emma Bridgewater’s mug for HRH Prince George 2. Spode’s Royal Baby range, in the brand’s classic blue and white, includes a dresser plate, round tray and mugs. It would have been made in pink for a princess: perhaps next time?
Royal Crown Derby announced some gender-free pieces in advance, with promises of more to come, bearing the name of the most eagerly anticipated baby since Prince William. My favourite piece is Royal Crown Derby’s rocking horse ornament (£145). There is also a nursery box (£115) and picture frame (£125) in the same design and 22-carat gold-leaf detail. There are three toy building blocks incorporated into the pattern containing the initials of William and Catherine, with the third containing the baby’s initial. It’s a lovely idea and ideal for collectors with its relatively small limited edition of just 750 pieces.
The company will also be releasing a Prince Teddy Bear. Everything was ready for the big announcement, with designs for a Princess Bear prepared for any future PrinPrincess Cambridges, I hope. Other pieces include a Gadroon plate, a loving cup and a newspaper-seller bear with the headline ‘It’s a Prince’.
Royal Crown Derby has released several pieces to celebrate other Royal events, including the births of Princes William and Harry, in traditional plates and tankards, including a loving cup. The pottery has a huge following with collectors because of the quality of its goods and its stylish celebration of Royal occasions.
Royal Crown Derby: 01332-712833, www.royalcrownderby.co.uk
3. & 4. Royal Crown Derby is producing a range of fi gures, including this rocking horse and newspaper seller bear 5. Gadroon limitededition plate, by Royal Crown Derby
At the moment, Royal Doulton has no plans to release anything, which is disappointing, as it has always created some wonderful and highly collectable pieces, including a china doll of Prince William in his christening robes and also as an infant. Produced in a limited edition of 2,500, they were created in association with the top doll firm, House of Nisbet. It’s interesting that the then unnamed baby was released as just Royal Baby Doll, nameless and genderless, with the certificate stating that the christening robes were based on those worn by Prince Charles and other Royal babies for more than 100 years, and created by Peggy Nisbet’s daughter, Alison Wilson.
Spode and Royal Worcester are both producing ranges, with the Blue Room series from Spode incorporating a dresser plate (£20); round tray (£12) and mug (£15) in classic Spode blue and white for the new prince. I am a little disappointed that we won’t be having a Queen Alexandra in three generations, especially as the same range was to have been produced in pink for a princess. They will be decorated with the baby’s name and date of birth. Spode’s sister company, Royal Worcester, is creating a matching mica, platinum and gold-decorated coupe plate (£37.50); loving cup (£35); round tray (£25) and mug (£17.50), which will be presented as collectable keepsakes. It’s a very appealing range.
Portmeirion (Spode and Royal Worcester): 01782-744721, www.portmeirion.co.uk
One of my favourite-ever Royal Baby collectables turned out to be quite scandalous when Carlton Ware infamously breached the copyright of Roger Law and Peter Fluck of Spitting Image fame, and produced a range of egg cups based on the Royal Family, including a screaming Royal Baby – Prince William. The all-white pieces just had Fluck & Law written underneath and were not signed Carlton Ware. A police raid saw the pieces being smashed, apart from those already sold – or smuggled out – which is why quite a few still survive.
6. Royal Worcester’s stylish Royal Birth collection
Humorous memorabilia is the sign of a good Royal collectable outside the traditional market, and that’s been captured perfectly by Thea Cutting with her range of handpainted Royal Baby pieces. These include a hanging heart ornament (£22), perfect for suspending over a baby’s crib; a mug (£28) and three sizes of plates (£40 to £60). Thea will handpaint the pieces to order (allow four to six weeks), making each one unique – even including the baby’s names and weight, if requested. It’s interesting that this is the heaviest of the Royal babies, despite the Duchess of Cambridge being so small throughout her pregnancy, a blessing in this heatwave.
Gallery Thea: 01502-722433, www.gallerythea.co.uk
Emma Bridgewater is a firm favourite and I collect her pieces myself, so I’ll be buying not just a Gallery Thea mug but also an Emma Bridgewater half-pint spongeware mug (£19.95) in a soon-to-be released design.
Emma Bridgewater: 0844-243 9266, www.emmabridgewater.co.uk
There won’t be the huge number of pieces produced compared with former days, but those that I’ve discovered are well worth buying.
How To Deal In Antiques, by Fiona Shoop (How To Books, £16.99).
Is this the ultimate collectable?
The most exclusive collectable of them all is a one-o ff, jewel-encrusted, white-gold charm bracelet created by the renowned jewellery designer, Theo Fennell. It was designed for Sudocrem, with a little white gold pot and 24 rubies forming the perfect miniature nappy-cream holder – ideal for any royal nappy rash.
The initials of the baby will be engraved on a stylish disc to sit alongside the miniature pot, and the piece will be auctioned on behalf of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices where the Duchess is a patron. It is a lovely gift and my favourite of all the pieces being produced (especially as I use Sudocrem for my Doberman’s sore chin).
Fast forward around 30 years and it’s a very different time economically, so much so that many firms did not release any information at all until the 8lb 6oz baby boy was born and named. Some of the big producers of memorabilia have no plans to create anything at all to celebrate the birth. And I’m sad that there won’t be a Bell’s Whisky decanter as no more are being produced to mark Royal occasions. Just as well – I still have my ones (still full, surprisingly enough), for the births of Princes William and Harry.
Many firms waited until the baby boy was safely born before revealing what they will be producing, including the Royal Collection. This is very different from previous years when goods were available long before the birth.
1. Emma Bridgewater’s mug for HRH Prince George 2. Spode’s Royal Baby range, in the brand’s classic blue and white, includes a dresser plate, round tray and mugs. It would have been made in pink for a princess: perhaps next time?Royal Crown Derby announced some gender-free pieces in advance, with promises of more to come, bearing the name of the most eagerly anticipated baby since Prince William. My favourite piece is Royal Crown Derby’s rocking horse ornament (£145). There is also a nursery box (£115) and picture frame (£125) in the same design and 22-carat gold-leaf detail. There are three toy building blocks incorporated into the pattern containing the initials of William and Catherine, with the third containing the baby’s initial. It’s a lovely idea and ideal for collectors with its relatively small limited edition of just 750 pieces.
The company will also be releasing a Prince Teddy Bear. Everything was ready for the big announcement, with designs for a Princess Bear prepared for any future PrinPrincess Cambridges, I hope. Other pieces include a Gadroon plate, a loving cup and a newspaper-seller bear with the headline ‘It’s a Prince’.
Royal Crown Derby has released several pieces to celebrate other Royal events, including the births of Princes William and Harry, in traditional plates and tankards, including a loving cup. The pottery has a huge following with collectors because of the quality of its goods and its stylish celebration of Royal occasions.
Royal Crown Derby: 01332-712833, www.royalcrownderby.co.uk
3. & 4. Royal Crown Derby is producing a range of fi gures, including this rocking horse and newspaper seller bear 5. Gadroon limitededition plate, by Royal Crown DerbyAt the moment, Royal Doulton has no plans to release anything, which is disappointing, as it has always created some wonderful and highly collectable pieces, including a china doll of Prince William in his christening robes and also as an infant. Produced in a limited edition of 2,500, they were created in association with the top doll firm, House of Nisbet. It’s interesting that the then unnamed baby was released as just Royal Baby Doll, nameless and genderless, with the certificate stating that the christening robes were based on those worn by Prince Charles and other Royal babies for more than 100 years, and created by Peggy Nisbet’s daughter, Alison Wilson.
Spode and Royal Worcester are both producing ranges, with the Blue Room series from Spode incorporating a dresser plate (£20); round tray (£12) and mug (£15) in classic Spode blue and white for the new prince. I am a little disappointed that we won’t be having a Queen Alexandra in three generations, especially as the same range was to have been produced in pink for a princess. They will be decorated with the baby’s name and date of birth. Spode’s sister company, Royal Worcester, is creating a matching mica, platinum and gold-decorated coupe plate (£37.50); loving cup (£35); round tray (£25) and mug (£17.50), which will be presented as collectable keepsakes. It’s a very appealing range.
Portmeirion (Spode and Royal Worcester): 01782-744721, www.portmeirion.co.uk
One of my favourite-ever Royal Baby collectables turned out to be quite scandalous when Carlton Ware infamously breached the copyright of Roger Law and Peter Fluck of Spitting Image fame, and produced a range of egg cups based on the Royal Family, including a screaming Royal Baby – Prince William. The all-white pieces just had Fluck & Law written underneath and were not signed Carlton Ware. A police raid saw the pieces being smashed, apart from those already sold – or smuggled out – which is why quite a few still survive.
6. Royal Worcester’s stylish Royal Birth collectionHumorous memorabilia is the sign of a good Royal collectable outside the traditional market, and that’s been captured perfectly by Thea Cutting with her range of handpainted Royal Baby pieces. These include a hanging heart ornament (£22), perfect for suspending over a baby’s crib; a mug (£28) and three sizes of plates (£40 to £60). Thea will handpaint the pieces to order (allow four to six weeks), making each one unique – even including the baby’s names and weight, if requested. It’s interesting that this is the heaviest of the Royal babies, despite the Duchess of Cambridge being so small throughout her pregnancy, a blessing in this heatwave.
Gallery Thea: 01502-722433, www.gallerythea.co.uk
Emma Bridgewater is a firm favourite and I collect her pieces myself, so I’ll be buying not just a Gallery Thea mug but also an Emma Bridgewater half-pint spongeware mug (£19.95) in a soon-to-be released design.
Emma Bridgewater: 0844-243 9266, www.emmabridgewater.co.uk
There won’t be the huge number of pieces produced compared with former days, but those that I’ve discovered are well worth buying.
How To Deal In Antiques, by Fiona Shoop (How To Books, £16.99).
Is this the ultimate collectable?
The most exclusive collectable of them all is a one-o ff, jewel-encrusted, white-gold charm bracelet created by the renowned jewellery designer, Theo Fennell. It was designed for Sudocrem, with a little white gold pot and 24 rubies forming the perfect miniature nappy-cream holder – ideal for any royal nappy rash. The initials of the baby will be engraved on a stylish disc to sit alongside the miniature pot, and the piece will be auctioned on behalf of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices where the Duchess is a patron. It is a lovely gift and my favourite of all the pieces being produced (especially as I use Sudocrem for my Doberman’s sore chin).