Two days following the birth of HRH Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge to TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Royal Household, via the Royal Collection Trust, was pleased to unveil an exclusive range of official royal baby commemorative china to celebrate the joyous occasion.
Royal Baby Commemorative Limited Edition Loving Cup, £195, courtesy of The Royal Collection Trust
Describing the new collection as “contemporary in style, while maintaining the traditional formality of royal commemorative china,” Nuala McGourty, retail director for the Royal Collection Trust, said “the design also makes reference to the heritage of both parents.”
Royal Baby Commemorative Pillbox, £30.00, courtesy of The Royal Collection Trust
Gilded in 22-carat gold on the finest powder blue and white bone china, the royal baby collection features the golden coronet of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge resting on a pillow supported by the golden lion and silver unicorn which adorn the Duke’s coat of arms.
According to W. Cecil Wade’s “The Symbolisms of Heraldry or A Treatise on the Meanings and Derivations of Armorial Bearings“, the crown on a pillow “marks royal authority”, and the azure firmament that forms the background denotes loyalty and truth. The golden lion supporting the pillow symbolizes “deathless courage”, while the silver unicorn signifies “extreme courage.” God’s infinite goodness is depicted in the multitude of little white stars or “estoiles” which reflect peace and sincerity. Finally, the oak leaves bordering the scrolls are taken from the Middletons’ family crest, and are symbolic of West Berkshire, the Duchess of Cambridge’s birthplace.
Royal Baby Commemorative Dessert Plate, £45.00, courtesy of The Royal Collection Trust
Crafted entirely by hand using time-tested ancestral techniques dating back 250 years, the elegant collection was created in Staffordshire, England by the same Stoke-on-Trent pottery centre commissioned by the Royal Household to produce the official china for the Royal Wedding of 2011, Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, and this year’s 60th anniversary of the Coronation.
According to the Trust’s official press release, “The official commemorative range includes a pillbox (£30.00), a small loving cup (£39.00), a dessert plate (£45.00) and a limited-edition loving cup (£195.00), of which 2,013 will be produced.”
Royal Baby Commemorative Small Loving Cup, £39.00, courtesy of The Royal Collection Trust
Each item of the Royal Baby Commemorative China Collection comes “wrapped in exclusively designed Royal Baby tissue paper, and is presented in an exclusive Royal Collection Trust gift box with an information card.”
Other items in the Royal Baby Collection include a Royal Baby Limited Edition teddy bear (£95.00), a tea towel (£8.95), velvet cushion (£85.00), a silver tankard (£85.00), a silver charm (£30.00), and Christmas tree decorations ranging from £12.95 to £15.95.
Rounding out the Collection is The Royal Baby Book: A Souvenir Album, “the latest in Royal Collection Trust’s best-selling series of Souvenir Albums”.
“From the first pair of shoes, embroidered with tiny crowns, to golden rattles and lost teeth, this new book (…) tells the story of royal babies, from Queen Victoria to Prince William. The Royal Baby Book is the official souvenir publication to mark the birth of a son to The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and ends with a celebration of the newest arrival.
Here are the dolls and teddy bears, the prams and cots, tricycles, and the locks of hair that all parents treasure, together with the little notes in childish scrawl, the family photographs and the first dainty sets of ‘best clothes’. Using a wealth of previously unpublished items and documents from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives, it sheds light on the lives of these seven royal babies from infancy and babyhood to first steps and arrival at school.”
Priced at £9.95, the souvenir album will be available for order on August 19, 2013.
“All profits from the sale of the china are dedicated to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, which receives no public funding, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational programmes.”
Photo credit: The Royal Collection Trust via PicSelect
Information: courtesy of The Royal Collection Trust
