An official range of royal wedding china to mark the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton went on sale yesterday.
The three pieces – a tankard, plate and pill box – by the Royal Collection have been personally approved by the Prince and his fiancee.
Handcrafted in English fine bone china and featuring 22-carat gold, each item has been decorated with the couple’s entwined initials.
The prince’s coronet appears above the letters – W in gold and C in silver – and written in a circle are the words – “To celebrate the marriage of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton 29th April 2011”.
An official of the Royal Collection said its staff had been employed flat out since the engagement was announced on November 16,
She said: “The Royal Collection has been working on the design since around the time of the engagement – it’s a very fast moving process.”
Nuala McGourty, the Royal Collection’s director of retail, said: “The Royal Collection has always supported the traditional skills and craftsmanship of the Stoke-on-Trent potteries. With the official commemorative range of bone china for the forthcoming royal wedding, we are proud to continue to champion products made in England.
“The tankard, plate and pill box have been exclusively designed for the Royal Collection and approved by His Royal Highness Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton.
“Each English fine bone china piece bears the couple’s entwined initials in gold and silver surmounted by Prince William’s coronet and the wedding date.
“Doves, white ribbons, and hearts in silver, gold and grey, set against a pale-grey striped background, decorate the whole range.”
Inside the tankard are rows of tiny hearts and two silver doves holding a gold wedding ring.
The royal wedding china has been created by Royal Collection designers and is handmade exclusively for the organisation in Stoke-on-Trent using methods that have remained unchanged for 250 years.
She said how each item was individually decorated and then embellished with several layers of burnished gold and platinum before a final layer of gilding in 22-carat gold is applied by hand.
All pieces come in a presentation box and are wrapped in white tissue paper printed with designs inspired by the wall hangings in Clarence House.
The tankard costs £35, the eight-inch plate £40 and pill box £25.
They are available from the Royal Collection website and its shops at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and will also be sold at Balmoral, Highgrove and Sandringham.
All profits from the sale of the royal wedding range are dedicated to the Royal Collection Trust.