A new range of commemorative china to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is the first to take inspiration from Her Majesty’s coronation robe.
Set against a deep purple background, it features the same gold wheat ears and olive branches that bordered the velvet robe, symbolising peace and prosperity.
The design is framed by a circular border of oak leaves, symbolising strength, stability and longevity, while at its centre is a coat of arms with the national emblems of the UK - roses, shamrocks, thistles and daffodils.
The Robe of Estate was worn by the Queen as she processed out of Westminster Abbey on Coronation Day, June 2, 1953.
The Royal Collection Trust said it was chosen as inspiration because it is so recognisable and evocative of the Coronation, an event many will be reflecting upon during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations next year.
The colour purple also has a longstanding association with royalty dating back to the ancient world, making it “a fitting choice” to mark such a historic event.
The new range is the first of several that will mark next year’s jubilee, with many limited edition pieces to follow.
Made in Stoke-on-Trent, the set includes a teacup and saucer, a tankard, pillbox, and plate, as well as the traditional tea towel and shortbread.
There are also three hanging decorations, expected to be popular in the run up to Christmas, including for the first time a fine bone china bauble costing £45 and a limited edition china bauble for £95.
Hand-cut crystal tot glasses are engraved with a Platinum Jubilee emblem, while a set of souvenir spoons made in Co Durham, the first full set produced since the Diamond Jubilee, are plated in 24-carat gold and topped with a hand-painted Coronation motif, an orb, a sceptre, a crown and a throne.
Prices range from £150 for a limited edition plate to £2.95 for a mini tube of Scottish shortbread biscuits.
Meanwhile, the Queen has approved 77 images to feature in a new commemorative book illustrating her 70 years on the throne.
The Queen: 70 Glorious Years was published on Monday in celebration of the forthcoming milestone, alongside the traditional chinaware.
Each photograph is accompanied by resonant quotes, again approved personally by the monarch, designed to capture her voice as she has communicated to the nation over the decades.
They range from her first wartime radio broadcast to children, at the age of 14, to a message delivered in May this year to the people of Northern Ireland marking the centenary of its foundation, which she noted “reminds us of our complex history”.
They also include the poignant address that marked the beginning of the first lockdown last April, in which the Queen echoed the words of Dame Vera Lynn by saying: “We will meet again.”
The images include informal family photographs of the monarch as a young girl, on holiday and enjoying the company of her children and dogs.
Other images serve to illustrate the pomp and ceremony of her public life, depicting grand state occasions such as the Coronation, the State Opening of Parliament and Trooping the Colour.
Her sense of humour also gets a nod, with the inclusion of photographs showing her meeting James Bond and subsequent dramatic arrival at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.
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