U.K. ceramic maker rolls out souvenirs for King's May coronation
With just five weeks before King Charles III's coronation, a British manufacturer of fine bone china is busy making "God Save The King" commemorative plates and mugs for the historic occasion.
Craftspeople at the Duchess China factory in the central England city of Stoke-on-Trent painted delicate gold edges on more teacups and saucers Thursday to make sure there are enough to meet the expected demand for royal souvenirs.
When Charles is crowned at London's Westminster Abbey on May 6, the ceremony will be the U.K.'s first coronation since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was the subject of the same ritual just shy of 70 years earlier. He inherited the throne when Elizabeth died in September.
Duchess China started producing china tableware in 1888. Its range of commemorative china features the Union Jack colours of red, white and blue, and come emblazoned with the words "God Save the King."
The manufacturer said the design was inspired by china produced in the 1930s for the coronation of King George VI, Charles' grandfather.
"We've had (orders) as far afield as New Zealand and over the other side, America. It's really reassuring that the Royal Family are so well liked in all these different countries," Jason Simms, the company's managing director, said.
Simms said Duchess China has struggled in recent years, partly because of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. He hopes the coronation will restore some of the lustre by showcasing Britain's ceramics industry and skilled craftspeople.
"We are using this as a real chance to get across a great British product out into a public domain across the globe," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Torch has been passed': What younger generations need to know about inheriting a family cottage
As more Canadians pass their family cottages down to the next generation, 'major shifts' in the ownership of recreational homes will occur, according to Re/Max. But amid concerns around the cost of housing, some may be wondering whether they can afford to keep that family cottage. Here's what younger generations need to know about inheriting a recreational property and the market today.

Poilievre tries to head off PPC vote as Bernier bets on social conservatives
Pierre Poilievre is off to Manitoba to rally Conservative supporters ahead of a byelection that Maxime Bernier is hoping will send him back to Parliament. The far-right People's Party of Canada leader lost his Quebec seat in the 2019 federal vote and lost again in the 2021 election.
Experts warn of 'rapid' growth of IBD as number of Canadians diagnosed set to reach 470K by 2035
The number of people in Canada with inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly and is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2035, according to a new report from Crohn's and Colitis Canada.
Tantallon-area residents who lost homes in wildfire offered chance to view neighbourhood
Halifax is offering residents whose homes have been destroyed by wildfires the chance to view their neighbourhoods as fires continue to burn.
Poilievre links Pride with freedom but stays mum on parades, condemns Uganda bill
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is wishing LGBTQ2S+ people a happy Pride month, linking it with his platform's focus on freedom, but he is not saying whether he'll be attending any Pride events.
Hundreds of people claim they may have lost winning ticket for expiring $70M Lotto Max prize
Hundreds of people have come forward to claim they could be the winner of the expiring $70 million Lotto Max prize.
How natural disasters can create long-lasting trauma
As wildfires continue to ravage across Canada, an expert warns that people who live through such natural disasters could experience serious mental health issues in the long term.
Some Ottawa parents keep kids home from school due to Pride activities, OCDSB says
As the rainbow flag flew at schools across Ottawa on Thursday, the public school board says some parents kept their children home from school due to possible Pride activities.
Canadian Jamal Murray makes a difference in NBA finals game 1
The highlight of Game 1 for Jamal Murray came when he dribbled into the middle, planted his surgically repaired left knee in the paint, made a full clockwise turn, then faded away and swished a mid-range jumper.