Portland Basin Museum's Curator Michelle Hill explores the history of royal memorabilia with a focus on coronation related items.

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Most of us can probably remember royal commemoratives in our grandparents’ houses and for me it’s being given a shiny coin in 1977 to mark the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.

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But when did the tradition of producing royal souvenir items actually start?

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The first royal commemorative item ever produced is believed to have been a mug manufactured in 1660 for the coronation of King Charles II. It was another 100 years before items were produced to mark the occasion of George II’s coronation in 1761.

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Items were individually made until Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, when following advances in the production of creamware and transfer printing the markets were flooded with royal commemoratives.  These items were popular amongst middle class Victorians who had great respect for the monarchy.

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The towns of Tameside often produced their own souvenirs. Medals for coronations and jubilees, especially during the early 1900s, were popular. Items were often given to school children, police officers or local government officials as momentoes of the occasion.

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Most social history collections in museums contain an array of royal memorabilia.  It is important to collect these items as a reflection of major events in the United Kingdom’s history. They were generally produced for coronations, weddings and jubilees as well as to mark the birth of children in the royal family.

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Queen Elizabeth reigned for 70 years and 214 days making her the longest serving monarch in British history. Consequently the new King was the oldest monarch to assume the British throne at 73 years old.  After a period of mourning for a much loved and respected Queen the country is gearing up for a period of celebration when King Charles and the Queen Consort are officially crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May.

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To mark the event, we have put together a display of coronation related objects from the museum collections at Portland Basin Museum. There is material from the four coronations of the 20^th century; 1902, 1911, 1937 and 1953 as well as some items to mark the new King’s momentous day.

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9 August 1902 was the coronation day of Edward VII and Alexandra. This event took place after the planned 26 June date was cancelled due to the King needing surgery. It was carefully planned to reflect the influence and culture of the British Empire which was at the height of its power.

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An interesting item produced to commemorate the event was a tin made by Cadbury’s containing chocolate. Cadbury’s have long had an association with the royal family and this was their first ever royal souvenir. Although this was a standard production different towns could customise it by adding their details inside as can be seen here for Ashton-under-Lyne.

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The one on display still has its contents although I imagine it wouldn’t taste so good 121 years later! Cadbury’s (which now also owns Fry’s chocolate) have also produced some collectable packaging for King Charles’ imminent coronation including a limited edition Fry’s chocolate cream cover.

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This Oxo post box money tin was an unusual souvenir produced for the coronation of George V and Mary on 22 June 1911 and would have held 6 oxo cubes. This was the last coronation to be attended by royal representatives of the great continental European empires. George V was also the only monarch to attend the Delhi Coronation Durbar in India on 12 December 1911. This was an imperial-style mass assembly organised by the British at Coronation Park in Delhi to mark the succession of an Emperor or Empress of India.

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This elaborately decorated tea pot was a local item presented by the Mayor and Mayoress of Dukinfield, Alderman John Dyson Hibbert and Mrs Hibbert in honour of the 1911 event. To whom it was presented we are not sure, possibly to the town to remember the coronation but also Mr and Mrs Hibbert’s period as Mayor and Mayoress.

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The 12 May 1937 coronation of George VI and Elizabeth was an unexpected event after the abdication of the King’s brother Edward VIII on 11 December 1936. This was due to his decision to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson which was incompatible at the time with his role as head of the Church of England.

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Two spectacular 1937 coronation items in the museum’s collections are a Royal Doulton Loving Cup and Paragon China platter. The cup is a limited edition of only 2000 made and is a very elaborately decorated item. It is much larger than other commemorative cups being over 27cm tall. The platter reads underneath the base “A Perpetual Souvenir in Paragon China to Commemorate the Coronation of their Majesties King George VI and Mary crowned Westminster Abbey May 12 May 1937.”

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The 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was a grand affair and was the first coronation to be fully televised. Many people rented or purchased television sets just to be able to watch it.  She came to the throne aged 25 after the death of her father George VI. As well as the usual medallions and ceramics a more unusual coronation item is the striped propelling pencil with crown on. Whereas primary children received a mug, secondary aged children were given a pencil. The silver teaspoon in the commemorative box (see title image) originally had a certificate with it to state it had been approved by ‘The Council of Industrial Design’ as “a Coronation Tea Spoon” on 7 January 1953.

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There are many commemorative items being produced for the forthcoming coronation. Many British companies such as Royal Doulton, John Lewis and Marks and Spencer are producing collectables. The tea caddy on display is by British company Emma Bridgewater which is a ceramics manufacturing company founded in 1985 and is based in Stoke-on-Trent. Her style is modern although influenced by vintage themes.

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These items can all be seen on display at Portland Basin Museum until 10 June.

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