Potters hand-paint china for British royal wedding
LONDON, England
The first ever Loving Cup commemorating the royal nuptials was
made Wednesday at a factory in Staffordshire, England. William and
his bride-to-be approved the design of the fine bone china
two-handled cup bearing the couple's entwined initials in gold and
silver.
It also features William's coronet and the date of the wedding
against a pale gray striped background with a pattern of doves,
white ribbons and hearts.
Only 1,000 of the special edition tankards will be made and sold
to the public for 125 pounds ($200).
Each is decorated with several layers of burnished gold and
platinum before a final layer of gilding is applied by hand in
22-carat gold.
The factory in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, is also creating a
special tankard and pill box in honor of the marriage and said
orders have skyrocketed since the announcement of the wedding.
Nuala McGourty, retail director for the Royal Collection, said
the factory, which employs 40 people, had nearly quadrupled its
output since it was appointed as one of the official potters for
the wedding china.
Around 70,000 pieces had been made since the royal wedding china
went on sale in December, she said.
The factory's operation director said "massive demand" for the
china had pushed production to six days a week.
"We're a made-in-England company, which is very rare indeed in
this area, so we're very proud of that to begin with," said Mike
Deaville. "To have the connection with the royal collection gives
us even more kudos. We're delighted."