Royal Wedding to bring welcome boost to Tableware Industry
The tableware industry has kicked into action following the recent announcement of a Royal Wedding in Summer 2011.
Prince William and long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton announced their official engagement on Tuesday, promoting many manufacturers to give the green light to production on commemorative ceramics and gifts.
It seems many manufacturers had anticipated the announcement, preparing ranges to mark both the engagement of the royal couple and also mark the wedding next year once further details are announced.
Aynsley China has commissioned a four piece set which is understood to be in production as of Tuesday lunchtime. The company had designs on hold, waiting before the official announcement before putting the designs into action.
It is understood that as with many other similar royal announcements in the past, no agreement has been made between the royal family and a specific manufacturer on making an 'official' range of commemorative products. Instead, the Palace relax their rules on using the names and images of the Royal Family for a fixed time, enabling an almost 'free for all' for companies to produce their goods.
UK Supermarket giants ASDA have pulled out all the stops and produced a commemorative mug, launching it for sale impressively on the stores website less than 24 hours after the announcement was made.
In terms of glassware, Dartington Crystal are also set to produce ranges of limited edition paperweights and champagne flutes to celebrate the occasion also.
Royal Crown Derby are receiving much attention for their 'William and Kate' swans, which actually arrived on the market in July last year in anticipation of the big announcement.
For the full version of this story, look out for the New Feature on page 6 of the
November / December issue of Tableware International.
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