Belfast Telegraph

Ironwork at historic St George’s Chapel inspires official Royal wedding souvenirs

- BY LAURA ELSTON

THE official range of commemorat­ive china celebratin­g Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding has gone on sale.

Cornflower blue with white detailing, the collection features a gold monogram of the couple’s initials side by side, tied together with a white ribbon and surmounted by Harry’s coronet.

The decorative border on each piece is based on the stylised tree ironwork of the 13th century Gilebertus door of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, where the couple will marry on May 19.

When Harry and Ms Markle’s choice of wedding venue was announced, the prince’s comsuch munication­s secretary described Windsor as a “very special place” for Harry, and said the couple had regularly spent time there together during their whirlwind romance.

Harry and his American fiancee will have approved the fine bone china range by the Royal Collection Trust, which includes a miniature coffee mug costing £19.95, a standard coffee mug for £25, a pillbox at £35, a tankard for £39 and a plate at £49.

The Gilebertus door is rarely used, though hundreds of tourists and visitors to the chapel pass by it every day.

The Queen and other members of the Royal family use it to enter the chapel when attending some services at St George’s, as at Easter. Its ironwork is in the form of a stylised tree and, unusually for a work of its time, bears a name +GILEBERTVS.

The door is one of the few surviving parts of the earliest chapel at Windsor Castle.

The official Royal wedding china collection, which is finished in 22 carat gold, has been handmade in Stoke-on-Trent using techniques that are 250 years old.

All profits from sales go to The Royal Collection Trust, the registered charity responsibl­e for the care and conservati­on of the Royal Collection.

The souvenirs are presented in a cornflower blue gift box with a special card explaining the significan­ce of the design.

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