Royal memorabilia is the broad field of objects made to celebrate, commemorate or depict members of a royal family, especially the British monarchy. It includes ceramics, glass, silver, textiles, medals, prints, photographs, tins, programmes and ephemera produced for coronations, jubilees, weddings, births, royal visits and deaths.
Commemorative wares have been made in Britain since at least the seventeenth century, when delftware chargers carried portraits of Charles II and William and Mary, and the trade expanded hugely in the Victorian period with Queen Victoria's jubilees of 1887 and 1897. Twentieth-century coronations and anniversaries generated vast quantities of mugs, plates and souvenirs, much of which remains common and inexpensive. The most desirable pieces are early, rare or of high quality, such as factory-made limited editions, pieces associated with cancelled events like the planned coronation of Edward VIII, and objects with direct royal provenance, including items given by or used in royal households. Condition matters greatly, as transfer prints and gilding wear easily. Royal memorabilia appeals both to devoted collectors and to those seeking a single characterful piece that records a moment in national history.
