Royal porcelain is a general term for porcelain made by factories founded, owned or patronised by European royal courts, and for wares made specifically for royal use. In Britain it is also used loosely for the output of factories carrying the word Royal in their names, such as Royal Worcester, Royal Crown Derby and Royal Doulton.
In the eighteenth century porcelain was a prestigious luxury, and rulers competed to establish their own manufactories. Meissen, founded under Augustus the Strong of Saxony, was the first in Europe to produce true hard-paste porcelain, and it was followed by Vienna, Berlin, Nymphenburg, Sèvres, Naples and Copenhagen, among others. These factories produced dinner services, figures and vases for court use and diplomatic gifts, often of exceptional quality, and their marks, such as the crossed swords of Meissen or the interlaced Ls of Sèvres, are among the most copied in ceramics. Collectors should therefore check paste, glaze, painting and gilding as carefully as the mark. Pieces with documented royal or aristocratic provenance, such as items from named services, command a substantial premium, while later decorative wares in the same styles are widely available.
