The Queen's China Maker Royal Worcester Up for Sale
As my colleague Deidre Woollard reported the other day, Hardy Amies, the Queen of England's dressmaker for more than 30 years, is in danger of failing financially. Now the Queen's china supplier Royal Worcester has been put up for sale, leading to fears that the UK's "heritage brands" are becoming an endangered species, the London Times reports. Royal Worcester, which dates back to 1751, received its first royal warrant in 1789, and employed more than 1,000 people at its height. However, it has gotten into difficulty due to competition from abroad, cheaper products flooding the market, and changing tastes in tableware. For traditionalists however, Royal Worcester remains the gold standard.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
just me Oct 2nd 2008 1:52PM
If RW was found in 1851, how did it receive a royal warrant some 62 years earlier? Typo?
JPS Oct 2nd 2008 1:57PM
Yes, sorry - should read founded 1751. Fixed now, thanks for the catch.