Royal Collection: Merchandise Review

I think just about everyone buys SOMETHING when they travel...if you're at all interested in the British monarchy or are planning a trip to one of the Historic Royal Palaces, I highly recommend the Royal Collection shops located at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle (Buckinghamshire) and the Palace of Holyrood House (Edinburgh, Scotland). You can also shop online by clicking here.

I went in to the shop located at Buckingham Palace to check out the Official Royal Wedding china, seen below.

 The range includes a plate, tankard, pill box, Christmas tree ornament, crystal glass and tea towel. Quality was excellent, all pieces were made in England and "approved" by the couple. Pretty, but wouldn't match the china I've inherited, so I just went with the pillbox (£22) as it small and will fit nicely in a china cabinet :) Price-wise these pieces are very, very comparable to the "rubbish" versions imported from China and found ALL OVER London (especially Piccadilly Circus). I highly recommend spending your money here instead...if you're going to have a piece of history, at least buy a piece of "official" history. All pieces come in a sturdy gift box, which is also embossed with the gold C&W and makes it simple to transport home, even on an airplane. They also include an authenticity card.

 Above: Pillbox, my top pick. Below: Plate.

I also highly recommend their Christmas ornament range. My family bought our first of these back in 1996, and we have steadily added to the collection with every trip to the UK since. These soft ornaments are light weight so won't bear down your branches, and SO easy to get home in your luggage. Priced between £6-£12, they feature famous monarchs, royal icons, sites, etc. The bulk are made exclusively for the Royal Collection, but you can also find matching ornaments of the same style and quality at many other gift shops including the Roman Baths, Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London and the British Museum's shops. 

 Above: Lovely and intricate royal iconography. Below: Victoria & Albert (new for 2011!)

Top Picks for Kids:

      Kids are hard to shop for...they want everything they see, but wise gift buyers know it's better to get them one NICE gift they'll have forever than to buy a t-shirt from every site you visit. This miniature globe from the Royal Collection features the Thames at its "equator" with a (highly accurate!) map of all the major sites of London. Really great for small kids as well as older ones, something to put on the bookshelf and bring out to remember your trip! Also a great "shareable" gift if you have multiple children to buy for.

 I have ALWAYS loved stuffed animals, but it's hard sometimes to find really unique and good quality ones. This corgi is absolutely adorable (if you don't already know, Queen Elizabeth II has always had a large pack of corgis, she received her first in 1944, named Susan, and has since bred them).

This corgi is super cute and wears a coat with an embroidered crown on the back and even has an attached leash, and for only £7.95! His ear tag says Royal Collection in gold lettering, you might try to convince an older child to keep it attached. The only thing I don't care for is that it was made in Indonesia; most of the merchandise in the Royal Collection is manufactured in the UK (as it should be!). The only other corgi plush I have seen in London this year was £12 at Fancy That across the street from the British Museum and was slightly larger than this one.

 Above: Me with my Susan!

Other great gift ideas from the Royal Collection include iconic English treats like tea and shortbread, housed in lovely tins bearing the name of the site of purchase. There are several different colour schemes including a super cute hot pink with gold lettering range; one of these was purchased for me by a friend and after the shortbread was gone I converted the tin into a flower pot...j'adorable!