In historic pottery in central England, artisans are working hard to meet the demand for fine porcelain souvenirs, six weeks before the coronation, which will take place in Westminster Abbey in London on May 6.

"We feel so proud. There has been nothing like this since the coronation of the Queen" Elizabeth II in 1953, says Gary Fraser, production manager at Duchess China 1888, in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, the cradle of the pottery industry.

Gary Fraser, 57, whose father and grandfather also worked in pottery, remembers them bringing back pieces produced at previous royal events, such as Elizabeth II's silver jubilee in 1977.

"You feel like you're part of history. People will pass these objects on to their grandchildren," he proudly continues.

An artisan works on a range of fine porcelain, designed to commemorate the coronation of Charles III, at Duchess China 1888 in Longton, England, March 20, 2023 © Paul ELLIS / AFP

Duchess China has been producing fine porcelain for over 130 years.

The plates, cups and other items that Duchess China makes for Charles' coronation are inspired by items produced in 1937 for the coronation of George VI, Elizabeth II's father.

The red, white and blue design takes up the Tudor crown of the English monarchs of the time of Henry VIII, with the words "Gold Save The King" in large gold letters.

It takes 25 pounds sterling (28.4 euros) for a cup.

Examples of previously designed fine porcelain commemorative objects in Longton, central England, March 20, 2023 © Paul ELLIS / AFP

Each piece passes through the hands of more than 20 craftsmen before being considered finished.

The factory is busier than ever with three major royal events in less than a year: the platinum jubilee celebrating 70 years of Elizabeth's reign last summer, then her passing in September and now Charles' coronation.

Know-how

"Obviously, a coronation year (is) something we've never experienced and I don't think you can prepare for it," says director Jason Simms, who took over the troubled company four years ago with business partner Andrew Tooth.

"If we had listened to what people were saying, we wouldn't have even tried," Simms said. Since 2019, they have faced a succession of crises, Brexit, the pandemic and then the increase in energy prices after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

An artisan works on a range of fine porcelain, designed to commemorate the coronation of Charles III, at Duchess China 1888 in Longton, England, March 20, 2023 © Paul ELLIS / AFP

The company currently produces its porcelain five days a week, instead of the usual two or three, and has hired new employees.

But the decline of pottery in Stoke-on-Trent in recent decades, marked by bankruptcies and relocations abroad, has complicated recruitment.

Gary Fraser worked for Dudson, a company founded in the early 19th century, until it closed in 2019. "People were crying. Within 20 minutes, all the machines stopped, the doors were closed and we were escorted out of the premises," he recalls.

With these business closures, the transmission of know-how from one generation to the next has been lost.

An artisan potter works on a range of fine porcelain, designed to commemorate the coronation of Charles III, at Duchess China 1888 in Longton, England, March 20, 2023 © Paul ELLIS / AFP

There are only a handful of ceramic companies left in Stoke, and Duchess is the last one dating from the nineteenth century that still manufactures its products from start to finish in the city.

Jason Simms hopes this new royal collection will mark a new beginning for the company.

Reversing the decline of the pottery industry in Stoke is impossible, he said.

But what might be possible, however, is to bring Duchess back "to his place": "to provide a very good British product and preserve traditional skills for generations to come," he added.

© 2023 AFP