Xmas Countdown 6.12.11: The £85 bauble that celebrates William and Catherine's first Christmas as married couple

The £85 bauble that celebrates William and Catherine's first Christmas as married couple

By Lauren Paxman

Last updated at 10:25 AM on 6th December 2011


In the run up to the royal wedding, hundreds of tacky Wills and Kate souvenirs flooded the market.

But those who headed straight to Selfridge's to snap up the classy tankards designed by the Prince and bride-to-be themselves, can now complement their collection with a bauble for their Christmas tree.

To celebrate the newlyweds' first Christmas together, Royal Crown Derby has produced an £85 bauble that will be very popular with fans of the young couple who have a bit of money to spare.

Exclusive: The 11cm porcelain oval displays the ornately intertwined initials of Catherine and William. It is hand-finished in 22ct gold and only 1,500 of the baubles will be made

The 11cm porcelain oval displays the ornately intertwined initials of Catherine and William on the front, with the inscription 'Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, 29th April 2011.'

It is hand-finished in 22ct gold and only 1,500 of the baubles will be made.

At least one of them is bound to be hanging on the tree at Sandringham - where Catherine and William will be spending Christmas with the Royal family.

The tree accessory was designed by June Branscombe and modelled by John Ablitt. They have also created a similar limited edition Diamond Jubilee bauble celebrating 60 years of the Queen's reign in 2012.

The Duke and Duchess had the final say on the design of their official royal wedding china which was produced in a factory in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

Those tankards and plates were decorated with a pattern of doves, white ribbons and hearts in silver, gold and grey, set against a pale grey striped background.

Celebrating at Sandringham: The Duchess of Cambridge will spend Christmas with her husband and the royal family in Norfolk

The blue hearts on this bauble are clearly inspired by that design and colour-scheme. But this is a bolder design - with a larger crown above the initials - which reflects William and Catherine's ever-rising profile.

The Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company is a privately owned Limited Company.

It employs about 200 people and makes the highest quality English fine bone china at its factory on a four-and-a-half acre site in Derby.

Queen Victoria granted the permission to include the title 'Royal' in the company name in 1890.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2070554/The-85-bauble-celebrates-William-Catherines-Christmas-married-couple.html#ixzz1fkXrrKn1