Wedgewood Jubilee Commemorative Trinket Box

The British Queen was born Princess Elizabeth of York at 2:40am on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London. She was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who were later crowned King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. At the time of her birth, Princess Elizabeth stood third in line of succession to the throne after Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and her father, The Duke of York. But it was not expected that her father would become King, or that she would even become Queen.

The Princess was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace. She was named after her mother, while her two middle names are those of her paternal great-grandmother, Queen Alexandra, and paternal grandmother, Queen Mary. However, Princess Elizabeth's quiet family life came to an end in 1936, when her grandfather, King George V, died. His eldest son came to the throne as King Edward VIII, but, before the end of the year, King Edward VIII had decided to give up the throne in order to marry the American woman he loved, Mrs. Wallis Simpson.

Upon his abdication, Princess Elizabeth's father acceded to the throne as King George VI, and in 1937 the Princess and her sister, Princess Margaret, attended their parents' coronation in Westminster Abbey. Princess Elizabeth was now first in line to the throne, and a figure of even more intense public interest. Princess Elizabeth acceded to the throne as Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952 and was crowned on 2 June 1953. The Coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 and it was a solemn ceremony conducted by Dr. Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury.

60 years of The Queen's reign

The Queen came to the throne on 6 February 1952 and her coronation took place on 2 June 1953.

She celebrated her Silver Jubilee (25 years) in 1977 and her Golden Jubilee (50 years) in 2002.

The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II is the international celebration throughout 2012 marking the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries upon the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952.

She is today queen regnant of 16 sovereign states, 12 of which were British colonies or Dominions at the start of her reign.

Royal Doulton's Rich Heritage

Royal Doulton is the quintessential English name in tableware and fine collectibles, with a storied history that dates back to 1815. Headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, in Staffordshire, England (a place renowned for fine English china and ceramics,) it is now part of the Waterford Wedgwood group.

Royal Doulton began when John Doulton made a £100 investment in 1815, launching a partnership with Martha Jones and John Watts at a stoneware factory in Lambeth, London. They established the world's first stoneware pipe factory, and went on to become Britain's top Victorian manufacturer of sewer pipes.

From there, John worked with his son, Henry, to develop the business, and they soon took on artistic pottery, including ornamental, commemorative, and tableware products. They launched the Lambeth Studio with local designers and artists, who experimented with materials and glazes in pioneering work. In 1877. the company purchased a major factory in Staffordshire.

The company moved to Nile Street, Burslem in 'The Potteries' in 1882, attaining a Royal Warrant from King Edward in 1901 to effectively put the royal into Royal Doulton. A Royal Warrant is a mark of distinction bestowed upon people or companies who have regularly supplied members of the Royal Family with goods or services. These are regarded as a mark of supreme excellence and quality, and cannot be bought or sold. Presently, the Royal Doulton brand holds two Royal Warrants.

Today, Royal Doulton is no longer a family run business, but it remains a "family" of English brands, merging with Minton in 1968 and gaining Royal Albert in 1971. They became part of the Waterford family in 1980, and remain true to the founder's ideals of quality workmanship and excellence in design, with a Design Studio in Stoke-on-Trent, and state of the art production facility in Indonesia. A family link remains in Michael Doulton, the Honorary President of the Royal Doulton International Collector's Club (RDICC).

Royal Doulton terracotta tiles and ornamental architectural details have been used on the facades of many buildings around the world, including several buildings in Canada - among them the Hotel Vancouver and the Southam Building in Montreal, the Bloor-Gladstone Library in Toronto and St. John's Church in Saskatoon.

As a company, Royal Doulton very early on developed a culture of innovation - married to a quality heritage - which lives today in its tableware and collectibles.