Royal Worcester

Established circa 1750, Royal Worcester is believed to be either the oldest or second-oldest English porcelain maker still producing today. For this reason, Royal Worcester china is considered classically English and is revered for its history and provenance. The porcelain-making business began when Dr. John Wall, a physician, and William Davis, an apothecary, developed a unique process for creating porcelain. After convincing a group of 13 businessmen to invest, a new factory was opened in Worcester, England.

In 1783, King George III paid a visit to the factory and granted it a royal warrant. It became known thereafter as the Royal Porcelain Works. Royal warrants were also issued to Royal Worcester in 1907 by the Prince of Wales and 1808 by the Princess of Wales. Moving into the 20th century, Royal Worcester continued to maintain their reputation. One of their most popular patterns of this time was Evesham Gold, first produced in 1961 and depicting autumnal fruits with gold banding.

In 2009, the brand name and intellectual property of Royal Worcester was acquired by Portmeirion Potter Group based in Stoke-on-Trent. Today, the factory's former site now houses the Museum of Royal Worcester. Archives and records of the factory's production as well as the world's largest collection of Royal Worcester porcelain dating back to 1751 can be found at this museum.

Quick Facts

• Made out of steatize granite, Royal Worcester china was regarded as the finest soft-paste china of its time
• A trademark of early Royal Worcester china is that the thin, clear glaze appears to shrink away from the foot rims of cups, plates, and bowls
• During the 20th century, the Royal Worcester factory hired specialized painters to create images on their dinnerware, thereby distinguishing them from cheaper transferware techniques of porcelain production