Royal Visit to Doulton Factory, Burslem

Date:23rd of April 1913

Description:This is a typical newsreel of a royal visit. This visit is in 1913. A very important visit of King George the Fifth and Queen Mary. It was only two years after the King’s coronation. At this time the pottery industry was suffering from foreign imports and imitations of prestige ware – Wedgwood and Doulton in particular. On their visit the Queen actually saw some Doulton figurines, and saw one called ”Bedtime”. She said “Oh, what a darling” – and that little figurine is still called “Darling” after this visit by the King and Queen. They enter and tour the yards – they didn’t go inside the factory – and a line of employees hold large platters with the message “Your Majesties’ Loyal Potters” painted on the platters. When their majesties came out, the plates had been turned over and they read “God Save the King”. Douilton did exactly the same thing in the 1980s for the visit of Princess Diana of Wales – with the message on the plates. Here they are in the yard, where the royal company would tour round. And there’s a display in the background of pottery making being put on by the Pottery and Trades Benevolent Institution. The newsreel ends with clear views of their Majesties and Queen Mary looks here very much like her granddaughter – our present Queen. They toured several pottery factories on this day. They stayed at Crewe Hall, and their nest visit to the Potteries was important because, on that visit in 1925, the King created a city out of the County Borough of Stoke-on-Trent.

This film also features in the documentary; “Stoke-on-Film, 1910-1930”, produced by Ray Johnson.

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Donor ref:Archive film reference: 602 (26/6046)

Source: Staffordshire Film Archive

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