The Queen was all smiles as she viewed a display of hand-decorated teapots and antique enamelled trinket boxes brought to her Windsor Castle home for her to see.
Wearing half-moon glasses to examine the artefacts, she peered at the luxury pieces by British craftwork firm Halcyon Days, which is held in such high esteem by the royals it has three Royal Warrants. She also watched a demonstration of traditional enamelling and gilding by hand by master artisans – all in the comfort of her own royal residence.
The Queen was due to visit the Halcyon Days factory in Staffordshire in 2020 to mark its own Platinum Jubilee of 70 years, but plans were put on hold when the pandemic struck. Much has changed since the outbreak of Covid-19, with the Queen, 95, now using a walking stick, confessing to mobility problems, and usually carrying out only light duties at Windsor.
