Royal Albert China

Royal Albert China began producing bone china in 1896 when Thomas Clark Wild bought a pottery in England and named it Albert Works in honor of the birth of Prince Albert. Royal Albert China's popularity took off when they created commemorative pieces for Queen Victoria's 1897 Diamond Jubilee. In 1904, they earned a Royal Warrant, issued to tradespeople who supply goods and services to the royal court.

Inspired by the excesses of Victorian Era England, Royal Albert China created many porcelain pieces depicting the English gardens and woodlands. Their designs ranged from simple to more intricate, appealing to a wide range of tastes. Royal Albert's most popular china pattern was Old Country Roses, introduced in 1962. It was inspired by the time-honored English traditions of gardening and tea time. More than 150 million pieces were sold.

In 2006, Royal Albert celebrated 100 years and launched a 100 years collection commemorating all of the patterns created over the past century. In 2014, model Miranda Kerr became Royal Albert's spokesperson, creating patterns inspired by her love of peonies and butterflies, remaining at the forefront of popular culture.

Quick Facts

• Royal Albert was acquired by Royal Doulton in 1972. In 2009, Waterford Wedgwood absorbed Royal Doulton and its holdings, putting Royal Doulton, Minton, and Royal Albert under the Waterford Wedgwood umbrella
• In 2012, Royal Albert created the New Country Roses pattern to celebrate 50 years of the pattern Old Country Roses
• In 2002, Royal Doulton moved Royal Albert production from England to Indonesia, making all pieces marked with Made in England more valuable to collectors