Saturday, November 20, 2010

Royal Mint Prince William Wedding Memorabilia

The first official coin to commemorate a royal engagement is to be created to mark the betrothal of Prince William to Kate Middleton. The Royal Mint will produce the £5 collector's piece in the coming months and have it on sale before next year's wedding expected to be in March. The engagement, which has caught the imagination of the world, is also likely to be celebrated by a new stamp. The Royal Mail said its Special Stamp programme always aimed to honour key events in the country's heritage and it would be consulting with the Queen and other parties before anything was produced.

Lady Diana
Many commemorative medals and coins have been created by the Royal Mint in honour of the British Monarchy during its 1,100-year history. When William's father the Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer in July 1981 the event was also marked by a coin showing the couple in profile with the Queen's image on the reverse.

Plans for the wedding are well under way and Miss Middleton was pictured last night leaving Westminster Abbey - now the favourite venue to host the event. A date for the marriage ceremony also has to be decided but the couple are said to favour sometime in March. The bride-to-be and her fiance have given royal aides a detailed list of plans for their big day and officials are now consulting with the Queen, senior royals and the government before reporting back to the couple. Former SAS officer Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, private secretary to William and his brother Prince Harry, is leading the royal household team organising the event.

Source: Press Association