Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Souvenir of the Coronation of King Edward VII, 1902

Mug
For the Coronation of King Edward VII and
Queen Alexandra
Royal Doulton, 1902
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Edward VII—for some reason, whenever I think of him, my first thought is of his unpleasantness. In many ways, he was a good King, I’m sure. I’m certainly a fan of the arts and humanities that arose during his short reign, but I tend to side with his mother in my opinion of him. Like Queen Victoria, I somewhat blame Edward for the premature death of Prince Albert. Additionally, I fault him for not being a very good husband. By all accounts, Queen Alexandra was a very patient and generous woman, while Edward kept a string of mistresses. Oh well.


When Edward’s mother, the long-reigning Queen, passed away, he ascended to the throne. In 1902, Edward VII and Queen Alexandra celebrated their coronation, and as had become the custom, a variety of souvenir items were produced for the British public. I have two. The Victoria and Albert Museum has one.

This earthenware mug with transfer-printed design was created in 1902 by Royal Doulton. The mug features a design in sepia which shows ovoid portraits of the King and Queen surrounded by flags and “supporters.” This was one of two patterns available. The other was a colored version which you can see represented in my own collection.