On Friday 23rd October, Her Majesty The Queen visited Marlborough Tiles to the 90th anniversary of this family-owned business that preserves the art of British tile making. This quintessential brand combines traditional craftsmanship, creativity, and a deep-rooted passion for design. The tight-knit team were proud to share with Her Majesty the artistry and expertise behind Marlborough’s handmade tiles, and to recognise the generations of dedicated craftspeople whose knowledge and skill continue to shape the company’s work today.
The visit began with an introduction to Marlborough Tiles’ history and the traditional hand glazing techniques that have been used since 1936. In the laboratory, Queen Camilla was shown the development of new collections and the creation of distinctive glaze colours, before seeing some tiles hand glazed on the dipping line and the fired in the kiln.
The tour also took inMarlborough Tiles’ hand painting studio, where Queen Camilla met the artists responsible for the decorative designs and learned more about the patience, precision, and skill involved in creating each piece. After a demonstration of the Majolica hand painting technique, Her Majesty tried the craft herself, adding her own brushstrokes to a specially-prepared commemorative mural.
The visit followed on a previous meeting with Her Majesty in 2012, when she was the Duchess of Cornwall. That year, she visited Marlborough Town Hall to unveil a ten-foot hand painted mural created by Marlborough Tiles to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. Depicting historic buildings and familiar landmarks from the town, the mural was painted by a team of four artisans and remains on permanent display at the Town Hall today.
Among those involved in the royal visit were Jamie and Jo Robb, alongside long-serving hand painters Kirsty Robinson and Helen Whitfield. Kirsty, who celebrates 41 years with Marlborough Tiles this year, was one of the artists who helped bring the original mural to life.
Throughout the visit, Queen Camilla expressed admiration for the complexity of the processes involved and the amount of work that goes into creating each individual tile. She also recognised our long history of British manufacturing and the importance of preserving traditional craftsmanship for future generations.
More at: https://www.marlboroughtiles.com