Royal Crown Derby

Royal Crown Derby Company, Ltd. is a name used on porcelain beginning in 1890. There is a complex family tree that includes the Derby, Crown Derby, and Royal Crown Derby porcelains. "Derby" has been marked on porcelain and bone china made in the city of Derby, England, since about 1750 when Andrew Planche and William Duesbury established the first china factory in Derby. In 1775, King George III honored the company by granting them a patent to use the royal crown in their backstamp, and the company became known as Crown Derby. Pieces are marked with a crown and the letter D or the word Derby. When the original Derby factory closed in 1848, some of its former workers opened a smaller factory on King Street, Derby, and used Crown Derby’s original molds and patterns. In about 1876, the present company was formed when another factory opened under the name Derby Crown Porcelain Co. (1876–1890). Queen Victoria granted Derby Crown Porcelain a royal warrant in 1890 and the name became Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Co. Finally, in 1935 Royal Crown Derby bought the King Street factory, which brought Derby china under one company again. The Royal Crown Derby mark includes the name and a crown. The words Made in England were used after 1921. The company became part of the Allied English Potteries Group in 1964 and then merged into Royal Doulton Tableware. Royal Crown Derby Co. Ltd. was acquired by Steelite International in 2013. Kevin Oakes bought Royal Crown Derby in 2016. The company is still in business. For more information, explore our identification guides for British pottery and porcelain.