Queen Elizabeth used a walking stick as she inspected a craft exhibition at Windsor Castle.
Queen Elizabeth enjoyed an at-home craft exhibition
The 95-year-old monarch has been experiencing mobility issues in recent months and aides came up with a novel way to honour a commitment to view the work of Halcyon Days - who have three Royal Warrants - by bringing it to the queen on Wednesday (23.03.22).
The monarch had been due to mark the company's own Platinum Jubilee with a visit to their Staffordshire factory in 2020 but it was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
And to prevent the queen having to deal with strenuous travel to the business, craftsmen and women were invited to stage an exhibition in her drawing room, with the Head of State getting the chance to view hand-decorated teapots and antique enammelled trinket boxes - including one decorated with a black and white painting of Windsor Castle and another bearing portraits of her late mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother - as well as witnessing a demonstration of traditional enamelling and gilding by hand by master artisans.
The company - which has an enamel factory in Wolverhampton and a fine bone china and jewellery factory in Stoke-on-Trent - is one of just 14 firms to hold all three Royal Warrants, by appointment to the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales and it is the only supplier of objets d'art to the royal household.
The event marked the queen's first official face-to-face engagement with a large number of people since a Platinum Jubilee reception at Sandringham House seven weeks ago, though she has host a number of in-person audiences.
It is hoped she will be in attendance for the Duke of Edinburgh's memorial service next week, with plans reportedly drawn up to make the journey to Westminster Abbey as comfortable as possible for her.
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