The United Kingdom is about to hold its first coronation of a new monarch in 71 years and there’s an abundance of branded merchandise to mark the historic occasion.

Retailers, sellers on online platforms like Etsy and Amazon, and of course promotional products suppliers and distributors in the U.K. are offering an array of swag themed around the formal May 6^th crowning of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Some of the coronation-branded products on offer from Go Promotional.

GoPromotional (asi/301384), a distributorship in South Yorkshire, is among the promo firms that have found success selling coronation merch to clients, which have included charities, universities, schools, businesses and organizations large and small.

“It’s a national thing and everyone wants to be involved,” Gareth Parkin, CEO of Go Promotional, tells ASI Media.

Orders have ranged from a few mugs and flags for street parties to nationwide promotions. Totes, tumblers, water bottles, rulers, bottle openers and even earbuds have been among the other offerings. Ceramics, notebooks, keyrings, confectionary, bunting and certain apparel/textiles are also in the mix, other U.K. promo pros share.

Some promo firms’ clients are including their logo on items, but many are sticking strictly to the royal branding, as seen on these totes.

Parkin says some customers will feature their branding on items in addition to the coronation logo. Jason Grenham, sales director with Sourcing City, an ASI partner and trade service organization that provides a suite of solutions to the U.K. promo market, agrees that’s the case, noting that distributor end-buyers are generally giving such branded goods to staff or to select clients.

Most end-buyers, however, are sticking with just the coronation branding – a decision influenced, in part, by the historic gravity of the occasion.

“There are strict guidelines with royal emblems in place to ensure these items remain in good taste,” further explains Carey Trevill, CEO of the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA), a trade body for the U.K. promo industry. “For example, the coronation emblem cannot sit in very close proximity to another logo and there are key expressions you can and cannot use. For a mug, this might appear as the coronation emblem on one side, the client’s branding on the other but not together.”

While the branding guidelines may be precise, one thing that’s helped stoke the availability and sale of coronation merchandise is that the official logo was released to be used free of charge in connection with activities associated with the coronation, including events and merchandising.

The team at Geiger U.K., the United Kingdom-based division of Maine-headquartered Top 40 distributor Geiger (asi/202900), tells ASI Media that the free availability of the logo has provided extensive opportunities for suppliers to develop commemorative merchandise to use to help celebrate the coronation. All types of swag have been developed and clients are investing in collateral to align themselves with this historic event, Geiger states.

Some of the merch is used in connection with internal happenings that clients are hosting, such as celebratory lunches and events for staff. Other items are being used externally by retailers and members of the hospitality industry in coronation-themed campaigns to attract the attention of their customers, Geiger relates.

“We’ve had a number of orders from our retail clients and charities who are all keen to support coronation weekend activities,” explains Vicky Kinasz, managing director of Geiger U.K. “There’s been interest in everything from themed bunting and paper crowns to edible treats. Demand for nostalgic items has been very strong. Of course, the official emblem features prominently, but so too does the Union Jack flag and other nostalgic London icons like the King’s Guards, double-decker buses, black cabs, red telephone boxes and the like.”

Online direct-to-consumer sellers were getting in on coronation merch, too. This mug was for sale on Amazon.

In Geiger’s experience, clients have been eager for merch that is, as Kinasz describes, “more sustainable.”

“In keeping with the wider trend for sustainable and eco items, our clients want to ensure that these limited-use items aren’t damaging to the environment too, something that we’re experts at delivering for them,” Kinasz shares. “King Charles is well known for his environmental views and this coronation appears to reflect that.”

Some U.K. promo pros say the coronation has helped spark sales beyond just initiatives for the big weekend itself.

For sure, Dorset-headquartered RT Promotions has provided coronation-branded products like bunting, balloons and cream teas in a box for clients such as volunteer groups, medium-sized corporations and charities. The firm has also done commemorative struck coins for schools. “They give them to students as a memento, with the coin featuring the coronation logo on one side and the school information on the other,” says RT founder Richard Mack.

Even so, RT Promotions’ coronation-related sales have been fairly low volume. Still, the fact that the company has promoted its ability to provide coronation merch has caught attention, driving prospect inquiries that have often led to sales unrelated to the crowning of King Charles.

“We’ve generated a lot of interest, and our sales have rocketed due to the publicity,” says Mack.

A Tradition of Commemoration Continued

Fun to know: Coronation merch isn’t a modern invention.

Robert Opie, the founder of the Museum of Brands in London, told The New York Times that merchandise has been produced to mark royal occasions in Britain for hundreds of years. Products have included everything from a flask from the 1830s celebrating Queen Victoria, to a canned beer produced for King George VI’s coronation in 1937.

Yes, promo is continuing the tradition in 2023 – as are others.

From an official stately commemorative china set from the Royal Collection Trust, to various retailers and online sellers offering bags, flags, pins, playing cards, pillows, peg dolls, plush toys, party supplies, T-shirts, tea towels, candles, tokens and even unique cereal boxes – the swag options to celebrate King Charles III and Queen Camilla are vast.

Here’s a lighthearted look at some of what’s on offer:

This commemorative collection from the Royal Trust is crafted from English bone china and finished in 22 carat gold. Pieces in the collection include a coffee mug, tankard, teacup with saucer, dessert plate and pillbox.

Available from British retailer Marks & Spencer, this coronation candle is decorated with an image of Westminster Abbey, as well as three King’s Guards and a ‘God Save the King’ banner. The candle is scented with a zesty neroli, lime and bergamot fragrance. It features LED lights that are triggered by lighting the wick.

Imran Haq, a British doctor who’s a fan of the royal family, designed these cereal boxes – dubbed Coronation Flakes. The boxes, which are filled with actual cereal, were featured in an article in The New York Times. They were for sale on Etsy.

This cotton coronation tote, available from retailer Harrod’s, features the Union Jack flag along with the four flags of U.K. nations – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If there’s a big event these days, there’ll usually be T-shirts. So it is with the coronation. Tees, like this one on Etsy, could readily be found retailing online.