This weekend the country will come together to mark a moment in history, as Her Majesty The Queen becomes the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service.
The celebrations begin on Thursday 2nd June with Trooping the Colour, when over 1400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians march together in the traditional Parade to mark The Queen’s official birthday, dressed in their finest ceremonial uniforms.
Regimental colours have been trooped since the 17th Century, and the tradition of trooping is to honour the sovereign’s official birthday, which can be traced back to the reign of King George 3rd in 1760. We are immensely proud to be the only woollen mill trusted to create the beautiful wool fabric used to make the iconic uniform of the Royal Grenadier Guards, worn by Prince William on his wedding day and set to be out in full force on this extraordinary occasion.
The cloth for ceremonial uniforms must be of the very highest specification, and our commitment to quality at every part of the weaving, colouring, and finishing process, all undertaken at our historic woollen mill in Yorkshire, ensures the highest quality and consistency.
Hainsworth have long-established connections with both the Royal Family and the military, dating all the way back to the scarlet uniforms worn at the Battle of Waterloo. When the Air force separated from the Army in 1918, the RAF approached us to create their own identity, and today many air forces around the Commonwealth have adopted the same RAF Blue colours for their uniforms. Hainsworth also remain the sole inventors and producers for the Khaki Serge; the renowned Khaki cloth worn by military personnel across the globe.
1953 saw the Queen’s Coronation and Hainsworth were chosen to produce a special cloth in regimental colours to mark the occasion. The mill provided cloth to the Ministry of Supply to tailor the uniforms of all the Officers involved in the Coronation.
A letter sent to Reuben Hainsworth on 19 May 1953 from the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Supply, said: “I have no doubt that you and your work people will all feel immensely proud of the contribution which you have made to this great pageant, and any of you who view the procession or the troops lining the route will be able to say, whether viewed in the flesh or on the television screen, that you had a hand in putting them there – a very worthy record.”
Not only does Hainsworth fabric clothe royalty and the military for full-dress ceremonial occasions, we also proudly carry the Royal Warrant for supplying furnishing fabrics to Her Majesty the Queen, providing woollen cloth for royal residences such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. The Royal Warrant must be reapplied for every 5 years and meet an increasingly strict criteria.
“We are extremely proud of our heritage and long-standing connections with the Royal Family and look forward to coming together with the nation to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee this June,” says Commercial Director, Diane Simpson.
“To commemorate the historic milestone, we have woven a special, limited-edition Jubilee throw in the colours of the emblem, featuring a seven-stripe design in honour of our monarch’s 70-year reign.”
Developed in partnership with our sister brand John Atkinson Blankets by Hainsworth, the Jubilee honours Her Majesty’s 70 years, with seven purple stripes, each with ten picks, and two platinum grey stripes in picks of seventy and seven. Just 70 limited-edition throws have been woven, one for each year of reign.
In addition to Trooping the Colour, the four-day bank holiday weekend sees a series of spectacular events taking place in London and across the UK, including the Platinum Party at the Palace and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. See the full list of events here.