Merrythought in Ironbridge to welcome Princess Alexandra
Staff at Britain’s last remaining teddy bear manufacturer, Merrythought, will receive a visit from Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra today.
Princess Alexandra, cousin of Her Royal Majesty The Queen, will be given a guided tour of the factory, where she will see how the handmade teddy bears are lovingly stitched together.
Merrythought, with its proud heritage, has long had a connection with the Royal Family, from Queen Elizabeth II receiving a Merrythought Corgi in the 1950s, to Prince Charles visiting the factory in 1989.
More recently, Merrythought has made limited edition bears for the Royal Collection. They have produced commemorative Royal Baby bears to mark the births of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis,
The princess will also meet production assistant Wendy Edwards, who is one of the longest serving members of staff at the factory, having first joined Merrythought in 1966. Managing director Sarah Holmes and production manager, Ian Wicklen, will also be meeting Her Royal Highness, along with other members of the office and production team at Merrythought.
Sarah Holmes, director at Merrythought, said: “We are proud and delighted to be welcoming Princess Alexandra to Ironbridge.
“We hope she enjoys her visit and seeing the unique way that we hand-make each Merrythought bear.”
Merrythought has handmade traditional teddy bears in the World Heritage Site of Ironbridge since 1930.
The family business famous for crafting the finest, jointed, mohair teddy bears adored by children and adults across the world has handmade traditional teddy bears in the World Heritage Site of Ironbridge since 1930.
Every one of their bears is lovingly made by hand giving them a unique character and superior quality that can last a lifetime.
