WHISKY'S CROWNING GLORY...
The recent celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in Great Britain produced a wealth of collectible and pseudo-collectible items on a spectrum ranging from tasteful to why-would-anyone-buy-THAT? But retail items that cash in on commemorative events are hardly new.
In fact, one of the most enduring items to result from a royal event is the Crown Royal whisky bottle. Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI (he of The King’s Speech), and his wife made the first Canadian royal tour by a reigning English monarch in 1939.
As a tribute to the King’s visit, Seagram’s introduced their Crown Royal whisky, bottling it in what would become an iconic vessel…in the shape of St. Edward’s crown. (This is the crown placed on the head of English monarchs at their coronation ceremony that weighs 41 lbs, 12 oz., is made from solid gold and contains 444 precious stones.) Prior to sale, the bottled Crown Royal was placed in a signature royal purple velvet bag with drawstring and logo embroidered in gold. Until 1964, it could only be purchased in Canada.
(Side note: We don’t know if the late comedian Red Skelton was a fan of Crown Royal whisky per se, but, according to a friend, who was one of his former publicists, Skelton used the Crown Royal soft purple pouch in place of a wallet while he was performing on the road. The absent-minded comedian had a habit of leaving the purple pouch on counters in department stores or wherever he made a purchase. The publicist, who would be shadowing Skelton, was forever retrieving the pouch and it formidable contents of cash!)
The recent celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in Great Britain produced a wealth of collectible and pseudo-collectible items on a spectrum ranging from tasteful to why-would-anyone-buy-THAT? But retail items that cash in on commemorative events are hardly new.
In fact, one of the most enduring items to result from a royal event is the Crown Royal whisky bottle. Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI (he of The King’s Speech), and his wife made the first Canadian royal tour by a reigning English monarch in 1939.
As a tribute to the King’s visit, Seagram’s introduced their Crown Royal whisky, bottling it in what would become an iconic vessel…in the shape of St. Edward’s crown. (This is the crown placed on the head of English monarchs at their coronation ceremony that weighs 41 lbs, 12 oz., is made from solid gold and contains 444 precious stones.) Prior to sale, the bottled Crown Royal was placed in a signature royal purple velvet bag with drawstring and logo embroidered in gold. Until 1964, it could only be purchased in Canada.
(Side note: We don’t know if the late comedian Red Skelton was a fan of Crown Royal whisky per se, but, according to a friend, who was one of his former publicists, Skelton used the Crown Royal soft purple pouch in place of a wallet while he was performing on the road. The absent-minded comedian had a habit of leaving the purple pouch on counters in department stores or wherever he made a purchase. The publicist, who would be shadowing Skelton, was forever retrieving the pouch and it formidable contents of cash!)
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