King Edward VIII Coronation Plate

Edward VIII was born Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David on 23 June 1894 during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria as the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George V and Queen Mary. He was created Prince of Wales on his 16th birthday, seven weeks after his father succeeded as king and his style, charm and charisma made him a popular figure in post war Britain. However his behaviours soon gave cause for concern to his father and the then Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin. When his father King George V died on 20 January 1936 he was proclaimed the King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India. His coronation was scheduled for 12th May 1937 but he was never crowned as he abdicated the throne in December 1936 in order to marry the twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. After his abdication he became known as the Duke of Windsor and lived outside of England until his death on 28 May 1972.

The British Anchor Pottery Company Limited was a Staffordshire earthenware pottery company based at Anchor Road, Stoke-on-Trent that manufactured from 1884 until the 1970s.