The coronation is rapidly approaching, and with it comes a multitude of companies selling an array of commemorative merchandise to consumers. But alongside what you might expect (a commemorative plate or King Charles mug) are some rather unusual offerings, as some businesses and their PR teams seem to be doing anything possible to mark the day. We’ve done a roundup of the most unexpected coronation merchandise out there, as well as the simply awkward and bizarre.
Heinz tomato ‘Kingchup’
Commemorative ketchup anyone? That’s a question no one expected to be asking but yet we are. Heinz has produced a special version of red sauce to mark 6 May. The bottle includes a limited-edition label with a crown and bunting on it plus a brand-new name. The bottles will be exclusively sold on their website for £2.50 from this week. Daniella Rattray, brand manager at Heinz Tomato Ketchup said: “We hope Heinz Ketchup fans enjoy our celebratory designs and that they add an extra bit of fun to the bank holiday weekend however you might be celebrating.”
Argos lifesize cutout of the king
Want a little more of a statement piece? Well, Argos has got you covered. They have released a King Charles cardboard cutout that stands at 1.7 metres and costs £36.99. The retailer said searches for the cutout on their website have been up by 369% over the last for weeks, beating other popular cutouts including the likes of Frozen and Toy Story. The most popular one is a Regal King Charles, featuring Charles in a ceremonial sash. But ardent royalists can also get Charles in his signature Royal Blue Suit, and a duo act of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
ManyPets want dogs to roam free
Keen to be in on the “coronation action”, but without selling anything, pet insurance firm ManyPets has instead launched a petition for dogs to be able to roam free in all public places over the royal weekend. The campaign page explains that once upon a time, during the reign of King Charles II in the early 1600s, it was decreed that his favourite dogs – King Charles Spaniels – should be allowed to roam freely anywhere. It notes that although the rule is no longer an act of parliament, it has never been repealed, and ManyPets wants it back. Oke Eleazu, the insurance company’s UK chief executive, said: “What better time to reinstate this law than the year we crown King Charles III? We are a nation of dog lovers and our research shows if we had it our way, we would take our dogs out with us no matter where we go.”
Celebrations edible bust
To help promote their commemorative chocolates, the confectionary brand Celebrations has gone the extra mile creating a bust of King Charles made entirely of chocolate. The model was created by a team of sculptors, led by master chocolatier Jennifer Lindsey-Clarke. It has been moulded using hundreds of Celebrations chocolates. The bust took four weeks to create and weighs over 23kg – the equivalent of 2,875 individual Celebrations chocolates. Over 17 litres of chocolates were melted down into a liquid before being injected into a bespoke mold.
Uber’s coronation carriage
Uber is no longer just about cars and joining the new ranks of their portfolio of travel methods, which includes Uber boats, is a horse-drawn carriage. What the company has called its “coronation carriage” will be open between 1pm and 4pm on the coronation bank holiday weekend at Dulwich Park. A trip on the carriage is bookable via the app. Each of the four white horses pulling the carriage will be dressed up in “their finest coronation wear”, a press release about the launch reveals.
Hug’s dog dish
A lot of companies this year are keen to make sure that dogs don’t miss out on the celebration. Hug – the UK’s first premium ready meals dogs – is among them. They have created a limited-edition coronation chicken dish for dogs made with British chicken and outdoor-reared pork. It also has dried apricots. Those managing the PR for the launch said they wanted to make sure dogs did not feel any FOMO (fear of missing out) on the day.
Lilly’s kitchen’s dog ‘pawtrait’
With all this dog-related merchandise it is easy to wonder whether the cats may be getting FOMO. Nonetheless, canines have been gathered for a royal picture. As you could expect this is a press release made up almost entirely of dog puns and it explains the “pawronation pack” is made up of the cavalier King Charles spaniel (of course), an Afghan hound, and a bichon frise. Lilly’s has also put together a coronation chicken recipe on sale for the day.
Tree House’s coronation breakfast
Tree House London, owned by hotel group Cairn, has introduced a royal breakfast in bed for the month of May, which includes King Charles’s favourite: cheesy baked eggs and toasted sourdough soldiers. Guests can enjoy it with a side of British bacon and a welcome basket of locally farmed fruits. Obviously it will also come with a very traditional pot of English breakfast tea served with runny honey and milk.
