Now, whilst we’re certain you’d have heard of the Royal Albert Hall and many of the famous faces who may appear there, you may not know that the roof of this iconic building is also home to four very special bee hives, each one hand-built with copper gabled roofs and porches to house the Royal Albert Hall’s tiniest rock-star inhabitants, their honey bees.
The Royal Albert Hall, located in Kensington, London, was opened by HRH The Prince of Wales on behalf of his mother Her Majesty Queen Victoria in 1871 in honor of her late husband Albert. Since then, some of the world’s most famous artists have appeared on its stage hosting performances of opera, ballet, orchestra and film. As a charity, the Royal Albert Hall’s Engagement programme aims to provide people with fairer access to music and the arts.
The bees were introduced by the Hall’s Head of Operations 2020 as a part of their sustainability and environmental drive to reduce the impact their activities have on the environment. The bees support the local ecosystem, and their honey is harvested twice a year in the Summer and Autumn, and sold in both the Royal Albert Hall gift shop and in Fortnum and Mason.
Bees At The Hall
To help spread the word about the Royal Albert Hall Bees, the team at the Royal Albert Hall approached Victoria to create a bespoke collection that would celebrate the bees, and as a collectible memento for the Royal Albert Hall’s 1.7 million annual visitors. Sold alongside its iconic honey, the collection is delicately laced with gold leaf, picking out the delicate features of Victoria’s hand-drawn designs.
Inspired by nature
Right from the beginning of the project, Victoria worked closely with the Royal Albert Hall Beekeepers, researching the diverse local plants and wildlife, bringing them to life with her signature intricately hand-illustrated designs.
In Victoria’s drawings, the doors of this iconic building are wide open, bursting with fragrant hydrangeas spilling out into the street, and the meticulously illustrated foreground finds images of a resident beekeeper tending to the hives with a small table filled with jars of honey to be enjoyed.
The result is simply stunning, the design printed in black and gold features the building surrounded by foliage and bees flying throughout the air, bursting with wildlife and life.
This collection has been selected as a Highly Commended entrance in the 2024 Gift of the Year Awards for the category of ‘Heritage Gifts incorporating Commemorative, Collectable and Charitable’ category, announced at the ceremony in May 2024.
An early sketch of the design
Proudly British Made
Using the finest British craftsmanship, Victoria’s intricate design has been brought to life on a variety of hand-crafted items, including a fine bone china mug, ½ pint jug, bauble and egg cup embellished with 22 carat gold, along with an apron, canvas bag, tea towel, magnet, coaster and greeting card embossed with elegant gold foil.
Victoria’s textiles are manufactured with fully traceable cotton, eco-friendly water-based inks, and have virtually no impact on the environment. Our ceramics are printed and hand decorated in the UK as well. Learn more about both from our ethical and sustainability page.
Victoria Eggs & The Royal Albert Hall is the perfect pairing for a sustainable, feel-good cup of lemon tea, with a teaspoon of Royal Albert Hall honey.
