Royal Mews Shop
I was near Victoria the other day and had a spare few minutes – so I went into a shop that wild horses usually couldn’t drag me into. The Royal Mews Shop, at the back of Buckingham Palace.
Some of the merchandise confirmed my worst fears. Horrible royal tat. There might not have been any corgi covers – but there were tapestry bell pulls (you need one, obviously, to summon your servants) and a book of royal family photos from the 1920s I can’t imagine anyone except my flag-waving grandma being interested in.
But there were also some rather nice souvenirs. China mugs with the royal arms, and chocolate bars in royal wrappings, and surprisingly tasteful teapots.
Let’s face it, some people queue for hours to buy a tiny bar of chocolate or a bag of tea at Harrods just so they can get the fancy green-and-gold packaging. I think having the Royal Arms on your chocolate truffle selection is just that little bit more classy. Definitely something to impress Grandma, or the folks back home.
So if you’re near Victoria, and want a London souvenir with a difference, head for the Royal Mews shop rather than any of the tourist shops on the main street.
Where:The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace Road, SW1
When: 0930 – 1700 daily
The photo of course shows something you’re not going to see in the Royal Mews Shop any time soon… but I relished the irony.
Photo credit – SecretLondon123 on flickr
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