Kensington Palace made a series of tweets outlining details of the job yesterday (22 March), confirming that the invitations “follow many years of Royal tradition” and feature the Three-Feathered Badge of the Prince of Wales printed in gold ink.
Lottie Small, who recently completed her apprenticeship at Barnard & Westwood, printed all 600 of the invitations over a period of two days by using a die stamping process on a 1930s Waite & Saville press.
The terminology used by Kensington Palace points to the card stock being made by James Cropper in Cumbria. The invitations were made using US ink on "English card" and printed in gold and black, then burnished to bring out the shine, and gilded around the edge.
The invitations follow many years of Royal tradition and have been made by @BarnardWestwood. They feature the Three-Feathered Badge of the Prince of Wales printed in gold ink. pic.twitter.com/cd7LBmRJxO
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2018
Kensington Palace said the formal invitations have now been sent by the Prince of Wales for the church service, which will take place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor on 19 May, and the lunchtime reception, given by the Queen. 200 close friends of the couple have also been invited to an after party at Frogmore House.
Barnard & Westwood has held a Royal Warrant from Her Majesty the Queen since 1986 and has held a second Royal Warrant from The Prince of Wales since 2012.
Managing director Austen Kopley said: “The wedding of Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle will be a truly special occasion and we are thrilled to be able to create equally special invitations for their guests.
“We are incredibly honoured to continue our longstanding work for The Royal Family, and to be involved in such an important moment for the couple and their family and friends.”
Barnard & Westwood produces a variety of high-end print products, including luxury stationery, invitations and books using a mixture of traditional and cutting-edge print techniques.
The company was established in 1921 by First World War veteran Albert Barnard, who was unable to return to his pre-war print role because of the injuries he suffered in the conflict. His aunt, Miss Westwood, who was a Suffragette, lent him the money to set up his own printing business.
The Kopley family involvement dates back to 1941. In 2015 the business became employee-owned via an Employee Ownership Trust.
Lottie Small, who recently completed her apprenticeship, printed all of the invitations in a process known as die stamping, on a machine from the 1930s that she affectionately nicknamed Maude. pic.twitter.com/kWs2RFx7nN
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2018
Using American ink on English card, the invitations are printed in gold and black, then burnished to bring out the shine, and gilded around the edge. pic.twitter.com/gQpC6tDot0
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2018
