Produced in 1937 for the Coronation of King George VI, we are so pleased to present this exceptional music box pitcher. A very rare memento, the tall pitcher is beautifully decorated with sepia-toned images of the beloved King and Queen within a regal heraldic frame. On the opposite side of the pitcher is a sweet laurel-framed crest with a well-drawn portrait of the Royal Princesses. The rendering of Elizabeth and Margaret was based on a photograph of the girls taken by renowned royal photographer Marcus Adams. On the side of the pitcher, just below the pour spout, is the title of an English patriotic tune "Here's a Health unto his Majesty" written in a pretty cursive script.   

Designed to celebrate the new monarch raising a glass to his good health, the pitcher is generously sized for lemonade, water, beer...or a refreshing Pimm's Cup! A wind-up music box hidden within the pitcher's base plays a delightful rendition of "Here's a Health unto his Majesty" when the pitcher is picked up. To hear the sweet notes of this patriotic tune and see the music box in action, scroll to the video beneath the song's lyrics below.

We are confident this rare and charming music box pitcher will strike all the right notes in your coronation collection!

Strictly one-of-a-kind and subject to prior sale. In very good vintage condition. Measures 7.25"H x 8.5"W. 

Learn More About King George VI

George had never expected to be king. Born Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George, he was the second son of King George V, and therefore was behind his elder brother Edward in the line of succession.

On the death of his father in 1936, Prince Edward became King Edward VIII. Shortly thereafter, the monarchy was thrown into crisis by Edward's desire to marry the twice-divorced American Mrs. Wallis Simpson. Edward was faced with a choice: renounce Wallis Simpson or abdicate the throne. He chose the latter option and his brother reluctantly became King George VI on December 11, 1936.

Leading Britain through the dark days of World War II, King George VI became one of her most beloved kings.

Learn More About "Here's a Health unto his Majesty"

Dating from the reign of King Charles II in the 1600s, "Here's a Health unto his Majesty" is an English patriotic tune. Since 1948, it is also used as the regimental march for the Royal Army Medical Corps. First published in 1667, the tune's lyrics read:

"Here's a health unto His Majesty,

With a fa la la la la la la,

Confusion to his enemies,

With a fa la la la la la la.

And he who would not drink his health,

We wish him neither wit nor wealth,

Nor yet a rope to hang himself.

With a fa la la la la la la la la la,

With a fa la la la la la la."

The song became popular again in 1928 during King George V's near-fatal illness and was sometimes sung in theaters before the standard singing of "God Save the King".  

Learn More about Coronation Memorabilia

As a means to commemorate historic events - including coronations; silver, golden and diamond jubilees; royal weddings and royal visits to distant lands - artisans and craftspeople were commissioned to create beautiful pieces of memorabilia. Highly collectable, they are much more than mementos of an event long past. They are lovely pieces created to capture the spirit of their time as much as they capture our imaginations today.