The Queen and Prince Philip's 70th wedding anniversary is giving a Cumbrian firm welcome boost.

The Royals are today celebrating their platinum wedding anniversary and that’s provided a huge sales boost for Brampton-based WCF Ltd.

Its business, The Thimble Guild, produced a special keepsake for the day – and it’s being snapped up by collectors.

The company manufactures thimbles for sale all over the world and fans of the monarchy have been rushing for new additions for their collections.

Thimble Guild product manager Hazel Armstrong said: “The royalists are loving this.

“We can’t get them out of the door quick enough. Anything that’s royal-related tends to go well, we’ve got a lot of royal fans out there, but this is amazing.

“Because the Queen’s the longest serving monarch and she’s hitting so many milestones.

"We’ve had her 90th birthday and the sapphire jubilee, it feels like she can go on forever. You’ve got to respect her in every way.”

The fine bone china thimble marking the platinum anniversary features a picture of the couple on their wedding day at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947.

Such has been demand that the company has added another three anniversary thimbles to its range and a commemorative mug.

Hazel said the company’s collectibles act as a barometer to where individual royals sit in public affection.

She said: “Prince George did really well when he was a baby and for his Christening, and Charlotte - she’s doing OK.

"But the Queen is the big one, because everybody loves her.

“To be honest when we put Charles and Camilla in our catalogue it tends to get a bit of a cold reception.

"They do sell, but not as well as Kate and Wills or their children.”

The thimbles are fired at 800 degrees celsius in the company’s kiln at its headquarters at Crawhall, Brampton.

The top five most popular Royals, according to The Thimble Guild sales:

  • The Queen
  • Diana, Princess of Wales
  • Prince George
  • Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • Princess Charlotte