Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about our products, website, and services. If you still can't find what you're looking for, contact one of our Customer Care Advisors who'll be more than happy to help.
Where can I buy Royal Doulton?
You can buy Royal Doulton right here online, but should you wish to visit one of our outlets in person, you can see a full list of all our stores here.
What's the difference between the way products look online and offline?
How our crystal appears online has a lot to do with your monitor resolution. To aid in your visualization of the product, we strive to provide you with good quality images, large photographs and the ability to zoom in on photographs online. Rest assured that when our product arrives it will always measure up to our company's stringent quality standards.
What are my payment options?
We currently accept American Express, Mastercard and Visa.
Will I be charged sales tax?
It is required by law to charge state and local sales tax for orders shipped to states where we conduct business. Therefore, all of our online or phone orders will include sales tax where such taxes are imposed by that destination state.
How much is the delivery charge?
Delivery charges vary by destination country and the method selected. For further information on delivery charges where you plan to ship to, please check our delivery page.
How long will it take for my order to arrive?
How long it'll take for your order to arrive depends on the destination and delivery method selected. For further information about estimated delivery times to your destination, please visit our delivery page.
Can I specify a delivery time?
Unfortunately, we can't select or specify an exact time. To track your order, simply log into your account, or check your shipping confirmation email, to monitor its progress.
Can I purchase a Gift Certificate?
Gift Certificates are not available.
How do I cancel or change an order?
Changed your mind? Please contact our Customer Care team as soon as you realize that you need to change the details of your order. Please note that if your order has already been processed, it may be too late to cancel or change the delivery. You can return the order once it is received. In the event you refuse an order after it has been shipped, you'll be responsible for any shipping charges related to that order.
I have a question about a Royal Doulton order, what do I do?
We've recently upgraded our website. Customers with an existing account will need to reset their password in order to access the new system. For any previous account history or order history questions, please contact us.
If you need details about Delivery Information or Returns, Refunds and Cancellations, then click the links to head to the relevant pages for more details.
How can I update my details?
Updating your details is simple. You can manage your details by logging into your account here. If you have any problems doing so, please contact our Customer Care team.
When will my order be charged?
Please not that your card won’t be charged until your order is dispatched from our warehouse.
How do I track my order?
Each time you order through our website, you will receive emails to keep you updated, which include an order acknowledgement email that should arrive in your inbox immediately letting you know your order was received, and a shipping confirmation email, including tracking details, to let you know that your order is on its way to you.
If you're registered with us, you can track the status of your order simply by logging into your account. If you have any queries about the location of your package, please contact Customer Care who'll be happy to help.
I have a question about my Royal Doulton account, what do I do?
If you forget your password, visit the Account Login page to reset your details.
I've forgotten my password, how can I retrieve it?
Not to worry, we all forget things from time to time. Simply visit the account login page and click the Forgot Password link to reset.
I'm having problems registering or logging into my account, can you help me?
We're sorry to hear you're experiencing trouble accessing your account. If you've tried resetting your password but still can't access your account, simply contact us. We'll try our best to help so that you can update your details as you wish. Alternatively, you can also place your order with us over the phone.
Does your website have a Wedding List?
Saved lists, including Registry and Wishlists, is not an available feature at this time. We are consistently rolling out new features, though, so please check back in the future!
Do you offer any gift wrapping or gift card services?
We don't currently offer gift wrapping, however we are constantly looking for ways to improve our services and website features, so keep checking back for more information and updates.
I've broken one of my favorite items and the pattern isn't available on your website. Can I still order a replacement?
The stock on our website tends to only be our very latest ranges or recently discontinued products. We suggest you can try chinasearch.co.uk or search for other replacement tableware or collectible services online.
How secure are my details?
Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us. At Royal Doulton we take every step to keep your financial information private and safe, and all transactions occur in a secure area of our site so that you can buy online with confidence.
I have a question about a Royal Doulton product, what do I do?
If you have already checked the product page and still can’t find the answer, then please contact Customer Care.
What is Royal Doulton made of?
All of our casual tableware collections are made using either porcelain or stoneware, making all modern Royal Doulton Plates, Royal Doulton Bowls, Royal Doulton Mugs, and Royal Doulton Serving Platters free from animal products such as bone.
What are Royal Doulton figurines made of?
Most Royal Doulton figurines are made using the highest quality bone china—older Royal Doulton dinner sets may be made from bone china too.
Royal Doulton fine bone china is manufactured with a type of soft-paste porcelain, which contains greater than 35% tricalcium orthophosphate. This makes our china extremely hard, durable and can't absorb fluids or food. The processing of the china results in a beautiful translucent white appearance, which is considered among the strongest types in the industry. Our (fine) bone china contains bone ash in the ingredients.
Royal Doulton collaborations
We have lots of friends that we work and collaborate with. Find a list of our latest collaborations below and simply click the link to shop!
Why do my plates have grey marks on them?
Some Royal Doulton stoneware owners notice grey marks or 'scratches' on their dinnerware. Don't panic—this isn't a defect.These marks can occur when metal utensils are used and meet the hard glazes typically used by most stoneware manufacturers.
Stoneware glazes look and feel very smooth—however the surface is made up of microscopic 'peaks and valleys'. When metal utensils touch the surface of the stoneware, often being softer than the glaze, tiny metal particles get caught in the microscopic valleys, causing those grey marks.
Though some customers refer to these as scratches, there's not usually any actual damage to the glaze or the stoneware body. The good news is that metal deposits can be removed with a variety of cleansers such as Bar Keepers Friend. The combination of chemical action and a mild abrasive in the cleaner easily removes the metal particles from the glaze... Phew!
What are your recommended care instructions?
We recommend visiting our Care Guide for information regarding our products.
What's the difference between the way products look online and offline?
There's nothing quite like getting your hands on Royal Doulton designs and seeing them with your own eyes, however we know that this isn't always possible. How the colors of products appear on our website has a lot to do with your monitor or phone screen resolution. To help you visualize our products, we strive to provide you with the best imagery.
Can you provide me with valuations for selling or insurance purposes?
Unfortunately, we're unable to give valuations for any purposes for our products. We recommend that you contact your local antiques dealer to discuss this.
How to identify Royal Doulton stamps?
We get lots of people contacting us asking 'How much is Royal Doulton worth?', 'How to value Royal Doulton', 'How to date Royal Doulton marks and numbers?' and 'How to identify my Royal Doulton patterns?'... Due to our small team of Customer Care Advisors, we sadly don't always get the chance to search for products or patterns through back-catalogs. If you have any questions like this, we suggest you try the following site for more information before contacting us:
Who are Royal Doulton and what is the history of Royal Doulton?
When was Royal Doulton made? Royal Doulton history dates back to 1815. With our roots in salt-glazed half-dipped pottery, you can shop desings inspired by our heritage, suitably called the Royal Doulton 1815 Collection. The Royal Doulton Coffee Studio and Bowls of Plenty collections give nod to our recognizable dipped glazing technique too.
Starting on the bank of the River Thames in 1815, Martha Jones, John Watts and John Doulton joined forces to become Doulton & Watts Pottery. The factory specialized in manufacturing salt-glaze and stoneware ceramics, jars, bottles, and flasks. In 1835 Henry Doulton joined the firm and business boomed due to his role in the 'sanitary revolution' - pioneering the general use of stoneware drain pipes and water filters to improve living conditions.
In 1854 John Watts retired from the business and it became known as Doulton & Company. In 1860, the business started working with pupils from the neighboring Lambeth School of Art. The pieces they created at Doulton & Co were the opposite of the previous industrial pieces we'd been known for. These delicate, brightly colored and exquisitely decorated designs were very popular.
In 1882 we opened a factory on Nile Street in Burslem, Stoke-onTrent, aka 'The Potteries'. In 1901 Edward VII granted Doulton to add the 'Royal' to the start of our name so we became Royal Doulton in London and around the world. In 1955, new city regulations prohibited salt glaze production, forcing the Lambeth factory to close and transfer all production to Stoke.
Want to know the link between Royal Doulton and Wedgwood? Well, in 2005 Waterford Wedgwood completed a takeover of Royal Doulton, which then turned into WWRD.
Though still very popular today, we make more than just Royal Doulton figurines. In 2010, we started to embrace more of the urban culture and eclectic style of the city. Over the years we've collaborated with many different chefs, designers, artists and personalities such as Barber Osgerby, Gordon Ramsay, Ellen DeGeneres, Pure Evil and Sir Terence Conran.
In 2015 we were take over by Fiskars (making the everyday extraordinary) and we are still part of the Fiskars family of brands today. What makes Royal Doulton special? Watch our new brand video, launched at the beginning of 2020 to find the answer... There have been so many changes over the years, but we have lots more exciting projects and collections on the horizon, so are here to stay. Watch this space!
Where are Royal Doulton products made?
We often get asked 'Is Royal Doulton made in England?' or 'Are Royal Doulton products made in the UK?'. Here you'll find the answer to your questions...
For nearly 200 years, Royal Doulton Product Design and Development has taken place in the United Kingdom, guaranteeing English authenticity and values. Today, Fiskars Group maintains exactly the same engineering excellence and proven quality control in all our owned facilities, where we continue to produce products and adhere to our world-famous standards.
Our Design Team are all based in Royal Doulton HQ in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, England. Like many luxury brands, we work with the best partners across the world whose skills and quality standards are as high as ours. To ensure that production from our manufacturing and sourcing resources mirrors all Stoke-on-Trent manufacturing activities, developments and precise tolerances for complete customer satisfaction, Royal Doulton staff from the United Kingdom transfer to or work with the teams to train, maintain and manage the production processes.
Depending on our product requirements, we carry out production in all locations. Around the world, the vision of Royal Doulton, based on the brand values of quality, craftsmanship and innovation, has not changed and continues to be 100% British.
What is Royal Doulton's stance on sustainability?
We're constantly looking for new ways to increase the use of recycled or renewable materials in our products, reduce unnecessary packaging and be as thoughtful, efficient and sustainable as possible. Read Fiskars Group's Sustainability Strategy and find out more about what we're doing specifically for Royal Doulton on our dedicated Sustainability page.
Does Royal Doulton have a museum?
Unfortunately, there isn't currently a Royal Doulton Museum. You can find examples of our work in museums, galleries, and in architecture around the world though. To see some of our history, a good place to start would be the Potteries Museum in Stoke-on-Trent or the V&A in London, where you can view the famous Doulton tile frieze of pottery through the ages.
How can I find out the latest news from Royal Doulton?
We love sharing our latest news and keeping you inspired with fresh ideas, trends, and collections. To stay up to date, sign up to our email Newsletter, subscribe to our Blog, and don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, plus tag us in your photos and use #MyRoyalDoulton to be featured!
Where are Royal Doulton based?
The Royal Doulton Head Office is based in the UK. Our registered office address is: Wedgwood Drive, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST12 9ER.
Canada
United States
Australia
Japan
Qatar
United Arab Emirates
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Poland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom