Edward's Jubilee emblem goes global!

It's emblazoned across London Buses and embellished on Krispy Kreme donuts; etched onto the Wimbledon Singles Final coin and stitched into socks.

As Jubilee fever hots up across the UK, the official emblem for the Queen’s Platinum celebration, created by University of Leeds student Edward Roberts, is everywhere.

The prize-winning design has been featured on dozens of products – and official merchandiser The Royal Collection has temporarily suspended orders of its product range due to unprecedented demand.

Meanwhile, Edward, 20, who has just completed the second year of his Graphic and Communication Design degree in Leeds’ School of Design, is enjoying the buzz leading up to the Jubilee weekend on 6 June. He has also been invited, along with his family, to take part in the official celebrations in London.

He said: “I feel honoured to be part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and I look to make the most out of the experience. The competition has brought with it exciting opportunities, and I feel privileged that my work has received such a warm reception.

“I’ll be attending both the Platinum Party at the Palace, and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, and earlier in the day myself, my mother, father, and brother will be attending a reception held in the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace.

‘A pleasure’

“I will be visiting the V&A Emblem Design Shortlist Exhibition, which my design will be featured in along with the other shortlisted entries.

“To see my design used throughout the country, and further afield, is a pleasure. I wanted the design to be scalable and I'm glad it carries itself when on a Cadbury chocolate bar, all the way to the size of a London bus. The most unexpected item I have seen the emblem applied to is the coins which will be used for the Wimbledon Singles Finals coin tosses. Being a tennis fan myself, it was lovely.

“A highlight is Cadbury sending me out a large amount of their Dairy Milk bars, which celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, and feature the emblem. I am partial to some chocolate, so that was very much appreciated.”

Eureka moment

Edward, from Nottingham, created the emblem in his spare time and submitted it to the competition, which was run by Buckingham Palace and the V&A Museum in London.

The purple and platinum design features a stylised crown that incorporates the number 70 on a circular, purple background, similar to the Royal seal. It was selected from hundreds of entries by young artists all over the country.

 

Edward said he was thinking of ways to recreate the continuity of the Queen’s reign and had a eureka moment.

He said: “I thought if I could create a continuous line that incorporates the key features of St Edward's crown, that would be a really good way of representing the continuing reign of the Queen.

“I wanted the design to also symbolise a royal seal and put it within a circle to give the impression of a royal wax seal. I think that's come across really effectively in the design.”

Zoom call from the Lord Chamberlain

He was told he had won the competition on a Zoom call with the Lord Chamberlain, the head of the Royal household – and said his mum, who was filming the moment, burst into happy tears.

Edward said his family were very proud of his achievement and were enjoying spotting all the products and items which feature the design, from Krispy Kreme donuts, the Severn Valley Railway train, Moet & Chandon champagne, Clarins hand cream and Prestat chocolates to mugs, deckchairs, garden planters, teddy bears, t-shirts and much more.

And the Royal Collection Trust employed him to design an additional emblem incorporating the UK’s national flowers, which features on a number of limited edition products currently unavailable due to their huge popularity.

But Edward is modest about his accomplishment. He said: “If I'm honest, I don't tend to tell many that I designed the emblem. If one shows an interest in the emblem, I am more than happy to discuss the competition, and share with them what a great experience it has been.”

Main picture: Edward Roberts with  his logo and above, with two pieces of merchandise featuring his emblem design – a Cadbury chocolate bar and a Waitrose shopping bag. (Credit Mark Bickerdike, University of Leeds)