Lady Clare has been supplying hand crafted placemats and home accessories since 1932

And, just before Christmas 2012 ts specialist placemats were chosen as a gift for Her Majesty the Queen from the Cabinet to mark the first time the meeting of senior ministers had been attended by a monarch in more than 230 years.

The idea for a placemat decorated with a coloured print was born out of the harsh economic climate of the 1930's

Lady Clare Pigott, the original founder of the company, created the first such place mat in Paris in 1932. She had collected antique prints from dealers in Berlin where her husband was attached to the British Embassy. Having to entertain diplomats during their next posting to the Embassy in Paris, Lady Clare became concerned at the laundry bills she was incurring for the starched white table cloths formality required her to use for dinners.

As a result she created some place mats from shaped and painted hardboard with a flower print applied to the surface and several coats of lacquer. For her next dinner party she was able to remove the table cloth and lay the table using her placemats. Her friends were most impressed by this simple and attractive way of decorating a dining table. Inevitably the next question was ... can you please make some for me?

From these simple origins a business was born. Our range now includes placemats for formal and casual dining as well as accessories such as waste bins and trays. With over 70 years experience, Lady Clare is synonymous with design, quality and service.

Please see our collections or contact us to discuss your requirements.

The gift to Her Majesty the Queen may be seen below: