Question about Henry VIII sparked grandfather’s 40-year passion for collecting royal memorabilia

A grandfather who has collected more than 1,000 pieces of royal memorabilia started his decades-long passion after becoming interested in Henry VIII while doing a crossword puzzle.

Paul Smith, 73, started his hobby after struggling over a question in a crossword about the Tudor monarch nearly 40 years ago.

Mr Smith, who lives in Wrexham, North Wales, now trawls charity shops looking for items including the first piece of pressed glass, which was issued for Queen Victoria’s coronation in 1837.

The 73-year-old also claims that he has the largest collection of Royal photographs in Britain – with between a whopping 10,000 to 20,000 prints. 

And his hard work has paid off as he was asked by his local church to put on a display for the Coronation weekend next month. 

A replica of Saint Edwards Crown, made by Paul Smith and a figurine of Queen Elizabeth. Paul, of Wrexham, North Wales, trawls charity shops looking for items

Minatare crown jewels collection. His collection of work has had to be put on hold after his wife was diagnosed with cancer and passed away

Royal banner from the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. The Royal fanatic has amassed a collection of 1,000 objects and believes he may have the largest collection of regal photographs in the UK

Figurines of King Henry VIII and his six wives. The 73-year-old’s passion for his hobby started after struggling over a question in a crossword about Henry VIII 

His interest began in 1984, when he was working at a maximum security prison in Wolverhampton.

In recalling his job and the moment his passion for collecting Royal souvenirs began, the 73-year-old said: ‘It was a very boring job.

‘I was sitting on the landing doing a numerical crossword and the crossword asked for the year of birth of Henry the 8th.’

He then visited the prison library for the answer, which ended up launching his long-lasting curiosity into the history of the Royal family.

Mr Smith has revealed that the majority of his collection has been discovered in charity shops or antiques.

And he has spent the last 40 years trawling through these stores, in the hunt for the best royal souvenirs.

In fact, his collection began when he purchased a copy of the Illustrated London News – and he now has over 1,000 copies.

The former Royal Marine, who was born in South Wales, shared his favourite find, which is a bronze medal dating back to The Great Exhibition of 1851 and was bought for 50p.

Impressively, the medal is now worth around £1,000.

Being a ‘Royal Vexillologist’, a person who studies the history, symbolism and usage of flags, Mr Smith often put displays of his large flag collections in venues across Wolverhampton and surrounding areas.

And in 2018, he also displayed his collections at The Cefn Mawr and District Museum over a three month exhibition.

However, Mr Smith’s collection of work has had to be put on hold over the past four years after his wife, Christine, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away on December 4, 2022.

Wrexham man shares impressive collection of more than 1,000 royal treasures. mr Smith said that if he ever ‘won the lottery I would buy a shop or a building and I would make it a Royal museum in North Wales’

Original London Illustrated News. Mr Smith’s collection began when he purchased a copy of the Illustrated London News – he now has over 1,000 copies

Figurines of the British Monarchy. He says that he is ‘so excited’ to put up his display for the Coronation weekend at his local church

Speaking about this, Mr Smith said: ‘My duty was to her care, and my ‘hobby’ was placed on the back burner in order for me to look after my beloved wife.

‘I am sure Chris would have loved me taking this up again.

‘Even when I am up here I think about her, but it is something that I have got to do as I can’t just sit and do nothing.

‘If I can help anybody by giving them an interest in any way shape or form, that is what I want to do.

‘My greatest dislike about my collection is that nobody ever sees it, it’s in here but nobody ever looks at it.

‘If I ever won the lottery I would buy a shop or a building and I would make it a Royal museum in North Wales.’

Mr Smith has been asked to put on a display at his church, All Saints on Poyser Street in Wrexham, for Coronation weekend.

Included in the display will be two royal banners from the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth that hung in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953.

He said: ‘I can remember being so excited and seeing fireworks for the first time.’