Mother’s Day Gift Guide: Shopping at The Royal Exchange, London.

When I first saw The Royal Exchange’s exterior several years ago, situated as it is hard by the Bank of England, in the very middle of the City of London, I presumed it housed another venerable fiscal institution.

What it actually houses is a glorious arcade of some of not just London’s, but the globe’s most prestigious retailers, from Hermes to Jo Malone, Smythson to Theo Fennell, Tiffany & Co. to Bremont, as well as several restaurants, bars and cafes.

I spent a very enjoyably morning on Monday exploring all the stores, picking out wonderful pieces as inspiration for Mothering Sunday presents. (In the UK Mother’s Day is on Sunday 15th March. In the US and Australia it is the 10th May.). This is my edit – and my photographs – of some of the things I popped on my wishlist.

Gifts from clockwise:
Lulu Guinness Air Force Blue Crosshatched Leather Cesca Tote £350, Pretty Ballerinas Shirley gingham ballet pump £139, Links of London Business Card Case in Sterling Silver £225, Tiffany & Co. T narrow chain bracelet in 18k gold, medium £1700, Keihl’s Nashi Blossom & Pink Grapefruit Fragrance £24.50, Bulgari BallpointPen £325, Smythson Panama Notebook £25, Bremont Solo wrist watch SOLO37/RG £3800, *Paul Smith Large Damson Saffiano Calf Leather Tokyo Purse £299, Bulgari Diva 18ct pink gold ring £1760, *Paul Smith Damson Leather Swirl Print Bow Gloves £110
Penhaligon Malabah Solid Fragrance £44

Bulgari Serpent Green Bracelet £215, Bulgari Serpenti Silver double strap bracelet £250,
Lulu Guinness Air Force Blue Crosshatched Leather Cesca Tote £350

Tiffany T wire bracelet in 18k gold with diamonds, medium £2,450, Tiffany T narrow wire bracelet in 18k rose gold, small. £895, Omega De Ville Prestige Butterfly Watch £4020, *Paul Smith Painted Stripe Square Silk Scarf £199

Lulu Guinness Silver Perspex Lips Clutch £245, Bulgari DIVA pink gold 18K, bracelet with onyx and mother of pearl £2,930, Omega De Ville Prestige Butterfly Watch £4020, Theo Fennell Hibiscus Band Ring £875, Starfish Stack Ring £875, Bee Stack Ring £875. *Paul Smith Red Valentines Silk Square Scarf (just seen) £199

Whilst The Royal Exchange is well known in the city as the perfect destination for lunch hour and after work shopping not just for oneself, but for gifting too, I suspect that Londoners often overlook it in favour of other, more shout-y destinations.

That’s a shame, as The Royal Exchange truly is an oasis of retail calm, and I have nipped there so quickly on the tube, from both the West End and home in Camden, to pick up scent for my godmother from Penhaligon’s, or to check out the scarves in Hermes for my mother, without having to brave the hordes elsewhere. (It’s particularly handy having the Bank London Underground interchange literally on its doorstep.)

At weekends especially it’s a lovely calm place to browse, and to take mid-shopping breaks in the Grand Cafe.

Shopping aside, it’s a fascinating place to wander around, with a history and heritage unequalled by any other London shopping destination. Officially opened by Queen Elizabeth I in 1571, The Royal Exchange was the brainchild of merchant Thomas Gresham, who aspired to establish a centre for the capital’s trading.

An ill-fated passage in its history saw the building suffer not only at the hands of the Great Fire of London in 1666, but a second fire in 1838. A third re-imaging of the building was designed by architect William Tite and opened in 1844 by Queen Victoria.

Trading was suspended for nine months at the outbreak of World War II, then continued until 1972, when all stock trading moved to new premises. Trading returned during a brief period between 1982 and 1991.

It was the extensive redevelopment by architects Aukett Fitzroy Robinson in 2001, sympathetically reconstructing the courtyard to bring in new boutiques and restaurants, that transformed The Royal Exchange into the luxury retail destination it has become today.

I absolutely recommend keeping an eye out for all the interesting architectural detailing, from the ironmongery to the Corinthian pillars, via a bust of Abraham Lincoln.

And, most importantly, keep looking up too!

It’s also worth popping upstairs to the Mezzanine Lounge, not just for a fabulous reviving cocktail, but to check out the hidden details, especially this mural and sculpture hidden behind the mezzanine itself.

Theo Fennell Hibiscus Band Ring £875, Starfish Stack Ring £875, Bee Stack Ring £875.

Bulgari Diva pink gold 18K bracelet £234. Theo Fennell Plain Bee Bracelet £595. Links of London Effervescence Bubble 18ct Yellow Gold Bracelet £750. Omega De Ville Prestige Butterfly Watch £4020.
Tiffany T wire bracelet in 18k gold with diamonds, medium. £2,450. Tiffany T narrow wire bracelet in 18k rose gold, small. £895.

NB: The Paul Smith Sale store products are in constant rotation, so specific items may not always be available in the colourways seen above.

Royal Exchange, Bank, City Of London, EC3V 3LR
Store Trading Hours 10am – 6pm Restaurants & Bars 8am – 11pm
Theroyalexchange.co.uk

This post was written in collaboration with The Royal Exchange.