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JOHN TROUP and DUNCAN LARCOMBE
Royal Correspondent
Published: Today
An embarrassed Buckingham Palace released a statement after The Sun revealed the controversial black-faced dolls — condemned as racist — have been available at an official gift shop for a year.
But this morning a family of the stuffed toys could be still be seen in the shop’s window display.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Controversy ... royal aides ordered the golliwogs be removed from the official gift shop</span>
Their demonstration of defiance came to an end minutes later though when royal flunkies at the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk spotted a photographer capturing their rearguard action for posterity and unceremoniously swiped them from view.
The golly dolls' discovery came after ex-PM Lady Thatcher’s daughter Carol was sacked from BBC’s The One Show on Tuesday for refusing to apologise after calling a black tennis star a “golliwog” off camera.
And last month Prince Harry was forced to say sorry after he was caught on video referring to an Asian colleague as “our Paki friend”.
One senior Palace aide admitted last night: “This couldn’t have come at a worse time. The row over Harry’s comments has just died down.”
Two dozen gollies called Tazz and Ollie were on sale among souvenirs at the Sandringham shop yesterday. The Sun bought one of each.
The Tazz dolls, in two sizes priced at £9.99 or £5.99, wore blue jackets, red and white striped trousers and red and white bow ties.
The £9.99 Ollie dolls came in red coat and tails, checked trousers, bow ties and waistcoats.
They are made by Trendle International based in Somerset, which has been manufacturing toys since 1994.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Its website describes the dolls as “very popular”.</span>
But in 2006 police seized three gollies from a shop in in Bromyard, Herefordshire, after complaints. They acted under Section 5 of the Public Order Act, which makes it an offence to display material which could be threatening, abusive or insulting.
And in Corfe Castle, Dorset, shop owner Viv Endecott received hate mail for stocking gollies.
A spokesman for The Queen told The Sun last night: “The shop on the Sandringham estate does sell a product called Golly dolls and has done so for the past year.
“The product is part of a range of soft toys sold by the shop.
“<span style="font-weight: bold">The management of the Sandringham estate has said they did not intend to offend anyone by selling this product and have apologised if any offence has been caused</span>.
“<span style="font-weight: bold">The shop will immediately review its purchasing policy.” </span>
The Queen plays no role in deciding what is stocked in her gift shops.
But a senior source said: “Her Majesty will be furious about this.
“<span style="font-weight: bold">Few people have worked harder to build bridges between people of different races and creeds.</span>
“The Queen will be livid to think that she may have caused anyone offence.”
The gift shop forms part of the visitors’ centre adjoining the main car park for Sandringham House.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Gollies began life in America in an 1899 story book by Florence Kate Upton.</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">They were popularised in Britain by Enid Blyton’s books </span>— and a Golly was the logo on Robertsons Jam jars until scrapped in 2002.
Royal Correspondent
Published: Today
An embarrassed Buckingham Palace released a statement after The Sun revealed the controversial black-faced dolls — condemned as racist — have been available at an official gift shop for a year.
But this morning a family of the stuffed toys could be still be seen in the shop’s window display.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Controversy ... royal aides ordered the golliwogs be removed from the official gift shop</span>
Their demonstration of defiance came to an end minutes later though when royal flunkies at the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk spotted a photographer capturing their rearguard action for posterity and unceremoniously swiped them from view.
The golly dolls' discovery came after ex-PM Lady Thatcher’s daughter Carol was sacked from BBC’s The One Show on Tuesday for refusing to apologise after calling a black tennis star a “golliwog” off camera.
And last month Prince Harry was forced to say sorry after he was caught on video referring to an Asian colleague as “our Paki friend”.
One senior Palace aide admitted last night: “This couldn’t have come at a worse time. The row over Harry’s comments has just died down.”
Two dozen gollies called Tazz and Ollie were on sale among souvenirs at the Sandringham shop yesterday. The Sun bought one of each.
The Tazz dolls, in two sizes priced at £9.99 or £5.99, wore blue jackets, red and white striped trousers and red and white bow ties.
The £9.99 Ollie dolls came in red coat and tails, checked trousers, bow ties and waistcoats.
They are made by Trendle International based in Somerset, which has been manufacturing toys since 1994.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Its website describes the dolls as “very popular”.</span>
But in 2006 police seized three gollies from a shop in in Bromyard, Herefordshire, after complaints. They acted under Section 5 of the Public Order Act, which makes it an offence to display material which could be threatening, abusive or insulting.
And in Corfe Castle, Dorset, shop owner Viv Endecott received hate mail for stocking gollies.
A spokesman for The Queen told The Sun last night: “The shop on the Sandringham estate does sell a product called Golly dolls and has done so for the past year.
“The product is part of a range of soft toys sold by the shop.
“<span style="font-weight: bold">The management of the Sandringham estate has said they did not intend to offend anyone by selling this product and have apologised if any offence has been caused</span>.
“<span style="font-weight: bold">The shop will immediately review its purchasing policy.” </span>
The Queen plays no role in deciding what is stocked in her gift shops.
But a senior source said: “Her Majesty will be furious about this.
“<span style="font-weight: bold">Few people have worked harder to build bridges between people of different races and creeds.</span>
“The Queen will be livid to think that she may have caused anyone offence.”
The gift shop forms part of the visitors’ centre adjoining the main car park for Sandringham House.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Gollies began life in America in an 1899 story book by Florence Kate Upton.</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">They were popularised in Britain by Enid Blyton’s books </span>— and a Golly was the logo on Robertsons Jam jars until scrapped in 2002.
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