These pieces are from the Grand Service, a dinner service of silver gilt (silver coated in a thin layer of gold) which comprises over 4,000 items. The service was commissioned by George IV when Prince of Wales, from the royal goldsmiths Rundell, Bridge & Rundell. The initial consignment, delivered in 1811, cost £60,000. George IV continued to add further pieces for the rest of his life, and his magnificent service has been used in every subsequent reign.

Also included are the two dishes displayed at the Coronation Banquet of George IV in 1821 - the Shield of Achilles, designed and modelled by John Flaxman in 1821, and an altar dish used at the coronation ceremony of Charles II in 1661, one of the largest of its kind in existence. Also shown is a selection of the silver-gilt cups and tankards which George IV collected in later life.