Northward push of royal lingerie-maker

The Queen's bra-maker is to start selling its lingerie outside the South for the first time since the brand was founded by a Jewish refugee in 1939.

Rigby & Peller, which is now owned by Belgium group Van de Velde, is searching for stores in the north of England with a focus on Yorkshire.

There are eight stores in the south, but many online sales of its £60-plus bras have come from the North and Scotland. The London-based brand has already embarked on an international growth plan and has 12 stores in Europe and two in China.

The group, which was granted the Royal Warrant in 1960, spends six months training staff to become lingerie stylists. These specialists are able to accurately assess a woman's measurements through sight alone.