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The high street is facing an unprecedented struggle to survive, with non-essential shop reopening their doors after 11 weeks of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. But members of the Royal Family can help it get back on its feet during these trying times, according to brand owner Lisa Kay. Ms Kay opened up the positive impact the patronage of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, has had on her affordable comfort footwear brand Sole Bliss. 

She told Express.co.uk: “By wearing Sole Bliss shoes for lengthy public engagements, the Duchess has certainly helped our brand become known for comfort.

“We often see increased sales in our £149 block heels after the Duchess has worn them for her royal duties.”

Camilla backed Ms Kay’s brand as recently as in May, when she stepped out of her home in Balmoral with Prince Charles to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

On that day, the Duchess of Cornwall paid respect with a two-minute silence to those who fought against Nazi Germany during World War 2. 

She also laid a wreath at a war memorial at Balmoral with a touching note to her “darling father” Major Bruce Shand.

By silently promoting Sole Bliss, Camilla helped the company’s selling out the model she wore on VE Day in 24 hours, the company revealed.

The patronage of a member of the Royal Family doesn’t only help a brand with more revenues, according to Ms Kay.

She continued: “Having a member of the Royal Family among our customers is an honour and very valuable.

“When customers know that they share the same shoes as Royalty, it gives them added confidence in the brand.”

Royals who support a brand on their public appearances – or during the video calls fans have got used to during the lockdown – can on the whole help the UK High Street, Ms Kay added.

She said: “By wearing British clothing brands, the Royals can have a very positive impact on the British High Street, especially for affordable brands like ourselves.”

Camilla isn’t the only member of the Royal Family to have boosted sales simply by choosing to wear a specific item.

Many of the bags, dresses and blouses chosen by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, in recent years have become a hit among the public.

Most notably, the white coat by Toronto fashion brand Line the Label was sold out within hours after Meghan wore it on her engagement announcement.

Similarly, the Misha Nonoo’s husband shirt Meghan wore at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto became a staple in the wardrobe of many royal fans. 

Figures shared by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in regards to retail sales in May 2020 shows a steep decline in revenues due both to the pandemic and the already existing crisis of the sector.

The ONS report highlighted that, in the three months to May 2020, the volume of retail sales decreased by a record 12.8 percent, with declines across all stores except food and non-store retailing.

Comparing the value of sales, which represents the amount spent, in May 2020 with the one of May 2019 shows a 14.2 percent decrease, the ONS said. 

Still, May 2020 represented a better month for sales than April, as a few non-essential shops were allowed to reopen.

The ONS added: “Retail sales volumes partly rebounded in May 2020 with an increase of 12.0 percent when compared with the record falls experienced in the previous month, but sales were still down by 13.1 percent on February before the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Online shopping also experienced an increase the volume of sales in May compared to the month before.

The ONS added: “The proportion spent online soared to the highest proportion on record in May 2020 at 33.4 percent, which compares with the 30.8 percent reported in April 2020.”   

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