The Old Windsor Tapestry Manufactory was established in 1876 with weavers from Aubusson with English apprentices. The Queen and royal family took a keen interest. In 1880 Prince Leopold accepted the presidency and the Queen became Patron; consequently the manufactory became the Royal Windsor Tapestry Manufactory (R.W.T.M.). In the later 1880's its fortunes declined as did the royal patronage. It closed in 1890 and its stock was sold in 1895.

Messrs. Gillow & Co. of Oxford Street, London probably commissioned the first known Windsor Tapestry entitled 'Queen Victoria' in 1876. Probably with the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1878 in mind, they then commissioned a further either tapestries depicting scenes from Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. These were designed by one of their own artists, T.W. Hay, and bear his signature along with the names or initials of Henri C.J. Henry and Michel Brignolas; the former was the first Director and promoter of the R.W.T.M., having previously been the art director at Gillows, the latter was an emigré who became the first tapissier manager and dyer (in 1877 Brignolas recorded that 5,000 shades had been produced for the work in progress, namely 'The Merry Wives of Windsor).

The numbering on the Merry Wives of Windsor is from No.2-No.9, No.1 being Queen Victoria (now owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum [Gallery 95, Textiles]).