This September will mark two years since Queen Elizabeth II passed away, and the month when her official royal seal of approval will expire. That is to say, the Royal warrants that she granted during her time on the throne will, as of September 8, be void.
And so, enter King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who this month have reviewed the brands that they know and love. Kickstarting some change to the list of companies with royal recognition, Queen Camilla has given out her first warrants to seven British brands, including a sparkling wine producer and a stationer.
A Royal warrant is a mark of recognition given to people or companies who have supplied goods or services to the Royal household. Companies with the title are allowed to use the granting royal’s coat of arms on their packaging and advertising, reportedly allowing them to charge a price premium for their products.
So when you see Queen Elizabeth II’s coat of arms printed on your ketchup bottle, it does indeed mean that she too kept a bottle of the much-loved condiment in her fridge, just like the rest of us. Presumably her fridge was just much, much bigger. But what’s on King Charles and Queen Camilla’s shelves? Here are the deets.
What brands currently have a Royal warrant?
All 138 of the brands that had previously received a Royal warrant from Charles when he was the Prince of Wales have been given the green light to continue to hold the accolade now that he’s King. Some of those brands include the luxury jeweller Cartier, the champagne producer Laurent-Perrier and, in a nod to a more down-to-earth life at the palace, the cereal brand Kellogg’s.
Queen Camilla’s seven new choices have also been recognised by King Charles, meaning that the British brands will all hold two Royal warrants.
The 7 new brands given Royal warrants
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Fortnum & Mason
Based in Piccadilly and famous for its swanky afternoon teas and iconic hampers, F&M is an unsurprising addition to the list of brands enjoyed by the royals. Read Time Out’s guide to Fortnum & Mason here.
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Camel Valley
Camel Valley is a family-run vineyard in Bodmin, Cornwall. It produces award-winning wines and sparkling wines, including a Camel Valley 'Cornwall' Brut, and the Queen has previously shown support for the brand.
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Shane Connolly & Company
These self-styled ‘floral alchemists’ create artisan floral arrangements and are based in west London. The company scored the contract to do the flowers at Charles and Camilla’s wedding in 2005, as well as the coronation at Westminster Abbey last year.
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Corney & Barrow
Founded in 1780, these independent wine merchants are among the oldest in the UK. Corney & Barrow purchases and supplies wines around the world, and already held a Royal Warrant from Charles when he was Prince of Wales. The brand has now received the accolade from Queen Camilla too, along with a renewal from the King.
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DR Harris & Co
These chemists and perfumers are specialists in gentlemen’s grooming products. Located in St James’s (London) the brand is apparently very environmentally conscious, delivering products by bike, offering refill stations at their store, and planting five trees with every trade order. Charles will like that.
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Frank Smythson
Smythson is a stationery and office equipment brand, stocking luxury products ranging from notecards to diaries to briefcases. The brand has a long Royal history having been commissioned to produce the stationery for Queen Victoria’s residences back in the 1890s.
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Wartski
Jewellery brand Wartski originated in Bangor, Wales, and has long-established links with the Royals. Wartski made the wedding rings for both Charles and Camilla in 2005 and for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s extravagant 2011 nuptials.
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