Royal Warrants

Coat of Arms of the Duke of Edinburgh

Royal Warrants of Appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier. In the United Kingdom, grants are currently made by three members of the British Royal Family to companies or tradespeople who supply goods and services to individuals in the family. Several other royal families allow tradespeople to advertise royal patronage, including the ruling dynasties of the Netherlands, Belgium, Thailand, Denmark, and Sweden.

Suppliers continue to charge for their goods and services — a warrant does not imply that they provide goods and services free of charge. The warrant is typically advertised on company hoardings, letter-heads and products by displaying the coat of arms or the heraldic badge of the royal personage as appropriate. Underneath the coat of arms will usually appear the phrase "By Appointment to..." followed by the title and name of the royal customer, and then what goods are provided. No other details of what is supplied may be given.

History

The earliest recorded British Royal Charter was granted to the Weavers’ Company in 1155 by Henry II of England.

Royal Warrant Holders

Warrants are currently granted for the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales. Warrants issued by the Queen Mother automatically expired in 2007, five years after her death.

Some 800 individuals and companies, including a few non-UK companies, hold more than 1,100 warrants to the British Royal Family. Suppliers must have had a trading relationship with an individual in the family for at least five years before they can be considered for a warrant. Warrants are awarded at the discretion of the Lord Chamberlain, acting as the chairman of the Royal Household Tradesmen's Warrants Committee. Warrants are awarded for renewable terms of five years, though they can be revoked at any time; some warrants have been held for more than 100 years. Goods need not be for the use of the grantor. Cigarettes were only bought for the use of guests for example, but these warrants were cancelled in 1999 as a matter of public policy.

Royal Warrants are only awarded to tradespeople. The professions, employment agencies, party planners, the media, government departments, and "places of refreshment or entertainment" (such as pubs and theatres) do not qualify.

A directory of Royal Warrant companies is available at the website of the Royal Warrant Holders' Association.

Purveyors to the Imperial and Royal Court (of Austria-Hungary) (k.u.k. Hoflieferant)

• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne - 1872 to HIM Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria
• Baczewski — vodka
• Bösendorfer — pianos
• Demel — chocolates and confectioneries
• Sacher

Royal Warrant Holders of the Court of Belgium

List of Royal Warrant Holders (select 'complete list')

Purveyors to the Court (of Denmark) (Kongelig Hofleverandør)

• Egmont — Denmarks biggest media group with magazines, films, DVDs, books, tv-programs, music, cartoons etc.
• Ole Lynggaard Copenhagen- Exclusive Danish jewellery - appointed to the Royal Danish Court in 2008.
• Anthon Berg — chocolate
• Carlsberg (and all their subsiduries, including Tuborg and others) — beverages
• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne to HM King Christian VIII. 1847
• ECCO — shoes
• Warre's - porto
• See more at www.hoflev.dk

Purveyors to the Dutch court

The predicate 'purveyor to the court' (hofleverancier) is awarded to small and medium sized businesses that have existed for at least 100 years, and who have a good reputation regionally [94600]. They need not actually supply goods to the court. The predicate is to be renewed every 25 years. At present there are at least 387 companies who can carry the predicate.

For large, multinational, enterprises and for NGOs the use of the designation 'koninklijke' or 'royal' can be awarded.. These enterprises are also allowed to incorporate a crown in their logo. Examples are KLM (airline - logo incorporates crown), Royal Dutch Shell (oil company, in succession to Royal Dutch Petroleum Company - logo was a crown), KPN (phone company - logo incorporates crown).

Purveyors to the Court of Sweden (Kunglig hovleverantör)

Various companies provide, or have provided, goods to the Royal Court of Sweden. To qualify for a Royal Warrant the order must come from either H.M. the King of Sweden or H.M. the Queen of Sweden and the company must deliver its goods or services to the Court. A Royal Warrant is personal and usually awarded to the managing director of the company rather than the company itself. All goods and services are paid for by the Court.

Purveyors to the Japanese Imperial Household Agency

After WWII, the permission system was abolished, but purveyors still exist today

• Nissin Foods
• Toyota
• Manyoken

Purveyors to the Court (of France)

• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne to HM Empereur Napoleon I. 1811
• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne to HM Empereur Napoleon III. 1867
• Guerlain — Eau de Cologne to HM Empereur Napoleon III. 1868
• Debauve & Gallais — Chocolate makers to King Louis XVIII, Charles X, Louis Philippe, HM Empereur Napoleon I.

High Patronage of the Monaco Royal family

• Chocolaterie de Monaco

• British Theatre Season, Monaco

Purveyors to the Portuguese royal family

• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne to HM King Dom Luis 1866

Purveyors to the Romanian Royal House

• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne to HM King Carol I 1881

• Murfatlar SA — Wine to HM King Michael I 2003
• Frottirex — Bath towels and bedding to HM King Michael I 2005
• Doina Levintza — Clothing and accessories to HM King Michael I 2005
• Dan Coma — Clothing and accessories to HM King Michael I 2005
• Halewood Vineyard — Rhein Extra sparkling wines to HM King Michael I 2006
• SC Transavia SA — Chicken meat to HM King Michael I 2005
• Principal Company — Salonta sausage products to HM King Michael I 2007
• Biborţeni — Bottled water (flat and sparkling) to HM King Michael I 2008

Purveyors to the Court (of Prussia)

• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne to HM King Friedrich Wilhelm IV 1841
• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne to HM King Wilhelm I 1871
• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne to HM King Friedrich III 1888
• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne to HM King Wilhelm II 1888

Purveyors to the Court (of Bavaria)

• Eilles — Königlich Bayerischer Hof-Lieferant für Kaffee und Tee
• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne to HM King Ludwig II 1872
• Fr. Ant. Prantl — Königlich Bayerischer Hoflieferant, since 1797, www.prantl.de

Purveyors to the Court (of Württemberg)

• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne to HM King Karl I 1868

Purveyors to the Italian royal family

• Acqua di Biella - Eau de Cologne to HM King Umberto I° 1878
• Ballarino - Cavour - Jewellery - By Appointment to S.A.R. the Prince Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Savoy, Patent nr.01/07
• Baratti & Milano - Torino - sweets
• Bianchi - car
• Caffarel - Torino - chocolate
• Caraceni – Milano - Clothes
• fratelli Carli - Imperia - olive oil
• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne to HM King Vittorio Emanuele 1876
• Florio - Marsala - Wine
• Gancia - Wine
• Marinella - Napoli - Tie
• Martini & Rossi - liquor1
• Musy, Padre & Figli -Torino – Jewellery
• Pernigotti - chocolate
• Petochi - Roma - Jewellery
• Prada – Milano - Clothes
• Sperlari - food

Purveyors to the Russian imperial family

• Farina gegenüber — Eau de Cologne to HIM Tsar Nicholas I 1843
• Fabergé — Jewellery to HIM Tsar Nicholas II
• Smirnoff — vodka
• Cristal — champagne

References

Notes

Bibliography

• By Appointment: 150 Years of the Royal Warrant and Its Holders, Tim Heald, Queen Anne Publisher (2 Nov 1989), ISBN 0356170993

External links

• Royal Warrants explained on the royal.gov.uk website
• The Royal Warrant Holders Association*
• Royal Warrant Holders Denmark
• List of Purveyors to the Romanian Royal House