London: The death of Queen Elizabeth II means that over 600 of her favourite brands are at risk of losing their royal warrant. The brands had no option but to wait for the approval of their successor, King Charles III. The brands include Fortnum and Mason teas, Burberry raincoats, Cadbury chocolate, and even broomstick and dog food manufacturers.
If the brands fail to get the new monarch's stamp of approval, they will have a time period of two years to remove the royal seal that marks them as preferred suppliers to the sovereign. King Charles has already issued his own royal warrants to more than 150 brands while he was the prince of Wales.
Above all, the royal warrant is a mark of quality.
According to the Royal Warrant Holders Association, royal licence holders receive "the right to display the appropriate royal arms on their products, packaging, stationery, advertising, premises, and vehicles." For some brands, royal endorsement is a powerful selling point, even if it is difficult to calculate the true impact on sales.
Fortnum and Mason were the grocers and provision merchants since Queen Elizabeth's appointment, and the tea merchants and grocers since he was the prince of Wales'. "We are proud to have held a warrant from Her Majesty since 1954, and to have served her and the royal household throughout her life," the luxury London department store said.
Fortnum and Mason has a special history with the royal family. They created Royal Blend tea for King Edward VII in 1902. Twinings was also a tea and coffee merchant for Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales.
Champagne and Dubonnet.
The other brand that benefited from their connection with Queen Elizabeth was the Dubonnet wine-based aperitif—the main ingredient in her favourite cocktail of Dubonnet and gin.
Handbag manufacturer Launer, who used to supply the sovereign with her ever-present handbags since 1968, is at the risk of losing its precious cachet. However, Barbour jackets were the official suppliers of waterproof and protective clothing for both Queen Elizabeth and her eldest son. The clothes are particularly good for country life in the British weather.
Christian Porta, the managing director of global business development at Pernod Ricard, which owns Dubonnet, told the new agency that for those brands who are less well-associated with Queen Elizabeth in the public mind, the royal warrant reflects, "above all, the recognition of know-how and tradition."
The French wine and spirits multinational holds warrants for Dubonnet and also for Mumm champagne. However, the brands face competition from other royal warrant holders, including Bollinger, Krug, Lanson, Laurent-Perrier, Louis Roederer, Moet & Chandon, and Veuve Clicquot.
Tougher criteria
It is not only a luxury, but, consumer brands also hold the royal seal of approval, including Heinz ketchup and its tins of baked beans, adored by Britons. Kellogg's cereals spokesperson, Paul Wheeler in Britain, said that as a US company, "it's nice to have such a strong connection to the UK."
He said that since Queen Elizabeth's 70-year reign, the company had been supplying the royal family continuously.
"The company used to have a special van called Genevieve that would deliver cereals to the royals straight from the factory," Wheeler said.
There is no cost for obtaining a royal warrant, and suppliers provide their services to the grantor on a commercial basis, while the royals can also use other suppliers. Normally, royal warrants last for five years, but the process of renewing the seal is tough now.
"It's not only about giving perfect service," said Wheeler. "You have to show you're a good business," specifically with human rights. As a result, the royal warrant is actually a guarantee of quality which some Britons will use when choosing their goods and services.
Dubonnet and champagne
The other brands that were benefitted by their connection with Queen Elizabeth was the Dubonnet wine-based aperitif-the main ingredient in her favourite cocktail of Dubonnet and gin.
Handbag manufacturer Launer, who used supply the sovereign with her ever-present handbags since 1968, is on the risks of losing its precious cachet. However, Barbour jackets, were the official manufacturers of waterproof and protective clothing to both Queen Elizabeth and her eldest son. The clothing are particularly good for country life in the British weather.
Christian Porta, the managing director of global business development at Pernod Ricard, which owns Dubonnet, told new agency that for those brands who are less well-associated with Queen Elizabeth in the public mind, the royal warrant reflects as "above all, the recognition of know-how and tradition."
The French wine and spirits multinational holds warrants for Dubonnet and also for Mumm champagne. However, the brands do have some competition as Bollinger, Krug, Lanson, Laurent-Perrier, Louis Roederer, Moet and Chandon and Veuve Clicquot also royal warrants holders.
Tougher criteria
It is not only the luxury, but, consumer brands also hold the royal seal of approval, including Heinz, ketchup and its tins of baked beans, adored by Britons. Kellogg's cereals spokepeson Paul Wheeler in Britain, said that as a US company, "it's nice to have such a strong connection to the UK".
He said that since Queen Elizabeth's 70-year reign, company had been supplying the royal family continuously.
"The company used to have a special van-called Genevieve, that would deliver cereals to the royals straight from the factory," Wheeler said.
For obtaining a royal warrant, there is no cost, and suppliers provide their services to the grantor on a commercial basis, while the royals are can also use other suppliers. Normally, Royal warrants last for five years, but the process for renewal the seal is tough now.
"It's not only about giving a perfect service," said Mr Wheeler. "You have to show you're a good business," specifically with human rights. As a result, the royal warrant is actually a guarantee of quality which some Britons will use when choosing their goods and services.
