Hundreds of major brands which have been granted a Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth II – including Waitrose, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Heinz, and Cadbury – have been served notice to stop using the Royal Arms following the monarch’s passing.
A Royal Warrant allows the holder to use the Royal Arms in connection with their business, with many opting to display it on packaging and in marketing material.
As a result of the Queen’s death late last week, brands now have two years to drop the use of the “By appointment to Her Majesty the Queen” branding as well as the Royal Arms, as those warrants are all void.
It is claimed the move will affect more than 100 consumer goods businesses and retailers, with Coca-Cola, Premier Foods, Unilever, British Sugar and Britvic also included on the list.
Around 30 Royal Warrants are granted each year, with a similar number being terminated.
According to the Royal Warrant Holders Association, companies have to reapply for a Royal Warrant from the new monarch, and prove they supply “products or services on a regular and on-going basis to the Royal Households of grantor/s for not less than five years out of the past seven”.
Among other things, brand owners are also required to demonstrate that they have an appropriate environmental and sustainability policy and action plan, the association added.
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