Royal Warrants are a mark of recognition to individuals or companies who have supplied goods or services for at least five years to HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh or HRH The Prince of Wales. Warrants have always been regarded as demonstrating excellence and quality, and are highly prized.
There are around 850 Royal Warrant Holders representing a huge cross-section of trade and industry. They range from traditional craftspeople to global and multinational firms operating at the cutting edge of technology.
Warrants are granted to named individuals – Grantees – who must personally ensure the Warrant is used correctly. Warrant Holders may display the relevant Royal Arms and the legend ‘By Appointment’ on their products, premises, stationery, vehicles and advertising. To apply for a Royal Warrant a company must have traded for a minimum of five years with at least one of the Grantors. Suppliers to the Prince of Wales also have to demonstrate that they have a workable environmental policy. Applications for a Royal Warrant, which have to be submitted by the end of June each year, are made through the Royal Warrant Holders Association. Each application is then considered by a committee that sits in November.
Royal Warrants are only issued to tradesman. The professions such as bankers, solicitors and accountants, employment agencies, party planners, government departments, the media and 'places of refreshment or entertainment' do not qualify.
A Royal Warrant costs nothing to apply for and contact details are below. A Royal Warrant does mean that the products or services supplied are the best, only that they are the preferred product or service.
Members of the Royal Household are free to choose any other suppliers, and it is worth bearing in mind that the Royal Warrant Holders Association were NOT involved in the last major Royal Wedding. The Warrant can be canceled for any of the following reasons, and you would have a maximum of 12 months to remove the Royal Arms from any branding, vehicles and stationery.
- The quality of the product or service is not up to standard.
- The product or service is no longer manufactured or available.
- The goods or services are no longer required, or orders have dwindled.
- The business stops trading.
- The firm goes into liquidation or is declared bankrupt.
- There is a significant change in the control or ownership of the Royal Warrant holding firm.
Warrant Holders may not disclose details of the goods or services they provide, except as described in the wording or legend beneath the Royal Arms.
eg. ‘By Appointment........Outfitters to HM The Queen’. The Royal Warrant Holders Association advises its members on everything to do with their Warrant and assists with the correct interpretation and implementation of the rules governing the Royal Warrant, known as The Lord Chamberlain’s Rules. The Association also fulfils two other important roles. Firstly it provides a link been the Royal Household and companies holding the Royal Warrant, and secondly it ensures that Warrants are only displayed by bone fide Warrant Holders.
Warrants are automatically reviewed by the Lord Chamberlain’s Office one year before they are due to expire. As part of the review, firms must provide evidence of the goods and services they have supplied to the Royal Household over the past four years. Warrants are further reviewed if the Grantee dies or leaves the business, or if the firm goes into liquidation or is sold.
To become a member of the Royal Warrant Holders Association (RWHA) a company must hold a Royal Warrant. The Royal Warrant Holders Association
No 1 Buckingham Place
London
SW1E 6HR
Tel:020 7828 2268
Fax:020 7828 1668
For warrant enquiries email: warrants@rwha.co.uk