The Brands Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Prince Philip Swear By
The royals are free to shop wherever they choose, but they tend to keep it in the family—the royal warrant family, that is.
The precious few brands with royal warrants are permitted display the Royal Arms in their marketing materials. The royals usually refuse to promote commercial goods, but the warrants are a rare and prominent exception. They're an obvious boon to any branding efforts, but getting your hands on one is no easy task.
First, a company must provide goods or services to the royal family (or more specifically, to Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles, the three royals able to award warrants) for five years. Then, as Nigel Fulton, owner of royal warrantee Fulton Umbrellas, told Town & Country earlier this year, "you have to wait until you’re invited to apply, so it’s not automatic at all." To apply, companies need to submit a laundry list of disclosures, which ensure that the business meets various standards. "The finances, your supply base, where all of the components come from, your policies on human resources, your supply policies, your health and safety policies, your environmental policies," Fulton recalled.
Only after that thorough vetting process can a brand be awarded a royal warrant—and even then, the warrants have to be renewed every five years. Still, a select 14 companies have managed to acquire not just one, but all three, granted by the Queen, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles. A few of them, unfortunately, are hard to patronize from abroad (even if Blossom & Browne's Sycamore really does provide the best dry-cleaning around). But here, we've gathered a full 10 of the royal family's favorite brands that you can try out yourself.
Suppliers of Stationery, Leather Goods, and Office Equipment
net-a-porter.com
Smythson started working with royalty all the way back in the 1890s, when Queen Victoria commissioned the company to create stationery for each of the monarch's residences. These days, the brand continues to provide Her Majesty's stationery, while Prince Philip relies on their leather goods. For his part, Prince Charles sources both stationery and office equipment from Smythson.
Manufacturers of Waterproof and Protective Clothing
nordstrom.com
Family-owned brand Barbour has been around since 1894, but was awarded its first royal warrant in 1974, by Prince Philip. The Queen must've been jealous of her husband's outwear, as by 1982, she'd awarded the brand a royal warrant of her own. Prince Charles was the last to jump on the bandwagon, in 1987.
Suppliers of Objets d'Art
harrods.com
Halcyon Days prides itself on its British craftsmanship, and its dedication to making enamel products by hand. The company holds all three royal warrants, supplying each holder with objets d'art.
Outfitters
daks.com
According to the Royal Warrant Holders' Association website, this luxury brand was the first to invent self-supporting trousers, back in the 1930s. Now, self-supporting pants are (thankfully) commonplace—but Daks remains a British heritage brand, which supplies clothing to the Queen, as well as Princes Charles and Philip.
Robe Makers and Tailors
madham.co.uk
Ever wonder what brand was behind Queen Elizabeth's sumptuous coronation robe, or Prince Philip's investiture attire? That would be Ede & Ravenscroft, the British sovereigns' go-to robe makers since 1689. To this day, the brand supplies robes to all three royal warrant holders, and provides additional tailoring services for the Queen. (They do also, on occasion, make clothing that can be worn by mere mortals, like the legal shirt pictured here.)
Tailors and Outfitters
gievesandhawkes.com
Gieves & Hawkes has its roots in two separate companies: one supplying the British Royal Navy, and the other supplying the British Army (that one, Hawkes, got its first royal warrant in 1799). Now united, Gieves & Hawkes sells all manner of men's suits, blazers, and the like, as well as military garb. The brand serves as the Queen's livery and military tailors, while Princes Charles and Philip don its civilian clothing as well.
Booksellers
hatchards.co.uk
As the oldest bookstore in London, Hatchards claims that Queen Charlotte (wife of King George III) was among the shop's first customers. Nowadays, Hatchards offers rare first editions and signed books alongside more standard literary offerings, and counts the Queen, Prince Charles, and Prince Philip as customers.
Gun and Cartridge Makers
mrporter.com
Queen Victoria's son (the future King Edward VII) granted James Purdey his first royal warrant in 1868. A decade later, Queen Victoria followed with her own royal warrant; since then, every British monarch has awarded a warrant to the brand. In addition to the shooting supplies that the royals count on Purdey for, the company also produces leather goods and clothing.
Tailors and Kiltmakers
kinlochanderson.com
King George V granted Kinloch Anderson its first royal warrant, and since then, the brand has been the royals' go-to purveyors of kilts, tartans, and more.
Manufacturers of Motor Vehicles
Aston Martin and Bentley also hold royal warrants, but Jaguar Land Rover is the only automotive company to boast all three. (Here, Prince Philip is pictured exploring a brand-new Jaguar during a 1957 visit t0 the Motor Industry Research Association.)
The Brands Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Prince Philip Swear By
The royals are free to shop wherever they choose, but they tend to keep it in the family—the royal warrant family, that is.
The precious few brands with royal warrants are permitted display the Royal Arms in their marketing materials. The royals usually refuse to promote commercial goods, but the warrants are a rare and prominent exception. They're an obvious boon to any branding efforts, but getting your hands on one is no easy task.
First, a company must provide goods or services to the royal family (or more specifically, to Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles, the three royals able to award warrants) for five years. Then, as Nigel Fulton, owner of royal warrantee Fulton Umbrellas, told Town & Country earlier this year, "you have to wait until you’re invited to apply, so it’s not automatic at all." To apply, companies need to submit a laundry list of disclosures, which ensure that the business meets various standards. "The finances, your supply base, where all of the components come from, your policies on human resources, your supply policies, your health and safety policies, your environmental policies," Fulton recalled.
Only after that thorough vetting process can a brand be awarded a royal warrant—and even then, the warrants have to be renewed every five years. Still, a select 14 companies have managed to acquire not just one, but all three, granted by the Queen, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles. A few of them, unfortunately, are hard to patronize from abroad (even if Blossom & Browne's Sycamore really does provide the best dry-cleaning around). But here, we've gathered a full 10 of the royal family's favorite brands that you can try out yourself.
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