By Appointment: 150 Years of the Royal Warrant and Its Holders

Since the Middle Ages, tradesmen who have acted as suppliers of goods and services to the Sovereign have received formal recognition. In the beginning, this patronage took the form of Royal charters given collectively to various guilds in trades and crafts which later became known as livery companies. Royal warrants are granted to people or companies who have regularly supplied goods or services for a minimum of five consecutive years to The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh or The Prince of Wales. Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was also a grantor of warrants; warrants granted by her were retained for five years from her death (until 2007). Each of these members of the Royal Family can grant only one warrant to any individual business, but a business may hold warrants from more than one member of the Royal Family. Advice on granting warrants is provided by the Lord Chamberlain, who is head of the Royal Household and chairman of the Royal Household Tradesmen's Warrants Committee. The warrants are a mark of recognition that tradesmen are regular suppliers of goods and services to the Royal households. Strict regulations govern the warrant, which allows the grantee or company to use the legend 'By Appointment' and display the Royal coat of arms on his products, such as stationery, advertisements and other printed material, in his or her premises and on delivery vehicles. A Royal warrant is initially granted for five years, after which time it comes up for review by the Royal Household Tradesmen's Warrants Committee. Warrants may not be renewed if the quality or supply for the product or service is insufficient, as far as the relevant Royal Household is concerned. A warrant may be cancelled at any time and is automatically reviewed if the grantee dies or leaves the business, or if the firm goes bankrupt or is sold. There are rules to ensure that high standards are maintained.