Day 50

With just a quick rummage through the house I found: Pimms, Silvo, Twinings tea, Gordon’s gin, Dettol, HP sauce, Angostura Bitters, Champagne Bollinger and Royal Doulton. Though what do these things all have in common? They all have a Royal Warrant, which are appointed by H.M. Queen Elizabeth and/or HRH The Prince of Wales for products and services that have been in regular use - for at least 5 of the past 7 years - to the royal household. The first appointments date back to the 15th century, with William Caxton, a printer, being one of the first recipients in 1476. Today, there are currently 816 royal warrants with the longest-serving warrant-holder being Berry Bros. & Rudd, a wine and spirits merchant, granted in 1903. The Royal Warrant itself is the document that allows companies to use the Royal Arms in their promotion and to promote their royal warrant status; it is estimated that companies may earn up to 5% of their revenue as a result of a Royal Warrant. Once appointed, they are reviewed and renewed every 5 years and can be withdrawn for a number of reasons, including a decline in quality, the product or service no longer being required or death of the grantor: earlier this year 35 warrants had their association with the royal household revoked after the death of HRH Duke of Edinburgh; in 2018 the underwear fitter Rigby & Peller lost their warrant after the firm’s director wrote a book revealing details of the royal family; in 2012 Carr’s Table Water Biscuits lost their warrant due to the ‘changing tastes’ of the Royal Households; and, in 2000 Harrods lost their 44-year-old warrant granted by the Duke of Edinburgh after the owner, Mohamed Al Fayed, accused the Duke of masterminding a secret service plot to murder his son and Diana, Princess of Wales. As a result Al Fayed banned the Duke from from visiting his stores and never reapplied for another warrant - at the time Harrods held four Royal Warrants by HRH Her Majesty, HRH Duke of Edinburgh, HRH Prince of Wales and HRH Queen Elizabeth, Queen’s mother - and he burnt the royal warrants stating they were cursed (which the Guardian labeled a “fairly rubbish curse” having taken 86 years to work).