Royal warrant of appointment

Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The royal warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the issuer of the royal warrant; thus lending prestige to the supplier. Royal families of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco, Denmark, Sweden, and Japan among others, allow tradesmen to advertise royal patronage.

Suppliers having a royal warrant charge for the goods and services supplied; a royal warrant does not imply that suppliers provide goods or services free of charge. Royal warrants are typically advertised on company hoardings, letter-heads and products by displaying the coat of arms or the heraldic badge of the royal personage issuing the royal warrant. Warrants granted by members of the British royal family usually include the phrase "By Appointment to…" followed by the title and name of the royal customer, and then what goods are provided; no other details of what is supplied may be given.

Purveyors for current households

Australia

Royal warrant holders of the Court of Australia:

Belgium
Au grand Rasoir

In Belgium the title of 'Purveyor to the Court' (Gebrevetteerd Hofleverancier van België/Fournisseur breveté de la Cour de Belgique) is granted to businesses who provide services or goods to the royal court. The list of 'purveyors to the Court' is updated every year. The king himself makes the decision who gets a title or not.

Some of the 'Purveyors to the Court' include:[1]

Denmark

Purveyors to the Royal Danish Court:

Main article: List of Purveyors to the Court of Denmark

Japan

Purveyors to the Imperial Household Ministry; after World War II, the permission system was abolished, but purveyors still exist today:

Monaco

High Patronage of the Monaco Royal Family:

  • Chocolaterie de Monaco – chocolates
  • British Theatre Season, Monaco – theatre
  • Lexus – automobiles

Netherlands
Hofleverancier sign displayed on a store

In the Netherlands, the status hofleverancier is awarded to small and medium-sized businesses that have existed for at least 100 years which have a good reputation regionally.[2] However, the companies need not actually supply goods to the court. At present there are at least 387 companies that hold this status, which can be renewed every 25 years.[3] Companies designated as hofleverancier are further permitted to display a plaque on their premises attesting to their status.

In addition, certain companies are granted the use of the designation koninklijke ("royal" in Dutch).[4] These companies are also allowed to incorporate a crown in their logo. Examples include:

Norway

Purveyors to the Royal Court of the Norway: the status 'purveyor to the court' (hofflevrandør) is no longer awarded.

King Haakon crown on Foss brewery beer.
  • Karl August Anderson – photographer (Kongl. Hoffotograf)
  • Farris – mineral water
  • Foss Bryggeri – Brewery (H.VII Eneberettiget)
  • Hans H. Holm – Felt hats
  • King Oscar – Sea food
  • H. C. Reiersen – Tailor (Kongl. Hoffskredder)
  • Christian Rohde & Søn – Tailor (Kngl. Norske slotts hoffleverandør)[5]
  • M. Selmer – photographer (Kongl. Hoffotograf)
  • O. Sørensen Vogn- og Karosserifabrikk – Automobil
  • L. Szaciński – photographer (Kongl. Hoffotograf)

Romania

Purveyors to the Romanian Royal House:

The wording reads: Purveyor to the Romanian Royal House, used since 2003 (and probably between 1923 and 1947)
  • BMW[6]
  • Farina gegenüber – eau de Cologne to Carol I (1881)
  • Steinway & Sons – pianos
  • M. Welte & Söhne – orchestrions, reproducing pianos (1894, 1910)
  • Murfatlar SA – wines to Michael (2003)
  • Frottirex – bath towels and bedding to Michael (2005)
  • Doina Levintza – clothing and accessories to Michael (2005)
  • Dan Coma – clothing and accessories to Michael (2005)
  • Halewood International – Rhein extra sparkling wines to Michael (2006)
  • SC Transavia SA – chicken meat to Michael (2005)
  • Principal Company SA – Salonta sausage products to Michael (2007)
  • Biborţeni – mineral water to Michael (2008)
  • Exotique Romania – Exotic furniture and decorative items (2009)
  • Carol Parc Hotel – Hotelier and catering services (2011)
  • Rue du Pain – Boulangerie Artisanale – bakery, pastry and confectionery products (2011)
  • Bridge Painting Group - Printing Company, Offset lithography, Hot-foil stamping, Embossing, and special finishings (2013)

Spain
Main article: Royal Warrant of Appointment (Spain)
Royal Warrant of the Queen of Spain on Henry Creed & Sons, 1885

Sweden
Main article: List of Royal Warrant Holders of the Swedish court

Thailand
Main article: Royal Warrant of Appointment (Thailand)

Uganda

The Royal House of Bunyoro-Kitara awards royal warrants to businesses that deliver goods and services to the royal house on a regular basis. The royal warrant can be awarded by a grantor, either the King, the Queen or the Crown Prince. The Board of the Royal Warrant Holder Society advises the Grantors but each Grantor makes the final decision to grant a Warrant. A business may only receive one Warrant from a Grantor. The warrants of the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom are valid for one year.[7]

United Kingdom
Main article: Royal Warrant of Appointment (United Kingdom)

Historical reigning households

Austria-Hungary
Purveyors to the Imperial and Royal Court were allowed to display the double-headed eagle.
Imperial eagle displayed at the store of the purveyor Rudolf Waniek, in Vienna
Imperial and royal warrant of appointment issued to Johann Backhausen on November 8, 1888
Main article: Imperial and Royal Warrant of Appointment

Bavaria

Purveyors to the Court of Bavaria:

See Liste bayerischer Hoflieferanten (in German).
  • FA Ackermanns Kunstverlag – art publishing (1879)
  • Ed Meier – shoes, clothes, leather goods and accessories
  • Eilles – coffee and tea (1873)
  • Farina gegenüber – eau de Cologne to Ludwig II (1872)
  • Fr. Ant. Prantl – printing and leather goods (1797)

Brazil

Purveyors to the Brazilian Imperial Family:

France

Purveyors to the Court of France:

Italy

Purveyors to the Italian Royal Family:

  • Acqua di Biella – eau de Cologne to Umberto I (1878)
  • Ballarino Gioielli (Cavour) – jewellery
  • Baratti & Milano (Turin) – sweets
  • Bianchi – cars
  • Caffarel (Turin) – chocolate
  • Caraceni (Milan) – clothes
  • Fratelli Carli (Imperia) – olive oil
  • Farina Gegenüber – eau de Cologne to King Victor Emmanuel II (1876)
  • Florio (Marsala) – wine
  • Gancia – wine
  • Gentilini (Roma) – food (biscuits)
  • Marinella (Naples) – ties
  • Martini & Rossi – liquor
  • Musy, Padre & Figli (Turin) – jewellery
  • Pagani (Parma) – sweets
  • Pernigotti – chocolate
  • Petochi (Rome) – jewellery
  • Prada (Milan) – leather goods, trunks and clothes
  • Saiwa – food (biscuits)
  • Sperlari – food (biscuits)
  • Steinway & Sons – pianos
  • Luigi Borrelli (Naples) – clothing
Royal warrant of appointment issued to Confeitaria Nacional on 28 October 1873

Ottoman Empire

Purveyors to the sultans of the Ottoman Empire:

Portugal

Purveyors to the Portuguese Royal Household:

Prussia

Purveyors to the Court of Prussia:

See Liste preußischer Hoflieferanten (in German).

Russia
Coat of arms of the purveyors to the Imperial court[8]

In the Russian Empire since 1856 there was the designation with the highest authorization "Supplier of His Imperial Majesty" with the state coat of arms on the shield. From 1895, at the request of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, a second, additional authorization was granted: "Supplier of Her Imperial Majesty". Both authorizations existed until 1917, until the abdication of Nicholas II.[9]

Purveyors to the Russian Imperial Family:

Yugoslavia

Royal Warrant Holders of the Yugoslav Court:

  • Sljeme (Zagreb) – trunks and leather goods, appointed in 1931

References
  1. Suppliers, Association of Belgian Warrant Holders
  2. Zaken, Ministerie van Algemene (3 December 2014). "Predicaat Hofleverancier (overzicht organisaties 2015)". www.koninklijkhuis.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2017-02-06.
  3. Zaken, Ministerie van Algemene. "Predicaat Hofleverancier (overzicht organisaties 2015)". www.koninklijkhuis.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2017-02-06.
  4. Zaken, Ministerie van Algemene (3 December 2014). "Predicaat Koninklijk". www.koninklijkhuis.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2017-02-06.
  5. Hoffstad, Einar (1935). Merkantilt biografisk leksikon : hvem er hvem i næringslivet?.
  6. "Automobile Bavaria Group - Centru de presă". www.automobilebavaria.ro.
  7. "NSTITUTIONS - Royal Warrant Holder Society". Retrieved 2018-09-29.
  8. Ostroumov, Alexander (1912). Nashi Artistki (Our Artists). Typography Partnership A. I. Mamontov, Moskow. p. 2.
  9. Pskov state historical, architectural and art museum
  10. Ostroumov, Alexander (1912). Nashi Artistki (Our Artists). Typography Partnership A. I. Mamontov, Moskow. p. 2.
  11. Rascanu, Dan (March 30, 2022). "English: This is an advertising poster for an anti-dandruff soap produced by A.M. Ostroumov in Moscow – Russian Empire, at the beginning of the XX century. At the top of the image is the coat of arms of the Russian Empire and it says that the company A.M. Ostroumov was purveyor to the court of His Imperial Majesty. This photocopy is after an original photo from the archive of my family Rascanu / Ostroumov" – via Wikimedia Commons.
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