When King Charles III signed his proclamation and became irritated by a fountain pen that leaked ink a few days after his mother’s death, the makers of Parker pens must have thought they would never again be included among the royal warrants, but they are still there. . Other companies or businesses have been less lucky. Like the Harveys brand of sherry wines, from the emblematic Bodegas Fundador, whose distribution to the crown is currently under review.
The British royal family has enjoyed this sherry for generations – it was Elizabeth II’s favorite and Queen Victoria already drank it – but it does not appear among the products used by the current monarch at the moment and therefore must remove that mention in its product if it ends up not being included. Related or not to the exclusion of Harveys, for King Charles III respect for the environment was fundamental during his time as Prince of Wales and his ascension to the throne has resulted in a commitment to the sustainability of the crown. Hence, the king has removed from the list all suppliers of meat that was not organic, and other products or services that his mother used, but not him.
Therefore, the only Spanish brand that currently appears as a supplier to the British royal family is the Porcelanosa group, which maintains a long relationship with King Charles III. The giant tile manufacturer, also loyal to Isabel Preysler, has organized several corporate dinners at royal residences in the United Kingdom in which Charles III has participated, and he included them on the list of suppliers in 2005, after installing a sustainable kitchen. in Birkhall, the residence of Charles III near Balmoral Castle, in Scotland.
There are currently more than 800 royal warrants, allowing these companies to advertise that they supply the British kings or the Prince of Wales. This tradition dates back to the 15th century and is one of the last remaining powers of the British monarchy without the influence of Parliament.
The criteria have evolved with the different monarchs and crown princes. It was in the 1990s that the then Prince of Wales introduced sustainability criteria for his royal warrants and since 2016 companies have had to complete a sustainability form in their application, which includes information about their environmental practices, ethical sourcing and labor standards.
The list includes everything from small artisans to global corporations of any product used in the palace. This year, for example, Barbour, Burberry, Land Rover, Aston Martin, Twinings, James Purdey renew their list.
