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Giving out Royal Warrants to companies has been a tradition since 1155. When these Royal Charters were given to trade guilds, Henry II of England granted the first to Weavers' Company. Since the 15th century, the Royal Charter has been known as the Royal Warrant of Appointment.
Since Queen Elizabeth II passed away on 8 September 2022, the clock has been ticking for companies to reapply for the Warrants.
Every Warrant is given for five years at a time, after which it is reviewed. Around 20-40 warrants are withdrawn yearly if the product hasn't lived up to standards, balanced with a matching amount of new warrants. When a warrant has been void, companies have 12 months to remove it from their products.
When a royal dies, their warrant automatically becomes void, and the companies have two years, including when the Queen passed away in 2022, to stop using the Royal Warrant.
Original Image by The Royal Family
In May 2024, King Charles III issued his first Royal Warrants - only two of which were given to whisky companies. These two were Berry Bros & Rudd, a London-based independent bottler and purveyor of spirits and wines, and D Johnston & Co, better known as Laphroaig distillery in Islay.
Berry Bros & Rudd received its first Warrant in 1903 by the appointment of King Edward III. Since then, every monarch has continued that honour, including the new Royal Warrant by King Charles III.
The London-based company currently employs 6 Masters of Wine, and wine is the company's main focus. For many whisky lovers, they are most famous for their independently bottled whiskies that carry the name Berry Bros & Rudd.
D Johnston & Co, AKA Laphroaig distillery, are subsidiaries of the newly named Suntory Global Spirits. The distillery received its first Royal Warrant in 1994, courtesy of Prince Charles. Charles has now renewed the Warrant as the King.
At the end of May 2024, the Royal Warrant Holder Association still lists another five whisky companies that hold the Warrant by Her Majesty The Queen. These companies are John Dewar & Sons, John Walker & Sons, Justerini & Brooks (J&B Blend, Knockando distillery), Matthew Gloag & Son (Famous Grouse blend) and Royal Lochnagar distillery,
To learn more about these companies, the history of whisky Royal Warrants and former Royal Warrant holders in whisky, visit our informative article here or see the link to the article below.
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