As crowning moments go for a beauty brand, it doesn’t get much bigger than a royal warrant. This prestigious endorsement is only handed out to an elite circle of brands, after supplying royal households for a minimum of five years in the past seven. They’re awarded across a host of industries, from home and household goods to food and drink, but of course we’re particularly intrigued by the beauty brands deemed good enough to find a space in a palace cabinet.
Previously, royal warrants could only be awarded by Queen Elizabeth II or the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as King Charles III in his former capacity as the Prince of Wales. There’s no word yet on who will be dishing out the honours in the new era, but for now the late Queen’s brands get to carry the royal arms for another two years.
Brands are sworn to secrecy about the specific product(s) loved by their royal recipients, but we’ve taken a tongue-in-cheek look at some of the biggest warrant holders in beauty and imagined which items might have found royal approval. If you can’t find us, maybe check out the dungeons at the Tower of London…
God soothe the King
The King is known for his appreciation of alternative therapies, so it’s no surprise to find Ainsworths on the warrant holders list. It’s a renowned manufacturer of homoeopathic medicines, Bach Original Flower Remedies, loved for their natural soothing effects. One imagines Rescue Remedy drops, £8.50 here, could come in handy if, say, you’re waiting on a particularly tricky relative to RSVP to your coronation invitation.
By appointment to: King Charles III; Queen Elizabeth II
Crown jewels
If any brand deserves to have its warrant renewed in perpetuity, it’s Elizabeth Arden. The company hit the headlines when Prince Harry revealed in his memoir Spare that he found a particularly intimate use for its Eight Hour Cream, £29 here, after suffering frostbite of the penis during a charity trek to the Arctic. The fact that its scent reminded him of his mother (who used Eight Hour on her lips) adds a weird dimension – but let’s skip past that and imagine if the whole incident had happened to a young Prince William instead. Elizabeth Arden might have secured the current line of succession.
By appointment to: Queen Elizabeth II
Soap and glory
Fancy a snoop around the bathrooms in a royal palace? Not advisable, unless you also fancy being hauled away in handcuffs. So we’ll save you the trouble and point you in the direction of Bronnley, whose luxurious scented products won it a royal warrant as official toilet soap maker to Queen Elizabeth. Look at those beautiful soaps, and tell us you can imagine anything else next to a Buckingham Palace loo, ready for duty after a royal flush.
By appointment to: Queen Elizabeth ll
Holding court at Clarins House
Clarins holds its warrant by appointment to Queen Elizabeth II but we reckon it needs to find favour with King Charles lll, too – for the sake of royal harmony. Want to hear our reasoning? Well, remember when Kate was spotted at Wimbledon whipping out a Clarins Natural Lip Perfector, £17.85 here? If her father-in-law can provide a ready stash of handbag spares, it could avoid a repeat of that awkward moment, detailed by Prince Harry in his autobiography, when Meghan asked to share her lip balm and Kate got the hump. Wouldn’t it be lovely if those two gals could gloss over their differences?
By appointment to: Queen Elizabeth II
Sweet smell of succession
Classic fragrance brand Penhaligon’s has the patronage of King Charles, and it was also on the royal warrant list of his father, the Duke of Edinburgh. It’s so close to Charles’ heart that he partnered with the perfumier to create a charity fragrance inspired by the gardens at his Highgrove home. (Rumours that he was seen speaking encouraging words to bottles of Highgrove Bouquet remain unconfirmed.)
That fine taste in fragrance has been passed down the line of succession to Prince William, who is reported to wear Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet, £125 here. And anyone who speculates the fragrance was merely whipped out of the emergency present drawer as a stocking filler deserves to be sent through Traitor’s Gate.
By appointment to: King Charles III, the Duke of Edinburgh
Reign shower
If Queen Elizabeth II had ever snapped a #shelfie for Insta, you might have expected Molton Brown to be in prime position. She appointed it toiletries supplier to the royal household and it’s thought one of her favourite products was the Orange & Bergamot Bath & Shower Gel, £25 here. With its uplifting citrus scent, it’s the ideal way to wash away an annus horribilis.
By appointment to: Queen Elizabeth II
A good heir day
Queen Elizabeth II was a woman who knew the value of good set and style, so no wonder GB Kent & Sons hairbrushes won her favour. Queen Camilla’s immaculately coiffed blonde bouffant is also the sort of ‘do that’s made for a good firm zhuzhing with the brand’s classic oval cushion hairbrush. And for the King? Um… well, it does some nice combs.
By appointment to: Queen Elizabeth II
Trooping the lip colour
You might not spot royalty down the local branch in Windsor, but Boots is one of the biggest high-street brands to hold a royal warrant. It won the patronage of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who famously loved a bright lipstick. So we like to imagine her sneaking round the counters incognito in a headscarf and swatching No7 lippies before treating herself to a BOGOF deal on Protect & Perfect face serum.
By appointment to: Queen Elizabeth II
Smells like Queen spirit
Floris London was Queen Elizabeth’s chosen perfume brand and she was rumoured to be particularly partial to its White Rose scent, £80 here. It’s also been reported that Floris commissioned a bespoke wedding day scent for Meghan, inspired by its Bergamotto di Positano. Since that particular fragrance unites the Californian staple of green tea with classic ginger, it couldn’t be more apt.
By appointment to: King Charles III; Queen Elizabeth II
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