King Charles first visited Champagne Laurent-Perrier with Lord Mountbatten in 1979, and he has always been a fan of the brand. He had previously awarded the Royal Warrant to Laurent-Perrier as Prince of Wales, but he has now bestowed the honour upon the family-run business as His Majesty the King.
Alexandra and Stéphanie de Nonancourt, family owners of Champagne Laurent-Perrier, said: ‘We are deeply honoured to be granted the Royal Warrant from His Majesty the King. This accolade reaffirms our longstanding relationship with His Majesty.’
During Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, three members of the Royal Family were able to grant Royal Warrants: Her Majesty, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales.
King Charles granted 172 warrants when he was Prince of Wales. Holders that wished to obtain a warrant from him as king had to reapply, and he has been reassessing them this month.
He has now announced that 145 businesses have retained their warrants, including Champagne Laurent-Perrier.
Queen Camilla is now permitted to issue Royal Warrants too. She made seven selections, including Camel Valley, an English wine producer in Cornwall.
Bob Lindo, who founded Camel Valley with his wife Annie, said: ‘Her Majesty has taken a keen interest in the development of English wines and as president of Wine GB, which represents the industry, she has been a terrific source of encouragement and enthusiasm. To now have been appointed as one of her first Royal Warrant holders is very special.’
More than 800 companies held Royal Warrants during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, and she issued 578 of them.
Those warrants technically became void when she passed away, and numerous businesses were prompted to reapply following the coronation of King Charles in September 2022.
He has been scrutinizing the warrants, and a few businesses have not met his stringent criteria.
For instance, HM Sheridan, Queen Elizabeth’s preferred village butcher, has lost one of its warrants. John Sinclair, one of the co-owners, surmises this could be due to his beef not being organic.
The Royal Warrant permits the possessor to showcase the Royal Arms on its packaging, adding prestige to the brand. According to Helen Brocklebank, the CEO of Walpole, a consortium of luxury British brands, considers the warrant ‘absolute gold dust’.
Many illustrious drinks brands bear the Royal Arms, including Bollinger, Pol Roger, Mumm, Krug, Lanson, Roederer, Moët, Veuve Clicquot, Dubonnet, Harveys sherry, Dewar’s, Laphroaig and Justerini & Brooks.