Chocolate firm Cadbury on Monday said it was “disappointed” to lose its royal warrant following King Charles III’s first review of the coveted list.
The company has lost the privilege for the first time in 170 years. Cadbury was awarded the warrant in 1854 by Queen Victoria. The company’s products were also her favourite.
The royal warrant is granted for five years and is recognised for providing goods or services to the British royal family. The warrant holders also receive “the right to display the appropriate royal arms on their product, packaging, stationery, advertising, premises and vehicles”. Customers regard the prestigious permit as a guarantee of quality.
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Cadbury is among 100 firms, including Unilever, to be left off a new list of 386 warrant holders. Bacardi and Nestle retained their warrants in the latest list published by the Royal Warrant Holders Association.
News agency AFP reported that companies are not necessarily actively removed, and the list also omits those who may have stopped trading or not applied.
Campaign group B4Ukraine had urged the king to remove those companies “still operating in Russia” following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The group singled out Mondelez International, which owns Cadbury, Bacardi, Nestle and Unilever.
The British monarchy does not state reasons or comment on its decision to grant royal warrants.
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‘Fully respect’ says Cadbury
“Whilst we are disappointed to be one of hundreds of other businesses and brands in the UK to not have a new warrant awarded, we are proud to have previously held one, and we fully respect the decision,” said Cadbury spokesperson, stressing that the company had been “a part of British life for generations” and remained the “nation’s favourite chocolate”.
Unilever said granting warrants was the royal household’s discretion and was proud of its brand’s long association with the royals.
(With AFP inputs)
