King Charles ends royal warrants for Unilever, Cadbury
LONDON –
In a surprising move, King Charles III has decided to end the royal warrants for Cadbury and Unilever, dealing a significant blow to these household name brands.
The announcement of the second set of warrants of his reign came late last week, recognizing various brands and companies as royal suppliers, allowing them the privilege of featuring the Royal Arms on their packaging.
However, notable absences from the list were British chocolate giant Cadbury, which had held a warrant since the reign of Queen Victoria, and U.K. consumer goods powerhouse Unilever.
The reasons for the discontinuation of these warrants were not provided, following royal protocol.
Criticism had been directed towards both Unilever and Mondelez, Cadbury’s parent company, for their continued business dealings in Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This decision by King Charles comes six months after campaigners had penned an open letter to the monarch, urging him to revoke their warrants. However, there is no confirmation that this was the sole reason for the move.
The royal warrants system, which originated in the 15th century, is a way of honoring suppliers of goods and services to the British royal households.
Currently, over 500 brands and companies hold warrants, as stated by the Royal Warrant Holders Association. These warrants are granted for five-year periods and are subject to review in the year before expiration.
In response to the decision, Mondelez stated, “We are disappointed not to receive a new warrant, but we are proud to have held one previously and respect the decision.” Unilever also expressed pride in their history supplying the royal household and the warrants they had received, most recently from Queen Elizabeth II.
According to the royal family’s official website, warrants may not be renewed if the quality or supply of the product or service is deemed insufficient by the relevant Royal Household.
Among the renewed warrants were firms like Heinz, Nestle, and John Lewis, while Queen Camilla appointed seven new warrant holders, including renowned hairdresser Jo Hansford and hat designer Philip Treacy.
Activist group B4Ukraine had addressed an open letter to Charles in June, urging him to remove companies like Mondelez and Unilever from the royal warrants list, citing their continued support in Russia as prolonging the conflict in Ukraine.
Unilever announced in October that it had finalized the sale of its Russian subsidiary to local manufacturer Arnest Group, effectively ending its presence in the country.
Despite boycotts and calls to cease operations in Russia, Mondelez maintains three factories in the country, selling cookies and snacks. The company has expressed plans to make its Russian business self-sufficient with a standalone supply chain.
