Warrants for all seasons
James Hughes-Onslow
Next year Electrolux Ltd will have to stop saying they are 'Suction cleaners and refrigerator manufacturers by appointment to the late Queen Mary.' Similarly, Edward Flamer and Co, of Llanidloes, North Wales, will lose their Royal Warrant as 'Suppliers of Welsh mutton by appointment to the late king George V' and Fodens Ltd of Sandbach will no longer• be George VI's steam tractor manufacturer. The warrants to their late Majesties are being withdrawn under a ten-year rule devised in 1968. For Musk and Company of Newmarket, sausage manufacturers to the late Prince of Wales, the sad day comes in 1982, ten years after the Duke of Windsor's death. As for the present Prince of Wales, he is now Preparing his first list, to be published in 1980, three years of regular service being required of any tradesman who applies for a warrant. For the Lord Chamberlain's.office, which lays down the rules governing Royal Warrants as well as being the arbiters of Jubilee Year taste, 1977 is therefore a busy Year for dispensing and withdrawing Royal Patronage and approval.
The Royal Warrant Holders Association
their offices, appropriately, are in Buckingham Gate, directly overlooking the tradesmen's entrance to the Palace — say there is a kind of 'natural ceiling' to the number of warrants issued. In other words there is a limit to the number of things the Royal family can use regularly and pay for DLit of household cash. It is unlikely, for example, that the Queen will be needing another reed thatcher. She already has two: Farman and Son of Salhouse, Norwich, and Norfolk Reed Thatchers Ltd of Henley. 2metimes warrants are withdrawn because the tradesman has become too expensive (Baily and Sons of Mount Street, London, suppliers of poultry, are said to be such a
Case,1 but the reasons are never given) and istnitay be reassuringto anyone who thinks that the Royal Warrant is simply an excuse for the tradesman in question to put his Prices tip.
It is up to the individual to apply for a W. arrant, after three years continuously (1,ntrIg business with the Royal Household. There are of course many things which even the Queen can't need very often: yachts made by Camper and Nicholson, surgical ,equipment supplied by Cory Bros, bagpipes °Y R. G. Hardie of Glasgow (and another R.G. Lawrie, also of Glasgow), not to Mention the many purveyors of champagne who must occasionally have a bad year. In these cases the rules can usually be stretched to include maintenance or repairs.
Warrants are issued to individuals, generally senior executives of the company concerned. According to Colonel W. Keown-Boyd, secretary to the Warrant Holders Association, this introduces an element of Russian roulette into the staid proceedings. As soon as the man dies, the warrant has to be applied for again in someone else's name. Bunkruptcies and mergers bring their own uncertainties. British Leyland is listed as 'Manufacturers of Daimler, Jaguar, Austin and Rover cars, Land-Rovers and Range Rovers.' Cadbury-Schweppes, on the other hand, have several separate warrants, as suppliers of cocoa and chocolate, mineral water, Rose's lime-juice and many other subsidiary companies.
It is hard to understand why warrant holders are still allowed to use the name of King George V, forty years after his death. If he were alive, he would certainly not be patronising Woodford, Bourne and Co. Ltd, wine merchants, Cork. Yet they still have a Royal Warrant. Surely the death of the grantor constitutes a discontinuation of trade, which is normally good enough grounds for withdrawing the warrant — without these new ten-year rules having to be invented. Colonel Keown-Boyd became a little exasperated when I persisted with this point. As long as they simply say that they are by appointment to the Late King George V, he says, then that is an undeniable statement of fact. The phraseology used by the various royal purveyors to describe their activities is also curious. Dynatron of Cambridge is a 'supplier of televisions and radiogramophones', not a phrase that you will often hear in the electronics business. Vitopan Ltd are suppliers of 'mopping equipment' and BP Oil Ltd are purveyors of 'motor spirit'. Rediffusion London Ltd are suppliers of Rediffusion to the Queen Mother. What is that?
You can't draw many conclusions about the Queen's personal tastes by looking down the list — published each December in the London Gazette — except that she is a countrywoman and a landowner. About half the items used by the Royal Household seem to be connected with the farm, stables or garden, many of them situated not far from Windsor, Sandringham or Balmoral. Suppliers of fertilisers and baled peat, milking machines, agricultural provender equipment, manufacturers of fertilisers provender equipment, manufacturers of fertilisers feeds and seeds, forage merchants, drainage contractors, horticultural sundriesmen, farriers: these are the basic requirements of Royalty.
Ballater, a small village near Balmoral, does very well: Henderson's the outfitters, J. and D. Murray the chemists, J. Pringle motor engineer, W. S. Davidson purveyors of meat and poultry, Riverside Garage automobile and electrical engineers, G. Leith bakers and confectioners, George Smith and Co. sporting outfitters, with numerous other essential services, plumbers, saddlers, pianoforte tuners and concrete block makers provided from various parts of Aberdeenshire.
The royal wardrobe, to judge from the London Gazette, seems to rely much more heavily on 'suppliers of protective clothing' than it does on Sir Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies (both warrant holders, of course). Weatherproofers, waterproofers, thornproofers, mothproofers, furriers, bootmakers, kilt makers, hosiery manufacturers, tweed mercers, and numerous tailors and outfitters, who are described as 'livery'. All very useful for riding, shotting, fishing, sailing and of course riding mopeds. Douglas Ltd. of Bristol are suppliers of Vespa scooters and mopeds by appointment.to the Duke of Edinburgh.
There is no doubt that royal patronage helps, particularly for exports and especially to America and the Commonwealth. But warrant holders have to be almost as discreet as courtiers, and this poses problems in a Jubilee Year in which no one is being noticeably reticent about royal connections. They can display the Royal Coat of Arms on their product, trade vehicles, writing paper, business premises and advertisements but that's it.
Mr Alec Cocker, a rose-grower from Aberdeen, was in a delicate Jubilee situation when the Queen stopped to look at his 'Silver Jubilee' rose at the Chelsea Rower Show. On the one hand he wanted it to be known that his Jubilee Rose was the real thing, officially sanctioned, unlike cheap imitations. On the other hand, as a warrant holder, he had to keep quiet about his special connections with the Royal Household. His press hand-out stated unequivocally 'When is a Silver Jubilee rose a Silver Jubilee rose? Answer — when it's called the "Silver Jubilee" rose with permission from HM the Queen. And there's only one, bred by James Cocker and Sons of Aberdeen.' The rose is 'the finest he has ever produced, a hybrid-tea in pink, apricot, peach and cream, glossy foliage and completely disease-resistant."
Yet Mr Cocker became suddenly modest when asked why he hadn't given the Queen one of his roses as his competitors had done. Well, he had to admit, a bunch had been sent round to the Palace earlier that morning. And what did she say to him, persisted the Fleet Street photographers. They had discussed the salmon fishing on the Dee near Balmoral, said Mr Cocker with an air of genuine embarrassment rather than cool oneupmanship. However, I'm sure he would admit that the Royal Warrant came in handy when he registered his 'Silver Jubilee' rose, formerly known as 11917/C, with the Royal National Rose Society.
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