Quezi

H.M. Sheridan is proud to display their appointment (photo by walrusoflove43 CC-BY)

This impressive wording is sometimes seen on buildings and on consumer products – often on surprisingly mundane, but necessary items for our daily life.

The Royal Warrant of Appointment is a mark of recognition given to individuals and companies who have supplied goods or services of good quality and excellence to HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh or HRH The Prince of Wales.

It is intended for those who supply goods or services, best described as tradesmen, and not professions such as bankers, solicitors and accountants, and so on. At present there are approximately 850 Warrant Holders.

Goods or services must have been supplied for payment for a period of 5 years and within the last 7 years. Suppliers to HRH The Prince of Wales in line with his environmental interests, must show they have a sustainable environmental policy and action plan.

Once awarded they have the right to display the appropriate Royal Arms or Badge on their advertising, premises, packaging, and so on, subject to certain rules.

The Warrant cannot be bought or sold, and are withdrawn, among other reasons, if the product or service is not up to standard or is no longer required.

The Warrant Holders Association website carries a database of all warrant holders.

A quick look reveals Jones Yarrell & Co Ltd., are the Queen’s newsagents; W.J. Daniel and Company Ltd., supply Christmas crackers and gifts. There is a mole controller in the King’s Lyn area, no doubt serving nearby Sandringham Estate; and as the image above shows, H.M. Sheridan is purveyor of meat and poultry to HM Queen. Sheridan’s is a traditional family butcher’s shop from Bridge Street, Ballater, Scotland, no doubt supplying Balmoral Castle.

The Association certainly gives the impression that each and every Warrant Holder is very proud of their appointment.