Kate Middleton's Royal Warrants Explained

Kate Middleton is set to bestow her “royal warrants” on a few of her lucky favorite brands, reportedly, which the Brits across the pond tell us is a big deal. Over here in the States, however, folks are still wondering what, exactly, a royal warrant even is. And, for that matter, why it would matter so much for a brand to get one.

So, in the name of cross-cultural appreciation, here is our best attempt at explaining the royal tradition.

Like with all things royal, a “royal warrant” comes with a lot of pomp, circumstance, and rules. According to the official UK royals website, a royal warrant is, “a mark of recognition to people or companies who have regularly supplied goods or services to the Royal Household.” The Monarch—in this case King Charles III—decides who among the royals gets to bestow royal warrants.

Karwai Tang

If your company is lucky enough to be granted one of these special honors, that entitles you to display the Royal Arms on your product, which must be accompanied by a legend. The legend has to say which royal family member granted the royal warrant, the name of the company, the nature of the goods or services provided by the company, and the company’s main address. Basically, it’s just a super official way of saying your product is “royalty approved.”

As for why Kate Middleton’s warrants are such a big deal, remember when we said that only the monarch can decide who gives out royal warrants? Well, Kate will become the first Princess of Wales to grant royal warrants in over 70 years, according to the Tatler. Yes, that’s including Princess Diana, who apparently was not granted royal warrants of her own to bestow.