And in the wake of the Queen’s death, these companies will soon have to reapply for their warrant or update their packaging. Above the label of each Johnnie Walker bottle, the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is stamped, along with the inscription, “By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen”. Cadbury prints the same royal seal of approval on the back of every Dairy Milk bar, while the coat of arms also appears on the neck of every Heinz bottle sold in the UK However, according to the Association of Royal Warrant Holders, Royal warrants have become invalid following the death of their Queen and it will be up to the rest of the royal household to decide whether the warrant should be renewed. However, these companies will not need to update their packaging immediately, as they can continue to display the royal arms for two years “provided there is no significant change to the company in question”, says the Royal Warrant Holders Association. Royal Warrants are issued to companies that have supplied the Royal House with products or services for at least five years out of the last seven and demonstrate that they have “an appropriate environmental policy and sustainability action plan”. Other iconic brands that may need to update their packaging following the Queen’s death include Land Rover, Burberry, Twinings, Coca-Cola and Bentley. At the time of her death, there were 620 companies that had active royal warrants granted by the Queen. The association says a Royal Warrant typically lasts up to five years before it comes up for renewal. King Charles III, in his previous capacity as Prince of Wales, had 182 active warrants, while 34 were granted by Prince Philip before his death.
