The Royal Retailers

Fancy sharing suppliers with the Queen? From flagmakers to florists, the Royal Warrant Holders are an eclectic group. We find out more about this centuries-old tradition

- EMME LEDGERWOOD

Once a year, florist Rosemary Hughes gathers together a heady recipe of daffodils, freesias, stocks and herbs. She creates a dozen exquisite nosegays for the most important client on her books, Her Majesty The Queen. These small, perfumed bunches of yellow, violet and white are the traditional nosegays carried by royalty and clergy at the pre-Easter Maundy service where the Queen presents ‘Maundy money’ to retired pensioners from across the country, chosen for service to their communities.

“It’s a tradition that goes back over 800 years,” says Hughes, who holds a Royal Warrant as Supplier of Nosegays. “You make every effort for The Queen as it’s a big honour. It’s an accolade you never dream of getting when you start out as a Saturday girl in a florist’s shop.”

As a warrant holder, Hughes belongs to an eclectic group that represents a huge cross-section of trade and industry, ranging from traditional craftspeople to global and multinational firms operating at the cutting edge of technology.

Only individuals or companies that have supplied goods or services for at least five years to HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh or HRH The Prince of Wales can apply for a warrant through the Royal Warrant Holders Association (RWHA), which advises applicants on the process.

Those five years are crucial to the establishment of a good working relationship and are also an effective way for the Royal Household to observe whether the company demonstrates its ability to deliver to the exacting standards required. Since 2012 all Royal Warrant holders have also been obligated to complete an environmental and sustainability audit, a requirement first introduced by the Prince of Wales.