Warrants held by a group of around 800 firms that supply the royal households face an upcoming review within two years following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
King Charles III in contemplation at Buckingham Palace in December.Getty
The reputable document,which allows firms to use the Royal Arms in their branding,is held by some of Britain’s most exclusive garment makers,such as Burberry,Barbour and Hunter.
However,industry insiders say fashion retailers are worried that the onus to prove their sustainability track records will be greater than ever under the new King.
Paul Alger,the director of international affairs at the UK Fashion&Textile Association says:“They are all nervous because they recognise the power of the royal warrants and do not want to lose it.
“They are all very aware of the potential impact of a loss and the messaging that would bring to their brand and product. It could be very negative.”
Alger says that brands relying heavily on exports to Asian countries like China,South Korea and Japan would face a severe blow to their revenues if they lost their warrants.
King Charles,who was crowned in May after his mother’s passing last September,has for many years been outspoken about climate change and green issues.
He has previously warned of corporate lobbyists turning the planet into a “dying patient” and campaigned extensively for conservation,organic farming and similar causes.
In September,he told French lawmakers that countries had to unite to tackle “global warming,climate change and the catastrophic destruction of nature”.
Mr Alger says:“We are fairly confident that His Majesty will want to look at perhaps a little bit more in-depth detail on the sustainable and ethical practices of businesses that are given warrants than in the past.”
“The King is very passionate about the built environment. He is also very passionate about agriculture,animal husbandry and farming.”
A greater focus on sustainability brings challenges for the fashion industry,which the United Nations Environment Programme says accounts for more than a 10th of global emissions.
It also contributes a fifth of the 300 million tonnes of plastic produced across the world in a year.
Mr Alger says:“I would suspect that the level of questioning that will go into these applications,both the repeat applications and the newer ones,could be quite challenging for a lot of companies.”
The monarch decides who grants royal warrants,although King Charles also held permission while he was Prince of Wales. As did Prince Philip before his passing in 2021.
Helen Brocklebank,the chief executive of Walpole,which represents Britain’s luxury goods sector,says:“My expectation is that he will carry the values that he held very dearly when the warrants were awarded for the Prince of Wales’s household because there was quite a rigorous sustainability process that brands had to go through regularly to maintain that warrant.”
Brocklebank,who also advises the British government on trade,says that “internationally,the soft power of royalty sells like madness”.
She adds that research had also shown that British consumers were willing to pay a premium to purchase the same goods used by the Royals.
Reports of plans to slim down the Royal family and reduce the number of working members are also a source of anxiety among firms,which may have multiple warrants from different grantors.
Mr Alger says:“The first question that we still have not seen an answer to is how many grantors will there be.
“There are conversations going on in the industry about whether Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales will do it as well. But I think there is a level of concern because everyone is thinking about what happens to those royal warrants when for example there are fewer people to give them.”
To use the Royal Arms in their branding,firms must also have supplied the Windsors for at least five of the last seven years.
Buckingham Palace was contacted for comment.
The Telegraph,London
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