In what’s been described as a “disappointing” decision, King Charles III has dropped royal warrants for Unilever and Cadbury, meaning the consumer goods companies will no longer be recognized as suppliers to the royal family.
CNN reported Monday that Charles announced the second set of warrants of his reign late last week. Warrants are awarded to companies that regularly provide their goods or services to the Royal Household. Those companies can also display the Royal Arms on their packaging.
The latest list does not include Cadbury or Unilever, which owns multiple brands including Dove, Ben & Jerry's, Magnum and Hellmann's and Best Foods. No specific reasons were given for why the two companies were stripped of their warrants.
Cadbury said it was “disappointed” over losing its royal warrant for the first time in 170 years, per a recent statement obtained by Fortune.
The royal warrant removals come after Unilever and Cadbury’s parent company Mondelez (MDLZ) faced criticism from Ukraine’s government for continuing to sell its products and make profits in Russia following the nation’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In June, activist group B4Ukraine wrote an open letter to Charles, urging him to get rid of royal warrants for several companies, namely Mondelez and Unilever. They said “the continued presence and financial support of these companies in Russia only serve to prolong the brutal war against Ukraine.”
“Whilst we are disappointed to be one of hundreds of other businesses and brands in the UK to not have a new warrant awarded, we are proud to have previously held one, and we fully respect the decision,” Mondelez said in a statement.
Similarly, Unilever said: “We are very proud of the long history our brands have supplying the royal household and of the warrants they have been awarded during this time, most recently by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”
According to the royal family’s website, warrants “may not be renewed if the quality or supply for the product or service is insufficient, as far as the relevant Royal Household is concerned.”
Shares