Back in May, there was a strange update on a low-stakes royal story I’ve been following for a while. For a couple of years now, the British media has been trying to hype the Princess of Wales’s fashion and the questionable “Kate Effect.” There’s been a renewed interest in trying to make the Kate Effect into a thing because those same people cannot stand to watch as everything the Duchess of Sussex wears sells out immediately. Everything Meghan’s children wear sells out immediately too. So, back in May, the Times of London was pushing yet again for Kate to be allowed to issue “royal warrants,” basically official endorsements for any product or service she uses/enjoys or wants to promote. It’s actually getting weird, that King Charles still hasn’t allowed Kate OR William to issue their own royal warrants. Well, now the Mail’s Ephraim Hardcastle column (which is back online after a multi-month quiet season) claims to have an explanation for the Curious Case of the Royal Warrants:
Is the protracted delay in William and Kate issuing their own royal warrants the result of a long-standing disagreement between King and heir? Charles maintains the time-honoured system of allowing businesses who supply anything from horse bedding to fine jewellery to put the royal arms on their products. But William has been agitating for reform. Apparently, he would prefer to encourage new businesses and initiatives with royal patronage, helping them to grow, rather than issue warrants to established firms. Finding a compromise has evidently been tricky.
Again, this is not the sexiest or most interesting royal gossip, but it’s been something I’ve kept my eye on. It’s really strange that the heir (!!) and his wife are not allowed to give royal warrants, and I’m not sure this explains the delay at all. Like, even if William thought there was a better method of “royal endorsement,” why would William put up this much of a fuss about simply slapping his coat of arms on whatever scooter company or cardigan-maker he likes? And why shut down Kate’s chance to make some news without having to lift a finger? I don’t buy this explanation at all – I still wonder if this is all about Charles and Camilla not wanting William and Kate to get any attention?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales attend a service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Thursday May 8, 2025. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 996579342, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- (left to right) King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Thursday May 8, 2025. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 996579441, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales leave after attending a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day.,Image: 996608021, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 08: Catherine, Princess of Wales attends a concert to mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day at Horse Guards Parade on May 08, 2025 in London, England. The King and Queen, joined by Members of the Royal Family, will take part in events from May 5th to May 8th to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, which signalled the end of the Second World War in Europe.,Image: 996694978, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales attends a special industry showcase event hosted by the British Fashion Council (BFC) at 180 Studios, where Her Royal Highness presented the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. The event celebrated the impact of young British creatives and the UK’s thriving fashion industry, and recognised designers who are leading the way in sustainable practices and making a positive impact on the environment. London, UK. 13th May 2025.,Image: 998534874, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Supplied by AVALON – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photo by Amanda Rose/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales during a visit to the British Fashion Council at 180 Studios in central London, where she will present the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. Picture date: Tuesday May 13, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Kate.,Image: 998556376, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- Members of the British Royal Family attend the Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration at Westminster Abbey Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales and William, Prince of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 10 Mar 2025 Credit: Cover Images
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- Concert celebrating the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, held at the historic Horse Guards Parade Featuring: Prince William, Catherine Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 08 May 2025 Credit: Toby Melville/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales stand at the top of the Garden steps before the start of a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London Featuring: William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 20 May 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Princess of Wales talks to guests during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 20 May 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales, known as the the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland, attend the naming ceremony for HMS Glasgow, at the BAE Systems shipyard in Scotstoun, Glasgow Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales, William, Prince of Wales Where: Glasgow, United Kingdom When: 22 May 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Prince of Wales, known as the Duke of Rothesay when in Scotland, attends the naming ceremony for HMS Glasgow, a state-of-the-art Type 26 anti-submarine frigate, at the BAE Systems shipyard in Scotstoun, Glasgow Featuring: William, Prince of Wales Where: Glasgow, United Kingdom When: 22 May 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Oh dear, Willy is shutting down Carole’s next source of income. The Middletons won’t be happy.
I mean, what would happen if the Wales just opened a ShopMy account? What would/could/ Charles do about it? The rota would probably spin it as a huge blow to Meghan (somehow) and it would give them all some royal fodder for the summer. It would way to reward those who have given them freebies over the years, er, I mean up-and-coming entrepreneurs (like James Middleton!)
Of course, any profits from sales would go directly to their very own Royal Foundation (wink wink).
Don’t give them ideas! Especially James!
But they probably won’t use ShopMy because Meghan is an investor.
@Jay
Carole couldn’t make such a page, because it would come out that not only on special occasions and not only Carole but Pipa wear Kate’s clothes, or they are bought supposedly for Kate, so the taxpayer pays for Carole and Pipa. Who knows, maybe that’s why William blocked Kate’s access to the dressing room.
They keep telling us without telling us that not only is the king not talking to harry but he’s also not talking with william. Will and kate ARE lazy but they’ve also been rebelling against Charles and can you believe it, striking against work, so we’ve not seen them around. They pop up for suprise appearances and kate rewears the same outfit cuz she’s not getting her share of cash to dress up new
Bwhahahaha! Yet another hassle Meghan never has to go through again. Can you imagine how much grief she’d be getting over her pots of jam? Free enterprise is a wonderful thing when it works…😈
Meghan had her own default royal warrant when she wore clothes and used accessories such as handbags by British designers.
She continues to spotlight with her ShopMy endorsements.
I can understand why Charles would hesitate to let these 2 give anything a seal of approval.
Who knows what they would do. Kate’s wig shop? Black eyeliner factory?
Pillows-r-us? Kegs-a-plenty?
As for modernizing the warrant system, isn’t it meant to show appreciation for long standing British products?
It doesn’t really work to toss one on an untested through time business.
That’s not the point of them. It’s to celebrate long-standing contributions and excellence that the RF enjoys.
Make something new for new businesses. These people have no imagination.
“…encourage new businesses and initiatives with royal patronage”
Right, because we all know how involved he and Kate are with their patronages.
You scratch my back, I scratch yours.
Willy has NFI.
Lol, that’s exactly what I was going to say. If businesses had to depend on the patronage of those two, there’d be bankruptcies right and left.
This is strange. Maybe Peg really doesn’t want his beloved wife to warrant anything. We know he is a little dictator as well as lazy. Or maybe it is just Chuckles who also is a little dictator.
They’re both dictators and they want absolute control. In that sense Chuck is more successful at active dictatorship – terminating the Frogmore lease, removing security etc.
Willy struggles and will continue to struggle at dictatorship because he’s too lazy to do anything except use his henchmen and brief the press. Really, if he wants to get something done, he has to do it himself and assaulting Harry didn’t really go down well: “Don’t tell Meghan I hit you.”
That sounds like old Charles to me. He doesn’t want W&K to get more attention than him or Camilla.
I think this is the explanation behind a lot of things we see or don’t see Egg and Keen do. I know they are lazy AF, but Charles also wants to minimize their press because he wants the attention on him and Camilla. See the flower show incident. He also knows he will have a short reign and wants to build a legacy, and he thinks that it’s more Will and Kate that people associate the monarchy with. He is not entirely wrong. QE2 had the longest reign, she was an emblematic figure of the 20th century, and yet no one talks about her anymore other than how she was bothered by H and M. Charles will be the King with cancer who punished everyone for getting more attention than him.
@Smart&Messy, it is hilarious how quickly the media forgot QE2, while they were still writing new books about Diana until Meghan came and they all lost their damn minds.
Do we think C is involved with why there’s quietness around QE2? Don’t want to displease him, so they’re keeping quiet about QE2 *and* W/K? As much as they can for the latter, at least. Deeply insecure man and/or everyone just thinks he is so they don’t want to displease him.
” I still wonder if this is all about Charles and Camilla not wanting William and Kate to get any attention?”
I think it’s this and perhaps William is not really interested in it. I get the sense that this story was being pushed by the press in response to reports that Meghan is investing in companies and about the Meghan effect. I think the press wanted to use the Royal Warrant story to bash Meghan.
I commented before I saw yours. I agree that KC doesn’t want them to get press constantly, he likes that they lay low for long periods of time and don’t achieve anything substantial. And yes, we all see how William is not interested in a lot of things because he is lazy, bored, has zero curiosity to learn anything new and is very short-sighted about how things will play into his reign and legacy.
Ha ha ha ha. Sounds like despite the article last month, there have NOT been companies clamouring for royal warrants from the Waleses, so of course William is throwing his toys out of his pram and declaring that he will do away with the system. You’d best believe that if there had been any demand, no matter how small, KP would have been broadcasting this all over, and naming companies as well.
It’s just like how, after a flurry of briefings about how popular he and Kate were and in demand overseas years ago, it came out from the Foreign Office, no less, that it was HARRY that the countries had been repeatedly requesting, and afterwards, Harry AND Meghan. There had never been a flood of invitations for William and Kate – and this had been yet another source of jealousy.
After last month’s failed trial balloon, this new briefing appears to be a face-saving exercise. Poor Willy. One avenue of grifting cut off.
I missed the FO announcement. Where can I find this tidbit?
With William, it’s always “When I’m King, I’ll do…(insert new plan here)” but it’s never “I’ll do this today.” He doesn’t need the warrant system in order to encourage new businesses and initiatives, he can do that today on his own. He even has his own examples in front of him – his foundation and Earthshot.
Kid showed us exactly who he is in a crisis last February when he was needed then to step into the breach. K C started chemo and had to withdraw from public duties. It was then FK needed to prove he had the right stuff by showing up calm, cool and collected. Instead he took a powder because as you correctly observe FK is all about FUTURE promises not actual delivery in the present!
Yeah, “Keep Calm And Carry On” doesn’t really apply to him, does it? He didn’t just take a powder, when he did show up he was an addled mess.
Oh, this seems pretty clear to me – Charles doesn’t want to allow the Wales to issue warrants, full stop. He has never been able to deal with anyone “stealing” his spotlight. The excuse from the Wales that “Well, ACTUALLY, William doesn’t even want this privilege, he’s so young and forward-thinking that he wants to reward young start-ups instead!” is ridiculous. There is nothing stopping TOB from patronizing, publicly supporting, or even making a whole organization to give grants to new businesses if he really wanted to – continuing his uncle’s “Pitch @ Palace” scheme, for example. But he doesn’t really want that! Just ask any of the start-ups that got Earthshot prize money about how often their patron visits and his value for their brands.
Genuinely have no clue whether it’s coming from Charles or William. I’m kind of like, well, when Charles passes, we’ll see. William will start issuing orders if Charles was keeping him from it or he’ll drag his feet and we’ll know it was always him.
Instead of royal warrants William wants “to encourage new businesses and initiatives with royal patronage”?? He hardly does anything with his current patronages! If these businesses have to depend on his patronage, they’ll go broke as several of Kate’s already have.
The only reason that this has been said is because Harry and Meghan support new businesses. Peg wants to be seen doing the same and also wants people to think that endorsement by the heir to the throne Is better than endorsement by H&M. It’s all words, there will never be any action.
Only today did it hit me that Princess Diana didn’t issue any Royal warrants. On the one hand, she didn’t need to — since she did a lot to call attention to British brands just by using them or wearing them, but the powers of her royal warrants would have been immense — and probably would have extended her influence even further.
Lol: American kid me still longs for that black sheep sweater.
Here ya go! https://rowingblazers.com/collections/warm-wonderful?srsltid=AfmBOopE32VhJ3n4cu9whDiOKHSPHG1QU4htD06UKJhullXVjexWB7P7
I think there are several things happening here: (1) Charles is reluctant to grant certain priveleges to the Wales because they are so lazy when it comes to work. He is likely holding out as a why to force them to agree to more official work. Charles is a sh*t father but there is no question he worked hard as the Prince of Wales. (2) I do think there is an element of not wanting to be competing with the Wales. No doubt Charles and Camilla would want to approve any of the Wales choices; something which William would hate and (3) I wonder if William wants Kate to be able to grant warrants. I don’t think he wants her to do anything that would give her additional status and he in particular doesn’t want to compete with her for attention. He has likely taken note of the fact that the media is focused on Kate granting royal warrants.
So cute they’re calling this a ‘reform’. The entire country’s press does this guy’s PR for him, gratis.