By Appointment To Her Majesty ...?

Question

When there is a product, like toffee, for example (!!) and the purveyor claims it is "By Appointment To Her Majesty The Queen" what ever does it mean?

What sort of things does she order?
I am sorry, I am not laughing, but I (a poor, bedraggled American with no one
who wears tons of real diamonds and pearls to look at!) ... I find it very amusing.... and quite frankly, I want some, too, whatever it is...!

P.S. I have seen some snippy little answers here from people who have been taught that it is alright to be snippy.... but, I don't want any answers like that, please.... It is Sunday today, and I had a nasty Saturday so please be kind.

Answer 1

These words are used as a mark of recognition to show that a manufacturer or shopkeeper supplies goods to certain members of the Royal Family. The sign is a plaque bearing the Royal Coat of Arms of HM the Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, or HRH The Prince of Wales, with the words 'By Appointment to (and then the name of the relevant royal person). The coat of arms is displayed on the shop or factory of the supplier, and is also shown on their headed paper and on the sides of their delivery vans. The system of 'By Appointment to' has been in existence since the Middle Ages. To receive Royal Appointment the supplier must have been providing the goods or service to the appropriate member of the Royal Family for at least 5 years, and is only open to tradesmen and shopkeepers, not professionals like doctors. Once awarded, the Royal Appointment can be removed; for instance, Harrods and Benson & Hedges cigarettes were removed. Royal Appointment can be awarded to any size of trader and is not restricted to just large organisations. A trader (who would of course usually only deal with the Palace staff) can ask for Royal Appointment by applying to the Lord Chamberlain's office. Further info:
http://www.royalwarrant.org/

Answer 2

The merchant is entitled to display a plaque and put on his letterhead "By Royal Appointment To" and it can only be one of the senior royals, e.g. Lizzie Windsor, Charlie-boy or the other direct heirs. It means that they have provided goods (food, clothing, riding gear, etc.) on a regular basis and have been given permission to display the plaque. If, however, they have only sold a copy of a newspaper or a packet of ciggies to a passing royal, then that doesn't count.
It is also believed that the royals get enormous discounts from these companies, as to be able to display a Royal Warrant like that conveys quite a lot of good publicity and attracts further clients.
I don't think it attracts the average customer in the street though, but tourists do flock to these places.
Hope this answers your question.

Answer 3

A company has to supply the Royal Household for a stipulated amount of time (something like 3 years) before they can apply for the Royal Warrant. It is obviously an enhancement to their trade to do so as it implies, quite naturally, that if it is good enough for Our Beloved Queen, then it must be good enough for us.

Answer 4

The Royal Warrant, as it's called, can be applied for by any (I believe) firm of repute. It is an endorsement of the highest order and carries no financial connotations other than prestige for its recipient. HM the Queen, Prince Philip, The Prince of Wales, and others each have the ability to bestow the honour "By Appointment" but to their own households.

Answer 5

By Appointment to the Royal Family means that the Royals purchase goods from this business. The queen grants certain businesses a Royal Warrant which appoints them to supply the Royal family. The merchant is then allowed to advertise as "By Appointment " on their business correspondence and erect a sign outside their premises stating this.

Answer 6

As a good friend to the Queen and her family, I think it ones duty to answer your question. As you are one of the lost colony. The queen loves toffee.

Is snippy something one does with scissors?

Answer 7

It simply means it's a product used in the royal household

Answer 8

I wouldn't lower myself to give you a snippy answer be it little or large, so there....

Take a look here for the info you require....

http://www.royalwarrant.org/

God Save the Queen!

Answer 9

You want a long answer? Is the one at http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page5011.asp long enough?

ROYAL WARRANTS

Royal warrants are granted to people or companies who have regularly supplied goods or services for a minimum of five consecutive years to The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh or The Prince of Wales.

Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was also a grantor of warrants; warrants granted by her will be retained for five years from her death (until 2007).

Each of these members of the Royal Family can grant only one warrant to any individual business, but a business may hold warrants from more than one member of the Royal Family.

Advice on granting warrants is provided by the Lord Chamberlain, who is head of the Royal Household and chairman of the Royal Household Tradesmen's Warrants Committee.

The warrants are a mark of recognition that tradesmen are regular suppliers of goods and services to the Royal households. Strict regulations govern the warrant, which allows the grantee or company to use the legend 'By Appointment' and display the Royal coat of arms on his products, such as stationery, advertisements and other printed material, in his or her premises and on delivery vehicles.

A Royal warrant is initially granted for five years, after which time it comes up for review by the Royal Household Tradesmen's Warrants Committee. 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.

A warrant may be cancelled at any time and is automatically reviewed if the grantee dies or leaves the business, or if the firm goes bankrupt or is sold. There are rules to ensure that high standards are maintained.

Since the Middle Ages, tradesmen who have acted as suppliers of goods and services to the Sovereign have received formal recognition. In the beginning, this patronage took the form of Royal charters given collectively to various guilds in trades and crafts which later became known as livery companies.

Over the centuries, the relationship between the Crown and individual tradesmen was formalised by the issue of Royal warrants.

In the reign of Henry VIII, Thomas Hewytt was appointed to 'Serve the Court with Swannes and Cranes and all kinds of Wildfoule'.

In 1684 goods and services to the Palace included a Haberdasher of Hats, a Watchmaker in Reversion, an Operator for the Teeth and a Goffe-Club Maker.

According to the Royal Kalendar of 1789, a Pin Maker, a Mole Taker, a Card Maker and a Rat Catcher were among tradesmen appointed to the court.

Warrant holders today represent a large cross-section of British trade and industry (there is a small number of foreign names), ranging from dry cleaners to fishmongers, and from agricultural machinery to computer software.

Some firms have a record of Royal warrants reaching back over more than 100 years. Warrant-holding firms do not provide their goods or services free to the Royal households, and all transactions are conducted on a strictly commercial basis.

There are currently approximately 800 Royal warrant holders, holding over 1,100 Royal warrants between them (some have more than one Royal warrant).

On 25 May 1840, a gathering of 'Her Majesty's Tradesmen' held a celebration in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday. They later decided to make this an annual event and formed themselves for the purpose into an association which eventually became known as the Royal Warrant Holders Association.

The organisation acts both in a supervisory role to ensure that the standards of quality and reliability in their goods and services are upheld, and as a channel of communication for its members in their dealings with the various departments of the Royal Household.

The Royal Warrant Holders Association ensures that the Royal warrant is not used by those not entitled and is correctly applied by those who are.

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If that isn't enough, you might try Google:

http://www.google.ca/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGIH_enCA206CA206&q=%22royal+warrants%22

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BTW: you sound a bit snippy yourself. What about a "thank you"?

Answer 10

If they use it in the Royal Household...then it's by Royal Appointment.

xxB