How to shop like a royal in London
Top-of-the-line purveyors have earned coveted seal of approval
The British Royal Family has long been a source of public fascination, captivating mere mortals in Britain and beyond with a passion for all things Windsor.
Toss a wedding into the mix — specifically one so storybook as the nuptials of Prince Harry and his American fiancée, Meghan Markle — and the excitement swells: where will Meghan shop in London? Where will Harry buy her jewelry? Is there a favourite perfume, chocolate or hatmaker (which raises a question: will Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, inspire her new sister-in-law, a former actress and model, to sport a fascinator?)
Paparazzi can only capture so much. Another way to gain insight into the predilections of the Royal Family is by examining the brands that hold the royal warrant — the top-of-the-line British purveyors that have earned the Royal Family’s seal of approval.
Royal warrants, which have been issued by the British Royal Family since the 15th century, are a mark of distinction for companies who have provided goods and services for at least five years to Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip or Prince Charles. Suppliers range from silversmiths, Champagne houses, perfumers and shoemakers to agricultural crop sprayers and biscuit brands. There are about 800 royal warrant holders throughout Britain.
Vetting is fierce. If approved (most are not), the company snags the ultimate endorsement: the honour of displaying the royal coat of arms, along with the prestigious “by appointment” legend alongside the company logo, a practice that can be traced back to the reign of Elizabeth I.
With the help of a royal warrant road map, tourists can effectively shop the Crown’s go-to brands, centuries-old companies that represent top quality, heritage and craftsmanship. A guide to the warrants offers something for everyone. The brands are not only for people who can afford to buy a $5,000 bespoke suit without batting an eye, but includes purveyors of cheese, tea, books and grooming products. The road map is an opportunity to scoop up meaningful souvenirs without spending a fortune.
Companies with the royal warrant are so well respected that at least two fashionable hotels, the Beaumont and Hotel Cafe Royal, are offering royal wedding packages that feature walking tours to some of these esteemed shops.
While nobody can predict the shopping habits of Meghan and Harry, history suggests where they might shop — at purveyors holding the royal warrant.
Fortnum & Mason
Royal Grocers and Provisions Merchants; Royal Tea Merchants and Grocers; 181 Piccadilly, London
Founded in 1707 by Hugh Mason, a grocer, and William Fortnum, a royal footman to Queen Anne, Fortnum & Mason became a purveyor of tea and fine food credited with transforming Britain’s culinary landscape by introducing classics like the Scotch egg, a hard-boiled egg encased in sausage meat and dusted with fried bread crumb. In the 1920s, sports, cutting edge fashion, interior design and an expedition department were added to the mix, effectively creating a department store. Since its inception, the company has served 12 monarchs with continuous royal warrants. Today, it holds two warrants; Prince Philip and Prince Charles.
Hatchards
Royal Booksellers; 187 Piccadilly, London
What began in 1797 as a literary coffee house producing political pamphlets and publications spotlighting social issues of the day is London’s oldest bookseller. The shop’s welcome-to-my-townhouse charm is underscored by staff-curated tables loaded with selections from wellknown and more esoteric British scribes like P.G. Wodehouse, Nancy Mitford, Evelyn Waugh, Agatha Christie and Kingsley Amis. On top of buying a book (the shop is well-known for autographed hardbacks and first editions bound in leather with decorative William Morris endpapers), bibliophiles can sign on for Hatchards’ monthly subscription service, which can be delivered anywhere in the world. Hatchards gained its first royal warrant in the 18th century from Queen Charlotte, wife of George II, and continues to hold all three warrants from Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and Prince Charles.
Truefitt & Hill
Royal Hairdressers; 71 St James’s Street, London William Francis Truefitt started out as court wigmaker to King George III, before setting up shop in 1805 to offer luxury barbery services, and later, haircuts to London’s gentry. The pairing of pampering hot towel wet shave with the air of a gentlemen’s club attracted high society, namely Oscar Wilde, Lord Byron, Beau Brummell, Charles Dickens, Sir Winston Churchill and the Royal Family. In 1875, hair “preparations” were introduced, leading the way to shaving accessories, fragrance and skin products, all crafted in Britain. The company has had nine consecutive royal warrants and currently holds one from Prince Philip.
The Goring Hotel
Royal Hospitality Services; 15 Beeston Place, London The Goring, which is steps from Buckingham Palace, was where Kate Middleton and her entire family chose to spend the night before her wedding to William. It also served as the preferred perch for royalty during the coronations of George VI in 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and is an unofficial luxury annex for visiting dignitaries. The Goring revels in its Britishness. The Michelinstarred Dining Room (that, naturally, showcases British classics like Eggs Drumkilbo, an egg, prawn and lobster dish favoured by the late Queen Mother) was designed by interiors heavyweight David Linley, nephew of Queen Elizabeth II. Instead of run-of-the-mill butlers, there are red-liveried footmen, a detail that could read as tacky if not for the splendid surroundings and Royal Family legacy. The Goring was the first and only hotel to be granted a royal warrant from Queen Elizabeth II.
Paxton & Whitfield
Royal Cheesemonger; 93 Jermyn Street, London
The pungent aroma of orange-skinned, washed-rind cheese (Stinking Bishop, anyone?) is the calling card of
this shop, established in 1797. Its bounty of artisanal cheeses (mostly British) supplies grand hotels, top restaurants, discerning Londoners and, of course, the palace with top-drawer dairy products. Queen Victoria granted Paxton & Whitfield its first warrant as cheesemonger to the Royal Household in 1850. The brand has held on to this honour with subsequent warrants issued by King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and the Prince of Wales.
Floris Royal Perfumers; Royal Manufacturers of Toilet Preparations; 89 Jermyn Street, St. James’s London
Floris is an independent, family-run business, and operates from the Jermyn Street premises where it was founded in 1730. Originally a barber, but also trained in perfumery, Juan Famenias Floris introduced a zesty lime unisex fragrance in the late 18th century that became an instant hit, offering both an uplifting perfume and an olfactory tool to combat the stench of London’s sewagestrewn streets. Soon, classic floral scents were sold alongside grooming products, bespoke fragrances concocted for wealthy clients in the shop’s cellar. In a small museum in the back of the shop, there are letters and archived receipts from various palaces and high-wattage clientele like Sir Winston Churchill (Special No. 127 and Stephanotis, both of which are still available), Ian Fleming (No. 89; Fleming also mentions Floris in the James Bond novels “Moonraker,” “Diamonds are Forever” and “Dr. No”); Marilyn Monroe (Rose Geranium); and Queen Elizabeth II. Floris received its first royal warrant from King George IV in 1820.
Henry Poole & Co. Royal Livery Tailors; 15 Savile Row, London
A military tailoring outfit begun during the Napoleonic Wars evolved into the court tailor to Queen Victoria in 1869, producing the palace’s livery, or official uniform. After meeting and then outfitting Queen Victoria’s son, the Prince of Wales (known as Bertie), Poole’s popularity soared. This relationship produced modern black-tie dress. In 1865, tired of fussy white-tie evening dress with coattails, the fashionable Bertie asked Poole to design a more informal ensemble for entertaining at his country home in Sandringham. This look would later come to be known as the tuxedo. Poole was also Savile Row’s founding tailor. The firm’s bespoke suiting attracted an international clientele, Czar Alexander II of Russia, Sir Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, J.P. Morgan, William Randolph Hearst, Frank Lloyd Wright, among others. The merchant has served each monarch since Queen Victoria, which has translated into Poole’s livery and other garments being worn at every coronation, jubilee and royal wedding since the merchant was issued the first warrant in 1869. .
Garrard Royal Jewellers, Goldsmiths and Silversmiths; 24 Albemarle Street, London
Established in 1735, the House of Garrard, which also functioned as silversmiths, received its first royal commission from Frederick, Prince of Wales (a black ebony teapot handle) that same year. Queen Victoria appointed Garrard as Crown Jewelers in 1843 and the house has served every monarch since then, crafting five crowns (still worn for state occasions) which can be viewed at the Tower of London Jewel House. On top of countless royal commissions, Garrard is known for exquisite tiaras, including the Cambridge Lover’s Knot, a headpiece of 19 diamond-encrusted arches framing large drop-shaped pearls that has been passed down from Queen Mary to Queen Elizabeth II and lent to Princess Diana, and recently worn by the Duchess of Cambridge, in addition to the “Girls of Britain and Ireland tiara,” the spiky diadem with a band of round and lozengeshaped diamonds frequently worn by Queen Elizabeth II and featured on British bank notes.
Lock & Co. Hatters Royal Hatters; 6 St James’s Street, London
Since 1676, Lock & Co. Hatters has created toppers for royals and aristocracy. The business designed the bicorne hat, the de rigueur military accoutrement of the time, worn by Admiral Lord Nelson in the Battle of Trafalgar, invented the bowler, popularized the fedora and tweed newsboy, and have remained the go-to for top hats through the present day. It’s still a family-run business operating from the same four-storey building since 1759. In 1993, Lock introduced women’s high-fashion millinery though classic designs remain best-sellers. The firm holds two royal warrants: Prince Philip and Prince Charles. Lock partnered with the jeweller Garrard & Co, also the holder of a royal warrant, to fit George IV’s crown to Queen Elizabeth II’s head for her 1953 coronation, relining the interior with ermine and purple velvet.
Prestat Royal Purveyors of Chocolates; 14 Princes Arcade, London
This century-old chocolatier’s quirky heritage has amassed a cult following. John Gielgud, Cher, Tina Turner and Paul McCartney have nipped in to sample pâté de fruit “fruity babes” and ginger hunks while the 19th- and early-20th-century French actress Sarah Bernhardt commissioned a specialty inverted violet crème in 1910, a Prestat classic known to have been the Queen Mother’s favourite. One famous relationship was with the novelist Roald Dahl, whose passion for Prestat truffles landed Prestat a starring role in his novel “My Uncle Oswald” and is said to have inspired the children’s book “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Truffles (William and Kate served them at their wedding) are bestsellers.