Bolton: Royal Warrant could be lost by two local businesses

A Royal Warrant of Appointment is a document that signifies that an individual or a company has a trading relationship with the Royal Household. It allows the holder to display the Royal Coat of Arms on their products, packaging, stationery, advertising, premises and vehicles.

Ordinarily, Royal Warrants are held for five years but can be renewed a year before its expiry, however, in the event of the death of the monarch who bestowed it, the warrant immediately becomes void.

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Royal Warrants will be reviewed by King Charles III, however, that is unlikely to happen until after the ten days of mourning are over.

There are two businesses in Bolton for which this now applies – Indespension Ltd and Town Talk Polish Co Ltd.

The former is the UK’s largest retailer of trailers, trailer parts and towbars, and the latter is renowned for its quality silver and jewellery care products including polishing cloths, liquid cleaners, polishes and silver storage solutions.

The rules for holding a Royal Warrant state that after the monarch who bestowed it dies, companies have two years to rid their products and website of the coat of arms.

King Charles during his first public address as King paying tribute to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II (Image: PA)

Indespension, a local family business since 1968, is based in Horwich. It has held the warrant for around 15 to 20 years, and commercial director Tony Graham says that there has been no communication yet as to whether they will continue to hold it during King Charles’s reign.

He said: “We have supplied trailers and parts for the Queen’s picnic trailer, as well as for the Queen Mother and Prince Phillip.

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“We’ve supplied trailers to many of the Royal estates - Sandringham, Balmoral, Windsor Castle.”

Although Mr Graham never met the late Queen himself, members of his staff did have, and he has been to Sandringham.

He added: “We have the coat of arms displayed on our website and at head office in the reception area.”

The Royal Coat of Arms displayed at the head office of Indespension (Image: Indespension)

In his former role as the Prince of Wales, Charles also issued Royal warrants. Some of these were to firms that also supplied his mother, but others will enjoy a rise in status now that their patron has ascended the throne.

This, however, does not apply to either aforementioned companies, or to any others in Bolton.

Royal Warrant holders are not able to disclose the details of the goods and/or services they provide to the Royal Household, other than to say, ‘By Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen/King’, or similar such wording.