Napoleon Bonaparte reportedly dubbed the British “a nation of shopkeepers” – a phrase that Margaret Thatcher, who was known to obsequiously curtsy to the Queen, wore as a badge of honour as the daughter of grocer herself. Nothing gives British shops more pride than receiving a Royal Warrant of Appointment. The grantors of the warrants can only be appointed by the reigning monarch. The King has newly appointed HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Princess of Wales as grantors beginning this spring. We have searched high and low throughout the kingdom to find regal retail therapy, whether you want to buy the same raincoat as the late Queen or sip tea out of a commemorative mug.

CHECK MATE

The practical and playful Burberry x Royal Collection Trust celebrates the Queen’s centenary with a new holly green check, inspired by the muted Old Stewart Tartan she often wore. The Queen often chose Burberry for outdoor pursuits and granted it a Royal Warrant in 1955. Elizabeth II was extremely fond of the Car Coat, redesigned in a lightweight gabardine with organic silk lining in holly green, and of course we all know how much she loved her Corgis, here memorialised in a gold-plated brooch with its very own enameled holly green check coat.

MUG SHOT

There is nothing more quintessentially British than afternoon tea. The Royal Collection Trust has commissioned a set of mugs and side plates, perfect for tea and biscuits, in pastel yellow, pink, blue and green, colours reminiscent of the Queen’s kaleidoscopic outfits. The centrepiece of the English bone china is the EIIR cypher, worn at her coronation, encircled by a golden starburst of 96 rays to symbolise her life. The pearl-and-wheatsheaf motif echo Elizabeth II’s wedding dress, and the four floral symbols represent the nations of Great Britain. 

ENGLISH ROSE

For a less delicate take on royalty, Emma Bridgewater’s The King’s Rose mug celebrates her son King Charles III and his love for nature and horticulture with a rose bred by David Austin in honour of the King and unveiled at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2025. Created using traditional spongewear techniques on earthenware, a portion of the sales goes to The King’s Foundation. 

RISE TO THE OCCASION

Until 2018, Rigby & Peller was where the Queen had gone for her corseterie for 57 years. That was until the owner and fitter, June Kenton, released a book called Storm in a D-Cup where she revealed details such as Princess Margaret’s penchant for handmade swimwear, and giving Princess Diana posters of models in lingerie for her sons, William and Harry, “to put up in their studies at Eton.” Needless to say the warrant was withdrawn. However, the fittings service at these beautifully appointed shops is still top-notch – you can understand why the Queen stood so tall (and was never seen fiddling with a drooping bra strap). 

NOTE BENE

In the 1890s, Smythson was commissioned to produce stationery for each of Queen Victoria’s residences, and is a brand so beloved by the Royal Family that it has four Royal Warrants, from the Queen Mother, Prince Philip, King Charles and Queen Elizabeth. The Queen was known to correspond on their signature Nile Blue paper, and to use their gilt-edged featherweight paper leatherbound notebooks and diaries. We particularly like their cheeky and whimsical titled notebooks, such as Sugar and Spice, Shhhh and Spill the Tea.

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER

Ever practical, the monarch wrote not with an overpriced Mont Blanc but with an expertly engineered Parker 51 fountain pen, in burgundy with gold cap. The innovative hooded nib means the nib is mostly enclosed, preventing leaking, managing ink flow and shortening dry times. It also rarely failed to start, even after being left unused. Perhaps King Charles should have followed suit to avoid his infamous ‘Pengate’ incident(s). Elizabeth II used blue or blue-black ink for official correspondence, although was fond of more adventurous colours like mocha for private letters.

REIN SUPREME

The Queen was known to be fond of a good blanket, often seen with a blue “car blanket” over her finery, and famously swathed in a Hudson’s Bay blanket at a particularly chilly rodeo staged for her in Calgary, in October 1951. As we know, she was an avid horsewoman and owner of many extremely successful racehorses. Her horses were often seen sporting the iconic mustard, navy and red Newmarket horse blankets, which were also useful as picnic rugs and car blankets, or draped over sofas.

ONE’S BAGGAGE

The Queen famously used Globe-Trotter luggage since the suitcases were gifted to her for her honeymoon in 1947. To mark the Queen’s 90th birthday, Globe-Trotter created a capsule collection in glossy royal claret to match the Queen’s Range Rover and helicopter, lined with Suffolk-made Gainsborough silk in the same design as the upholstery of the Scottish State Coach. The collection is no longer available; however, one of the Queen’s favourite styles, Centenary, comes in a very smart oxblood shade.

ROYAL BOX

The Queen was known for the red boxes (where she kept papers of state) that she attended to on a daily basis. But she also collected more personal keepsakes from Halcyon Days, the only suppliers of objets d’art to the British Royal Household. Originally made for snuff in the 1800s, their hand-painted enamel boxes adorn many bedside tables and armoires in grand English houses. Particularly charming are their message boxes with witty and heartfelt missives on the inside that can be used for everything from pills (“One a day keeps the doctor away!”) to dog treats and “baby’s first tooth.” Apparently the Queen, who granted her warrant in 1970, had a 50th anniversary coronation box, a 75th birthday box and a special 90th birthday musical box.

COAT TALES

Princess Catherine has carried on the British tradition of dressing girls in smart wool coats with velvet collars. However, the mini-me Catherine Walker bespoke versions might be both financially and logistically challenging to manage. Trotter’s is where well-heeled Londoners go to keep their offspring, or grandchildren, clad in proper clothing, like their Classic Coat.

GOD SAVE THE KING!

And finally, in all of these queenly commemorations, let us pay homage to King Charles III in his favourite environment, his garden. The Highgrove Toile wallpaper by Sanderson was developed in partnership with Highgrove and The King’s Foundation. The archival toile pattern had Highgrove features added to the design, including yew tree hedges, pots, the Oak Summer House, a topiarised English yew and a bust of Charles. Perfect for the downstairs loo.