British monarch, Charles III had the “royal warrant” of the Bollinger champagne house (established in Aÿ, Marne) renewed. This privilege allows these champagnes to continue their supply from the royal house of Windsor, and to indicate this on the bottle labels. A commercial argument.
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The life of a British monarch leaves little room for discretion. And as with many things, his taste in champagne is well known.
This advertising involves the agreement of a document entitled royal warrant. For a period of five years, it allows a supplier of tea, biscuits, stationery, or even champagne to supply the royal house.
During the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Bollinger supplied the champagnes for the prestigious cellars of Buckingham Palace. As well as eight other champagne houses, including GH Mumm, nicknamed “the official supplier of monarchies”. A blog dedicated to sparkling wines discusses the subject at length.
The validity of the document being five years (originally ten), the labels continued to mention Queen Elizabeth II, but under the name “the late Queen Elizabeth II”. The renewal was scheduled for the year 2024.
This is how this Thursday, December 19, the Bollinger house announced in a press release that its royal warrant is renewed. She welcomes the opportunity to “[marquer] thus 140 years without interruption as official supplier to the British royal household”.
Indeed, “Bollinger champagne was first distributed on the British market in 1858 by the wine merchant Ludwig Mentzendorff. Established in London, [il] offered his services to the house’s founder, Jacques Bollinger, to become the house’s London agent.”
Portrait of Queen Victoria, painted on the occasion of her ascension to the British throne in 1837. It is in the Wallace Collection in London.
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© Vincent Ballester, France Télévisions
Unlike the famous royal corgis, this craze is not new. “THE Bollinger champagnes were first presented to Queen Victoria, who liked them so much that she awarded the first Royal Warrant in 1884. This prestigious distinction has been conferred consecutively by every reigning monarch since then.”
A nice distinction, likely to translate into additional sales (enough to climb into the top fortunes of France). Who can boast of supplying the court of the United Kingdom, the former imperial court of Russia, or even the king of Sweden? Very few champagne houses.
Thus, the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Bollinger, Étienne Bizot, expresses his satisfaction. “I am delighted to learn that Bollinger champagne once again has the honor of receiving the Royal Warrant. It is with great pride that we display the Royal Warrant on every bottle of Bollinger champagne we produce.” Indeed, not all champagne houses necessarily include it on their headdress (see Bollinger, established in Aÿ, Marne, on the map below).
“He is particularly extraordinary”continues the director of the champagne house, “to receive it this year from His Majesty the King, on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of its grant to the house [Bollinger] by Queen Victoria in 1884.” It will therefore now be written on these bottles that they supply Charles III, and no longer Elizabeth II. His portrait also now appears on sterling coins and notes, and his royal monogram on the most recently installed postboxes.
As a reminder, alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health: it is nevertheless possible to get information and get help. And as a guide, here are the nine champagne houses supplying British royalty that France 3 Champagne-Ardenne mentioned in 2022:
- Bollinger
- G.H. Mumm
- Krug
- Lanson
- Laurent-Perrier
- Louis Roederer
- Moët & Chandon
- Pol Roger
- Veuve Clicquot
