By Appointment to The Court of The Netherlands

By Appointment to The Court of The Netherlands

Purveyors to the Royal Court of the Netherlands: the status ‘purveyor to the court’ (hofleverancier) is awarded to small and medium-sized businesses that have existed for at least 100 years, and who have a good reputation regionally. They need not actually supply goods to the court. The status is renewable every 25 years. At present there are at least 387 companies who can hold this status.

Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The royal warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the issuer of the royal warrant; thus lending prestige to the supplier. Royal families of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco, Denmark, Sweden, and Japan among others, allow tradesmen to advertise royal patronage.

Suppliers having a royal warrant charge for the goods and services supplied; a royal warrant does not imply that suppliers provide goods or services free of charge. Royal warrants are typically advertised on company hoardings, letter-heads and products by displaying the coat of arms or the heraldic badge of the royal personage issuing the royal warrant. Warrants granted by members of the British royal family usually include the phrase “By Appointment to…” followed by the title and name of the royal customer, and then what goods are provided; no other details of what is supplied may be given.