Heinz forced to change ketchup bottles following Queen's death

13 September 2022, 13:37

Heinz is being forced to change the design of its iconic ketchup bottles following the death of Queen Elizabeth II .

Royal Warrants from 800 food and drink brands must now be removed from products or shop entrances after Her Majesty's death last week..

Twinings tea and Bollinger champagne are just two more brands that will have to remove the late monarch's coveted coat of arms, proudly and prominently displayed on their packaging while stores such as Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose will be affected by the change.

A Royal Warrant is a document that lets a company use the royal coat of arms on products and in marketing in exchange for supplying goods and services to the royals.

The distinctive image of the royal coat of arms depicts the lion of England, unicorn of Scotland and a shield divided into four quarters followed by the words “by appointment to Her Majesty the Queen”.

In the case of Heinz ketchup this symbol was displayed at the top and front of its bottles sold in the UK.

According to the Royal Warrant Holders Association (RWHA) , warrants became void when the Queen died.

Brands must now remove them and reapply to King Charles III and prove the royal household regularly uses their products.

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Around 30 Royal Warrants are granted a year, and the same number are withdrawn.

The RWHA said: "Amongst other things, applicants are also required to demonstrate that they have an appropriate environmental and sustainability policy and action plan.”

Brands and food and drink firms who were granted warrants by the late Queen Elizabeth II include Cadbury, Coca-Cola, Premier Foods, Unilever, British Sugar, Britvic, Martini, Dubonnet, Johnnie Walker, The Famous Grouse owner Matthew Gloag & Son, Gordon’s and Pimm’s.