Cadbury stripped of prestigious royal title after 170 years

King Charles has shocked the iconic chocolate brand stripping it of a beloved Royal seal of approval.

Cadbury’s has been stripped of a prestigious title after 170 years – alongside 100 other iconic brands.

Surprisingly, the chocolate giant is missing from the 400 companies awarded with the King’s royal warrant this year – a coveted mark of recognition, The Sun reports.

All the companies who’ve been denied the coveted accolade have been informed via letter, according to The Mail on Sunday.

The warrant signifies usage by the royal household and is seen as a valuable seal of approval that appears on packaging.

Cadbury was first awarded the title by Queen Victoria in 1854. The beloved confectionery company was granted the status for a second time in 1955 by the late Queen Elizabeth II – who famously loved Bournville dark chocolate bars – until her death in 2022.

The brands were not given a reason for their removal from the list, as per protocol, but it is believed health-loving Charles may be less enamoured by the UK’s – and Australia’s – favourite chocolate brand than his mother.

For the first time in 70 years, Cadbury was not awarded with the King’s royal warrant alongside another 100 iconic brands. Picture: Supplied

Julian Payne, former communications secretary to the King, previously told The Times all about the King’s healthy routine, which includes a five-step workout plan and a nutritious diet.

He said: “He generally consumes extremely healthy, organic food and doesn’t drink much alcohol.”

Former Queensland Premier Steven Miles told The Sun how the monarch turned down his homeland’s signature Lamington cake, a sponge dipped in chocolate and coconut, while on a trip to Queensland.

However, Smarties and Milkybar owner Nestle, luxury Bittermint creator Bendicks, and London-based fine chocolate shop Prestat, have all maintained the title.

The monarch has reportedly kept a total of 386 Warrants granted by the late Queen, including Kellogg’s cereal and Moet Champagne.

The omission may be down to King Charles’ focus on health, preferring healthy and organic food. Picture: Mina Kim / Getty Images

Insiders say the decision to let a supplier use the Royal Arms reflects the consumption of the entire household, not just the King, as well as factors such as sustainability.

It is understood the consumption of Cadbury products by the royal family has dwindled in recent years.

Cadbury was controversially bought by the US’ Kraft Foods in 2010. Kraft later demerged with a new US company Mondelez maintaining control of Cadbury.

Another theory is the warrant has been withheld as Mondelez, unlike many other western companies, continues to do business in Russia despite its ongoing war against Ukraine.

As well as Cadbury, 100 other companies have been removed from the list.

This could either be because they have failed to hold onto the award or decided not to reapply – or because their application is still pending, as in the case of health and beauty retailer Boots, similar to Priceline.

Among those also excluded is Unilever, which owns Marmite yeast extract, Dove skincare, Streets ice cream and Hellman’s mayonnaise.

A spokesman for Mondelez International, which owns Cadbury, said they fully respect the decision. Picture: AFP

Cadbury is responsible for some of Australia’s best selling chocolate products – including Favourites, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Cherry Ripe.

A spokesman for Mondelez told The Sun: “Cadbury is a much-loved brand that has been a part of British life for generations, and remains the nation’s favourite chocolate”.

“While we are disappointed to be one of hundreds of other businesses and brands in the UK to not have a new warrant awarded, we are proud to have previously held one, and we fully respect the decision.”

A spokesman for Unilever said: “We are very proud of the long history our brands have supplying the Royal Household and of the Warrants they have been awarded during this time, most recently by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”.

“The granting of Royal Warrants is a matter for the Royal Household.”

Cadbury forced to make major change to all packaging

The look of Cadbury products in the UK will have to undergo a significant change after the iconic brand was stripped of its royal title.

Cadbury told The Sun: “Yes, practically this means that we will remove the Royal Arms from all of our packaging”.

“However to be clear, there will be no change to the iconic Cadbury purple which is not by Royal appointment.

“Cadbury purple has been used for Cadbury chocolate products for more than a century and is synonymous with the brand, this won’t change.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced here with permission