It famously once had a glass and a half of milk in every bar, but one thing that Cadbury no longer has is royal approval, after it has been dropped from King Charles’s list of warrants.
The chocolatier was first given royal endorsement in 1854 by Queen Victoria, and was reportedly a favourite of Queen Elizabeth II until her death in 2022.
However, it is among 100 brands and products that have had their warrants withdrawn under King Charles, with the latest list being published by Buckingham Palace’s Royal Warrant Holders Association.
It is the second list announced by the king since he ascended to the throne. The only two named chocolatiers are Bendicks and Prestat, while conglomerate Nestlé also remains on the list.
Luxury chocolate maker Charbonnel et Walker Ltd has also been bumped from the list since the last under Queen Elizabeth II’s name in April 2023.
Royal warrants have been awarded since the 15th century and give formal recognition that a company or individual supplies products or services to the royal household.
Each warrant is granted for up to five years at a time. The king first issued warrants in 1980, when he was Prince of Wales.
Another big brand missing from the list is Unilever, which manufactures goods including Marmite, Magnum ice-cream bars and Pot Noodles.
The news is a blow for Cadbury’s owner Mondelēz UK, whose profits dropped by a third in the year ending December 2023 to £88.1m.
Britain’s most famous chocolate maker was controversially bought by US firm Kraft in 2010, before part of its business was split off to become Mondelēz International, its current owner.
The Daily Mail reported that those who have lost their warrants were told of the decision by letter, but not informed of the reason.
They have 12 months to remove any royal warrant-associated branding from their items.
Some firms gained warrants for the first time, including those connected with Queen Camilla. They include hairdresser Jo Hansford and Wartski jewellers.
The latter made the king and queen’s wedding rings when they got married in April 2005.
Cadbury, which was founded in 1824 in Bournville, Birmingham, was the subject of a campaign calling on King Charles to distance himself from the firm as Mondelēz International continues to operate under Vladimir Putin.
The B4Ukraine campaigners said it was among the companies indirectly contributing to the Russian war effort by continuing to work in the country.
“We urge the royal family to stand in solidarity with Ukraine by demonstrating that companies contributing to the suffering and devastation in Ukraine will not be bestowed with the privilege and honour of holding a royal warrant,” the campaigners wrote to the king before his birthday in June, the Telegraph reported.
However, the decision does not seem to be linked to the campaign, as Bacardi and Samsung were also named in its list, and have remained holders of a royal warrant.
In a statement supplied to the Guardian, a spokesperson for Mondelēz International said: “Cadbury is a much-loved brand that has been a part of British life for generations, and remains the nation’s favourite chocolate.
“Whilst 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.”
Buckingham Palace told the Guardian it did not comment on individual royal warrants.
