A few Champagne producers have been royally downgraded.
King Charles III has revoked royal warrants for Champagne Lanson, Krug, and Mumm, Bloomberg reported on Friday. Being excluded from the list of goods and services awarded a warrant means that the Champagnes can no longer display the coat of arms or “By appointment to …” on their bottles—and they may lose out on any financial benefits that come from having the royal family’s stamp of approval.
A spokesperson for Lanson acknowledged the change but declined to comment to Bloomberg, as did someone from LVMH, which owns Krug. Pernod Ricard, which oversees Mumm, said in a statement to the outlet, “As of this year Mumm is no longer among the list of Royal Warrant holders, but we remain a proud supplier to the royal household with the emblematic Dubonnet.” Meanwhile, a representative for the Royal Warrant Holders Association also declined to comment on the changes and whether companies may be added to the list in the future.
The royal warrants can have a beneficial impact on those that are granted them, with a 2023 study finding that consumers were willing to pay a premium for products with the status, especially when it comes to alcohol, Bloomberg noted. That’s all the more important for Champagne producers, as the sector has taken a nosedive in the past few years: Shipments fell 9.2 percent last year, and companies such a Mumm posted double-digit declines in sales during the most recent fiscal year.
For Lanson, which had held a royal warrant since 1900, the United Kingdom is the label’s largest market, Bloomberg wrote. The producer has partnered with Wimbledon for the past 40 years, and it’s previously said that the status is “very important.” It no longer has that royal warrant to fall back on, though.
Although these three labels have been demoted, six other French Champagne makers retained their status: Bollinger, Laurent-Perrier, Louis Roederer, Pol Roger, Moët & Chandon, and Veuve Clicquot. And bubbly makes up more than a third of all alcoholic drinks given warrants, Bloomberg noted. While those producers who made the cut may be raising a glass to their good fortune, it’s safe to assume that Lanson, Krug, and Mumm are more likely to be drowning their sorrows.
