King Charles breaks huge royal protocol to give Princess of Wales a special new privilege.
She's the first Princess of Wales to get this power in 116 years.
King Charles has strayed from tradition in order to grant Prince William and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, new powers. It's a move that quietly signifies just how highly the monarch thinks of his eldest son and daughter-in-law, both of whom are consistently voted as the most popular members of the family (according to YouGov).
Starting in the spring, William and Kate will be given permission to issue a royal warrant of approval to the individuals and brands they love, once they've been formalised as Grantors of Royal Warrants – an honour that is typically only reserved for the reigning monarch and their partner (or members of kin that the monarch has singled out). So far, Charles has chosen to keep royal warrant grants between himself and Camilla.
This change will see Kate become the first Princess of Wales to issue a royal warrant in 116 years.
The royal warrant is bestowed upon brands that are deemed to be of high-quality and personally approved by a member of the family – those currently on the list include Heinz (anyone else love the thought of Queen Elizabeth II tucking into beans on toast and thinking 'Must give these guys a shout out'?) to luxury fashion house, Burberry.
As per the Royal Warrants Holder Association, the business or individual must have supplied the royal household "with goods or services for at least five years out of the past seven years, and have an ongoing trading relationship", so you know recipients are legit loved by the royals. They are then able to display the royal warrant crest on their products and website.
Fans are especially excited to see which brands the Princess will choose to highlight, particular in the fashion sphere – given how influential her sartorial choices are.
Confirming the news, the Princess of Wales' private secretary, Ian Wright, said, "Royal Highnesses are delighted to be able to recognise and celebrate British industry, creativity, and skills through the granting of warrants."
So, let's watch this space and see who they choose (our money is on Emilia Wickstead, a Kate favourite, for starters).
Yes, this appears to be a recent headline from today (January 8, 2026) referring to King Charles III granting the Prince and Princess of Wales (William and Catherine) the authority to become Grantors of Royal Warrants starting in spring 2026.
What is the “huge royal protocol” break and the special new privilege?
Royal Warrants are prestigious endorsements given by the Royal Family to companies or individuals that supply goods or services to the household. They allow the use of the royal coat of arms in marketing (e.g., “By Appointment to His Majesty”).
Traditionally, this power is reserved almost exclusively for the reigning monarch and their consort (currently King Charles and Queen Camilla).
King Charles has broken with this tradition by extending the role to William and Catherine, making them official Grantors.
This makes Catherine the first Princess of Wales to hold this privilege in 116 years (the last was likely Mary of Teck, consort to George V when he was Prince of Wales).
It’s seen as a significant mark of trust and recognition of their popularity and future roles as King and Queen.
The Princess of Wales’ private secretary confirmed the couple’s delight in being able to “recognise and celebrate British industry, creativity, and skills” through these warrants.
This news was widely reported today in outlets like Cosmopolitan and Tyla, highlighting it as a quiet but meaningful gesture from the King toward his son and daughter-in-law.
Other older stories (from 2024–2025) about protocol breaks (e.g., balcony positions at Trooping the Colour) are unrelated to this specific “huge” new privilege.
Tags: Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Louis, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Meghan, Lilibet
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