Richard Haworth, one of the UK's longest-established textile manufacturers and the leading British supplier of bed, bath and table linens to the luxury hospitality sector, has been awarded a Royal Warrant of Appointment to His Majesty King Charles III as Supplier and Manufacturer of Linens. The honour is granted in the company's 150th anniversary year and recognises its enduring quality, craftsmanship and dedication to sustainable processes.

What is a Royal Warrant?

Royal Warrants, awarded to companies that have provided goods or services to the Royal Household, represent one of the most rigorous and prestigious commercial endorsements in the UK. The accolade places Richard Haworth among a select community of British manufacturers operating at the highest level of quality and service, alongside the likes of Champagne Louis Roederer, Bentley Motors and Twinings.

Royal Warrants: Then and Now

For more than eight centuries, Monarchs have recognised the craftspeople and traders who supply the Royal Household. What began with royal charters for medieval guilds has grown into today’s Royal Warrant — a mark that a business has supplied the Royal Household to a consistently high standard over many years.

1. 1155 King Henry II grants a Royal Charter to the Weavers’ Company — the earliest known formal link between the Crown and the nation’s tradespeople, and a fitting beginning for anyone who works with cloth.
2. 1476 By the 15th century the Lord Chamberlain is formally appointing suppliers to the Royal Household; William Caxton is named King’s Printer.
3. 17th century Warrants, abolished under Oliver Cromwell, are restored by King Charles II.
4. 18th century Warrant holders begin displaying the Royal Arms on their premises — a tradition that continues today.
5. 1840 Royal tradespeople gather to mark Queen Victoria’s birthday, the beginning of what became the Royal Warrant Holders Association. Almost 2,000 Warrants are granted during her reign.
6. 2024 His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen begin granting their own Royal Warrants.
7. 2026 Richard Haworth is appointed Supplier and Manufacturer of Linens to His Majesty The King, in our 150th anniversary year.

How a Royal Warrant is granted today

Applicants are also assessed against sustainability criteria as part of the process.

His Majesty The King: A Champion of Craft and Sustainability

Long before his accession, His Majesty was one of the country’s most prominent advocates for traditional skills, British manufacturing and the natural environment — causes that have shaped his public life for decades.

These are values we share at Kearsley Mill: passing on skills, making textiles in Britain, and doing so responsibly. That is why receiving a Royal Warrant from His Majesty means so much to everyone at Richard Haworth.

British Manufacture Since 1876

Founded in 1876 and headquartered at Kearsley Mill - a 240,000 sq. ft. listed Victorian mill near Manchester - Richard Haworth remains one of the last cut-and-sew textile manufacturers in the UK, with manufacturing and distribution operations still based at the site that has been home to the business for over a century.

About Richard Haworth

Founded in 1876, Richard Haworth is a British linen specialist headquartered in Manchester, renowned for supplying bed, bath and table linens to the hospitality industry for 150 years. Family-owned, the company is trusted by many of the UK’s most prestigious hotels, restaurants and cultural institutions for its uncompromising standards of quality and craftsmanship. Richard Haworth continues to operate from its historic home at Kearsley Mill in Lancashire, where its manufacturing and distribution remain based, making it one of the last remaining cut-and-sew textile manufacturers in the UK. As part of the Ruia Group, Richard Haworth is underpinned by long-standing values of trust and long-term partnerships, alongside a commitment to charitable giving.