Thursday, November 14, 2024

King urged to revoke royal warrants of Cadbury and Marmite-owner Unilever over Russia links

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Bacardi, which owns Martini, holds a warrant to supply the late Queen with vermouth while Cadbury holds a warrant to supply cocoa and chocolate. Nestlé and Unilever both hold general warrants for food and household goods.

The Royal household is currently reviewing the status of hundreds of royal warrants given out by the late Queen. A decision on which companies will retain them will come later this year.

The King has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine. He said in February: “I continue to be greatly encouraged that the United Kingdom and our allies remain at the forefront of international efforts to support Ukraine at this time of such great suffering and need. My heart goes out to all those affected, as I remember them in my thoughts and prayers.”  

Western companies have come under pressure to cut ties with Russia as the war in Ukraine rages on. Some have exited the country altogether, while others have scaled down their businesses but remained there.

Mondelez has split its Russian business off into a separate entity, scaled it back and pledged more than $15m (£12m) to Ukrainian citizens, but continues operations there.

The chocolate maker was criticised after its chief executive, Dirk Van de Put, claimed earlier this year that investors did not “morally care” that it remained in Russia.

Mondelez itself does not have a warrant, but Cadbury has been a warrant-holder since 1854 when it was given one by Queen Victoria.

Unilever faced protests outside its London headquarters last summer over its decision to keep manufacturing and selling essential goods in Russia. Its chief executive, Hein Schumacher, has argued this is the “least worst” option because, were Unilever to leave Russia, its assets could be seized by allies of Putin.

A spokesman for Mondelez said: “Cadbury is deeply proud to have been granted its first royal warrant in 1854 and has been a holder of a royal warrant from Her Late Majesty The Queen since 1955.”

A Nestlé spokesman said the company was proud to have a warrant and pointed to a 2022 statement in which it said it had “drastically reduced our portfolio in Russia”. Nestlé added it was only providing essential goods in Russia and had cut all capital investment there.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment. Unilever and Bacardi were contacted for comment.

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