Royal-Warrant Chocolate: Charbonnel et Walker & Prestat

Every royal table needs a box of very good chocolates, and for a century and a half Britain has had two houses grand enough to supply it. Royal-warrant chocolate is a small, delicious corner of the royal larder: a world of hand-rolled truffles, gilded boxes and Mayfair shopfronts, where two names stand above the rest, Charbonnel et Walker and Prestat.

Both are London institutions, both have supplied the Crown, and both make the kind of chocolate that turns an ordinary afternoon into a small occasion. One was encouraged into being by a future king; the other is credited with giving the world the chocolate truffle itself. Together they are the sweetest entry on the royal-warrant roll.

Here are their stories, their most famous creations, and how to bring a little of the royal chocolate box home.

Charbonnel et Walker: Britain’s first luxury chocolatier

The story begins in 1875, when, encouraged by the future King Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, Madame Charbonnel of Paris and Mrs Walker of London joined forces to open a chocolate house on New Bond Street. It was, in effect, Britain’s first luxury chocolatier, and it has never left Mayfair, trading today from the elegant Royal Arcade off Old Bond Street.

In 2026 the house marks its 150th anniversary, a century and a half of beautiful chocolates in beautiful boxes, exactly as its royal patron intended. Charbonnel et Walker held a royal warrant as chocolate manufacturers to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for decades, and remains one of the most storied names in British confectionery. For the definitive current warrant position, royalwarrant.org keeps the live list.

The pink Marc de Champagne truffle

If Charbonnel et Walker is known for one thing, it is the pink Marc de Champagne truffle, a rose-dusted dome of white chocolate ganache laced with Marc de Champagne, and one of the most recognisable luxury chocolates in the world. It is the house’s signature, and its most requested box.

It is also, famously, a royal favourite: King Charles III is documented as being partial to the Marc de Champagne truffles, a small and charming detail that says everything about the brand’s standing. A box of them, with its pale-pink ribbon, is the classic Charbonnel gift. You can find them on Charbonnel et Walker on Amazon for a taste of the Bond Street original.

Prestat: the home of the chocolate truffle

Where Charbonnel has its Marc de Champagne, Prestat has an even bolder claim: the invention of the chocolate truffle itself. Founded in London in 1902 by Antoine Dufour, whose family is credited with creating the chocolate truffle in the 1890s, Prestat built its name on that single, perfect confection, and has been rolling them by hand ever since.

The Prestat truffle is a thing of some literary fame, too. Roald Dahl, the great chronicler of chocolate, adored them: he made the Prestat truffle the centrepiece of his novel My Uncle Oswald, and the house is often cited among the inspirations behind Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. There are few sweeter endorsements than that. Browse the range at Prestat on Amazon.

Three royal warrants

Prestat’s royal credentials are as deep as its truffles are rich. The house received its first royal warrant in 1975, as purveyors of chocolates to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and over the years held three royal warrants in all: from the late Queen, from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and, in the current reign, from King Charles III.

That trio of warrants places Prestat among a very select group of British food houses trusted by the royal household across generations. A warrant is not bought but earned, granted only after years of regular supply to the Crown, which makes a Prestat box a genuine piece of royal provenance, not merely a pretty one.

What to order for the royal chocolate box

For a gift with real royal pedigree, the choice comes down to your palate. Charbonnel et Walker is the one for champagne truffles, dark-chocolate selections and that unmistakable Bond Street glamour; Prestat is the one for the original hand-rolled truffle, playful packaging and a dusting of literary history.

Either makes a superb present: a birthday, a thank-you, a Christmas stocking, or simply a treat for the tea tray. For a fuller royal hamper, pair a box with tea and preserves from Fortnum & Mason, the King and Queen’s grocer. Our guide to royal-warrant food and drink has more for the larder.

The art of the chocolate gift box

Part of the pleasure of royal chocolate is the ceremony of it: the ribboned box, the neat rows, the little card that lists what lies inside. Both houses understand that a great chocolate is only half the gift; the other half is the presentation, the anticipation, the moment of lifting the lid.

It is a very British kind of luxury: understated, beautifully made, and meant to be shared. A box of royal-warrant chocolate is never really about the chocolate alone. It is about the small, civilised ritual of offering someone the best, exactly as a Prince of Wales did when he nudged two Victorian women into opening a shop.

Why royal chocolate endures

Charbonnel et Walker and Prestat endure for the same reasons the royal warrant itself does: consistency, craft and a refusal to cut corners. In an age of mass-produced confectionery, they still roll truffles by hand, still trade from the same London streets, and still make chocolate worthy of a royal table.

That is the enduring appeal: a box that carries a story as rich as its contents, from Bond Street in 1875 to the tea tray today. Browse more of our Royal Warrant Brands stories to meet the makers behind the royal household.

Frequently asked questions

Which chocolate brands have a royal warrant?

Prestat holds a royal warrant from King Charles III and historically held warrants from Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother. Charbonnel et Walker held a royal warrant to the late Queen Elizabeth II for decades. For the current list, see royalwarrant.org.

What is Charbonnel et Walker famous for?

Charbonnel et Walker, founded on Bond Street in 1875, is famous for its pink Marc de Champagne truffles, rose-dusted white-chocolate ganache filled with Marc de Champagne, and for being, in effect, Britain’s first luxury chocolatier.

Did Prestat invent the chocolate truffle?

Prestat’s founder Antoine Dufour and his family are widely credited with creating the chocolate truffle in the 1890s, and Prestat, founded in London in 1902, built its reputation on the hand-rolled truffle it has made ever since.

What chocolate does King Charles like?

King Charles III is documented as being partial to Charbonnel et Walker’s Marc de Champagne truffles. As Prince of Wales he was also a long-standing supporter of British heritage food brands, several of which hold his royal warrant.

Is Prestat connected to Roald Dahl?

Yes. The author Roald Dahl was devoted to Prestat truffles and made them the centrepiece of his novel My Uncle Oswald; the house is often named among the inspirations behind Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Where can I buy royal-warrant chocolate?

Charbonnel et Walker trades from the Royal Arcade off Old Bond Street and Prestat from London, and both sell boxed selections online, including through Amazon. Look for the signature champagne truffles from Charbonnel and the hand-rolled truffles from Prestat.

Founding dates, royal warrants and provenance are drawn from the makers’ own histories and the Royal Warrant Holders Association; warrant status can change, so for the definitive current list see royalwarrant.org.