The Wines the Royals Love: Royal-Warrant Champagnes and English Fizz

Every great royal occasion ends the same way: with a glass raised. From coronation toasts to Ascot afternoons and jubilee street parties, wine, and above all champagne, is woven into the celebrations of the Crown. And, as with so much the royals enjoy, the bottles they favour carry a very particular seal of approval.

The wines the royals love are, in many cases, royal-warrant holders: houses that have supplied the Royal Household so reliably, for so long, that they are recognised with the Crown’s own mark. Better still, a rising number of English sparkling wines are now winning royal favour too, proof that the finest fizz no longer comes only from France.

Here are the wines and champagnes the royal family loves, from the King’s personal favourite to the English upstarts, and how to raise a royal toast of your own. (Please enjoy responsibly; for over-18s.)

Laurent-Perrier: the King’s champagne

If one bottle can be called the King’s own, it is Laurent-Perrier. King Charles first visited the family-run Champagne house in 1979, with Lord Mountbatten, and has been an admirer ever since. He granted it his royal warrant as Prince of Wales, and, in a lovely piece of continuity, Laurent-Perrier became the first Champagne house to be awarded King Charles III’s royal warrant under the new reign.

Elegant, fresh and famously led by its Cuvée Rosé, Laurent-Perrier is the natural choice for a royal-style celebration. To pour a glass is to drink exactly what the King himself reaches for when there is something to toast: about as close to a royal occasion as most of us will come.

The royal-warrant champagne houses

Laurent-Perrier is in grand company. King Charles III has granted royal warrants to a select group of Champagne houses: alongside Laurent-Perrier, they include Bollinger, Pol Roger, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Louis Roederer, a roll-call of the finest names in Champagne.

Several of these relationships are astonishingly old. Bollinger, Pol Roger and Moët & Chandon all first received royal warrants during the reign of Queen Victoria in the late 1800s, and have supplied the Household across the reigns since. A warrant on a Champagne label is a genuine mark of pedigree: the difference between a fashionable fizz and one trusted by the Crown for well over a century.

Berry Bros. & Rudd: the royal wine merchant

Behind the royal cellar stands a royal merchant. Berry Bros. & Rudd, founded in 1698 and still trading from No. 3 St James’s Street, is Britain’s oldest wine and spirits merchant, and has supplied the Royal Family since the reign of King George III. Queen Elizabeth II granted the firm her royal warrant in 1952, and King Charles (then Prince of Wales) his in 1998.

It is the shop that has, quite literally, stocked the royal cellars for centuries: the place to go for fine wine chosen with a royal eye. Our profile of Berry Bros. & Rudd tells the full story of the merchant behind the monarchy’s wine.

The rise of English sparkling wine

The most exciting chapter in royal wine is being written at home. English sparkling wine (made in the same method as Champagne, on similar chalky soils) has risen to genuine greatness, and the royals have noticed. Camel Valley, in Cornwall, made history as the first English wine producer to be granted a royal warrant, one of Queen Camilla’s own selections.

It is not alone. Nyetimber, one of England’s most celebrated sparkling houses, has been poured at numerous royal events, including celebrations around the coronation. For anyone wanting to toast the royals with something British, an English sparkling wine is now not a compromise but a genuine rival to Champagne, and a lovely, patriotic pour.

Beyond wine: the King’s other tipples

The royal drinks cabinet holds more than wine. King Charles is a well-documented lover of Scotch whisky, and granted the Islay distillery Laphroaig its royal warrant back in 1994, as Prince of Wales; its smoky, peaty single malt is a famous royal favourite. He is also, by many accounts, a devoted gin & tonic drinker, with Tanqueray and Gordon’s among the warranted names behind a proper royal G&T.

These are the everyday pleasures behind the pageantry: a good whisky by the fire, a gin and tonic before dinner. They are a reminder that royal taste, at its heart, is often reassuringly familiar.

How to raise a royal toast at home

Toasting the royal way is delightfully simple. For the grandest occasion, choose a royal-warrant Champagne: Laurent-Perrier for the King’s own pick, or Bollinger for Victorian pedigree. For a patriotic celebration, reach for an English sparkling wine such as Nyetimber or Camel Valley, served properly chilled in a good glass.

Match the wine to the moment, serve it cold, and raise it to whatever you are celebrating. The royals have shown that the pleasure is less about grandeur than about marking an occasion well, a lesson worth toasting in itself. (As ever, please drink responsibly.)

Why royal wines endure

Royal-warrant wines endure for the same reason every warrant does: they reward makers who deliver excellence, reliably, across generations. These are not passing fashions but faithful houses: the Champagnes and merchants that have marked royal celebrations across reigns, and now the English producers earning their own place at the royal table.

That is the quiet pleasure of a royal glass. To pour a warranted Champagne or a royal-favoured English fizz is to share, in the most celebratory way, in the life of the Crown. Browse more of our Royal Warrant Brands stories, or explore the full royal-warrant food and drink to stock a truly royal larder.

Frequently asked questions

What champagne does King Charles drink?

King Charles III is a long-standing admirer of Laurent-Perrier, which he first visited in 1979 and later granted his royal warrant. It became the first Champagne house to receive his royal warrant as King, and is widely regarded as his favourite.

Which champagnes have a royal warrant?

King Charles III has granted royal warrants to Laurent-Perrier, Bollinger, Pol Roger, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Louis Roederer. Bollinger, Pol Roger and Moët have held royal warrants since the reign of Queen Victoria.

What wine do the royals drink?

The royal family favours royal-warrant Champagnes such as Laurent-Perrier and Bollinger, sources fine wine from the royal merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd, and increasingly enjoys English sparkling wine, including the warrant-holding Camel Valley.

Is English sparkling wine royal-approved?

Yes. Camel Valley in Cornwall was the first English wine producer to be granted a royal warrant, chosen by Queen Camilla, and Nyetimber has been served at royal events. English sparkling wine is now a genuine rival to Champagne.

What is Berry Bros. & Rudd?

Berry Bros. & Rudd, founded in 1698, is Britain’s oldest wine and spirits merchant, trading from St James’s Street. It has supplied the Royal Family since George III and holds royal warrants granted by Queen Elizabeth II (1952) and King Charles (1998).

What whisky does King Charles like?

King Charles is a documented lover of Scotch whisky and granted the Islay distillery Laphroaig its royal warrant in 1994, as Prince of Wales. Its smoky single malt is among his best-known drink preferences.

Royal warrant holdings change as the roll is reviewed; details are correct as of 2026. Please drink responsibly. For the definitive current warrant list, see royalwarrant.org.