As the country and the world mourn Queen Elizabeth II, we take a look back at the support she and the Royal Family have given to businesses across the UK over many years through the Queen’s Awards.
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are among the most prestigious honours any business can receive, and are particularly treasured by British companies exporting goods and services around the world.
The awards began early in The Queen’s reign. They were instituted by Royal Warrant in 1965 as the Queen’s Awards for Industry. The first winners were announced in 1966 - and some of the early winners are still household names today.
They include fashion giant Burberry, printers De La Rue, Ford Motor Co, clothing firm Kangol, Rolls-Royce, and Vauxhall Motors.
Other winners included car giant Rover, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), and Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd. Today the awards honour outstanding achievement in the fields of International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility.
Winners are able to fly the Queen’s Awards flag at their main office and can use the emblem on their marketing materials, showcasing their achievements to a global audience. Awards winners are announced every April.
This year, as BusinessLive reported, more than 200 firms were honoured across the UK.
In the North East , winners included Newcastle-based Pearson Engineering , which provides the Armed Forces with equipment on the battlefield to help deal with minefields and improvised explosive device.
In the North West, this year’s 20 winners included consumer giant the Co-op. Among 25 West Midlands winners were Little Soap Company and TopCashback.
The Welsh winners include 4 Mental Health, honoured for its work providing mental health training courses worldwide, which won in the International Trade category.
Some 20 businesses across the South West were honoured - including Bristol-based baby device firm Rockit which is one of just seven UK companies to receive two awards this year. Dozens of firms were commended in London and the South East , including a bookseller that works in more than 175 countries.
In Yorkshire and Humber, knitwear designer Jack Brodie - which supplies Selfridges and Harrods - was among 24 firms that were recognised . This year’s winners in the East Midlands included a disability consultancy, a metal recycling business and a company that makes equipment to help deaf people are listed among winners in the East Midlands.
The Royal Family also show their support for businesses through the grant of Royal Warrants.
As the Royal Warrant Holders Association website says, "A Royal Warrant of Appointment is a mark of recognition of those who have supplied goods or services to the Households of HM The Queen or HRH The Prince of Wales for at least five years, and who have an ongoing trading arrangement."
The Duke of Edinburgh, who died last year, was also a Grantor.
* You can leave your tribute to Queen Elizabeth II here
