Royal Approval - The Champion Princess

Although there is no act of Parliament banning living monarchs on pub signs, there has always been a serious code of practice since Victorian times that this could not be done without specific permission from the Palace.

The Champion Princess (painted in one week!) was a "rushed" commission showing Princess Anne and the horse she rode when she won the three days horse trials, was supposed to be presented to her when she officially opened the National Brewery Centre in Burton upon Trent. However this was denied as no official request had been asked for by The Inn Sign Society and hence no permission granted by the Palace. Apparently, you need at least six months to inform them of this sort of intention. However, the Princess Royal, later gave permission, in a very nice letter, for it to go on permanent exhibition at the museum, the only time a member of the Royal Family has ever done this.

© Graeme Robbins