Purveyor to Her Majesty through 70 years

At Kay Bojesen, we are incredibly proud to have carried the title as “Purveyor to Her Majesty” through 70 years. After Kay Bojesen was personally appointed with the exclusive title in 1952, it has successfully been retained in the family. Today it has been passed down to Kay Bojesen’s youngest grandchild, Sus Bojesen Rosenqvist, CEO of Kay Bojesen ApS.

Purveyor to Her Majesty

Kay Bojesen was granted ‘The Royal Warrant’ in 1952 for his designs, which had been an integral part of the Royal Danish Household for a longer period of time.

“Purveyor to Her Majesty” is a title that goes all the way back to the 19th century, and was originally exclusively awarded to select individuals and smaller companies that had a direct trade relation with the Court. “Purveyor to the Royal Danish Court”, on the other hand, was a title given to companies from which the Royal Household had acquired products through dealers.

In order to be recognised as either “Purveyor to Her Majesty” or “Purveyor to the Royal Danish Court”, it was required that the company had had a long-term and regular trade with the Royal Family and the Royal Danish Court. In addition, it was a prerequisite that the company was declared financially stable, under competent management and was reputable.

These are still the requirements for attaining “The Royal Warrant”. However, in 2008, the Court stopped distinguishing between the two different purveyor-designations, and it is now only “Purveyor to Her Majesty” that is being granted. Those who want the title of “Purveyor to the Royal Danish Court” have to apply for a formal change of the designation.

After 70 year, it is a great honor to continue to be recognised for meeting all the conditions required to use the title as “Purveyor to Her Majesty”.

Kay Bojesen’s Royal silver workshop

Kay Bojesen had a close relationship with the Danish capital, Copenhagen, where he lived most of his life and shaped his working life. After finishing his apprenticeship as a silversmith, he opened his own silver workshop at Nybrogade 14, and later moved to a basement space at Bredgade 47 in central Copenhagen. From his new working space, he had a direct view of the Marble Church and had the Royal Family’s winter residence, Amalienborg, as a neighbor.

From the window of his workshop, Kay Bojesen was able to watch and greet the Royal Guards every day, as they marched from the castle and past the shop on their daily route through the city. The elegant guardsmen brought him inspiration for several of the figures Kay designed, including the Royal Guards in sterling silver, which are still available as part of the assortment, as well as the Royal Guard in steel and gold-plated.

“My grandfather, Kay Bojesen, had a good relationship with the Royal Household, so the awarding of the ‘Royal Warrant’ was a very distinguished recognition of his skill and craftsmanship, but also of the relation the Royal Family had to his craftsmanship”, says Sus Bojesen Rosenqvist, CEO of Kay Bojesen ApS.

“It happened from time to time that King Frederik IX, who had originally awarded Kay with the title as “Purveyor to His Majesty”, visited Kay’s silver workshop on Bredgade, to explore the latest creations”, Sus Bojesen Rosenqvist has been told.

Purveyor to Her Majesty through several Bojesen generations

Since Kay Bojesen was acknowledged as “Purveyor to His Majesty” in 1952 by King Frederik IX, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe, has, true to tradition, renewed the Royal Warrant on the Majesty’s own birthday. The Warrant is linked to Kay Bojesen’s name and thus includes all his numerous creations, designed and originally shaped in silver.

When Kay Bojesen died six years after receiving the designation, the title was passed on, firstly to his wife Erna Bojesen, and then onwards within the family. Today it is affiliated with the company of the same name; Kay Bojesen ApS, which handles the designs from Kay Bojesen’s silver archive, managed by Kay’s youngest grandchild, Sus Bojesen Rosenqvist.

“We are incredibly proud that Kay Bojesen is able to celebrate its 70th anniversary with the title as ‘Purveyor to Her Majesty’. It was, and still is, an enormous honor, but also a great responsibility, and naturally something we exercise with care and consideration”, Sus Bojesen Rosenqvist says.

The company continues to operate with great respect for Kay Bojesen’s design legacy, which is carried forward, with his functionalist philosophy and innovative spirit as the foundation for all decisions and products.

“Everything we produce is based on original works from my grandfather’s silver archive, and is created using the lines and silhouettes that he shaped in his own time. However, we are constantly exploring new choice of materials and sizes, just as he was known to do”, Sus Bojesen Rosenqvist explains about the company.

“Having managed to keep the Royal Warrant through so many years is an incredible recognition. And it also tells us that what we do, and the way we work with my grandfathers designs – in his name – is something we can be exceptionally proud of”.