It was 2.45 on a Friday afternoon in July 2002 when the phone call came: "Hello Christopher, it’s the Lord Chamberlain’s Office at Buckingham Palace here. Go and get yourself a congratulatory drink; I’m delighted to tell you that you’ve been granted the Queen’s Royal Warrant."

Some ten weeks beforehand, we had completed the purchase of the assets and goodwill of a little company that supplies botanical labelling and had applied to the Palace for a transfer of Her Majesty’s Royal Warrant that had been granted to our predecessor a year or so beforehand.

To be considered for the grant of a Royal Warrant, a company has to have supplied goods to the member of the Royal Family or his or her household continuously for a period of not less than five years. The warrant is granted to a named director or partner of the supplier, who takes on the responsibility of ensuring that the Royal Coat of Arms is used correctly and is reviewed every five years. If the grantee changes, then the Royal Warrant has to be returned to the Lord Chamberlain, who may recommend its transfer by the grantor. Royal Warrants are only awarded to those engaged in ‘trade’ and are therefore not available to the likes of bankers, accountants, lawyers, estate agents or even hedge-fund managers.

So, what has it meant to my wife, Carmen, and I, who run our little business? Well, apart from the honour of receiving it, a whole new world has subsequently opened up to us. Having been granted our Royal Warrant, we were invited to meet "the Colonel", the secretary of the Royal Warrant Holders Association. After congratulating us, he carefully explained the advantages and opportunities that were open to us by joining the association, like almost all the other 800 warrant holders who are also members, as well as selling us a copy of the excellent book ‘A Peerage for Trade’, which describes the history of Royal Warrants since they were first granted in the 15th century. In those days, warrant holders were exclusively male, but the number of female warrant holders is growing fast. Indeed, two of the association’s presidents in recent years have been women.

The association comprises a cornucopia of business traders, for example builders, carpet layers, a saddler, agricultural equipment and vehicle manufacturers, jewellers, couturiers, wines and spirits and all manner of food manufacturers, chimney sweeps and florists and many others. Supporting the national association are local associations based around the Royal residences – Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Sandringham and Windsor. We joined the latter, the oldest of the lot, tracing its origins back to 1823 and properly titled the Windsor, Eton & District Royal Warrant Holders Association. Its very genial and long-serving secretary uniquely runs a pharmacy combined with an off-licence in Eton High Street.

Grantees are allowed to carry their grantor’s coat of arms, according to the Chamberlain’s rules, which must be strictly adhered to. The warrant document itself specifically rules out their use on flags. At present, grantors are the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales.

Banquets, luncheons, cocktail parties and sporting engagements feature high on the list of association events and often involve members of the Royal Households. These are the occasions that have meant so much to us as well as all the other warrant holders. It may sound old fashioned, but the loyalty and honour of serving the monarchy does develop strong relationships between us all. I had the honour three years ago of being elected to the ambassadorial role of President of the Windsor Association. This opened up the door for us to even more dinners, luncheons and visits to the Braemar Gathering, royal garden parties and flower shows. The culmination of my year was a visit by the Queen to our stand at the Chelsea Flower Show, which we had designed to celebrate her 80th birthday.

The Warrant Holders Association does much more than just organise these occasions. Importantly, it helps companies wishing to apply for a Royal Warrant, advises on the interpretation of the Lord Chamberlain’s rules and provides an active interface on behalf of warrant holders with the Lord Chamberlain’s office and all the other royal departments. It is managed by an excellent secretary, with a naval background this time, who is supported by a staff of just three.

In 1990, as an adjunct to its charity fund, the association raised more than £700,000 from members to mark the Queen Mother's 90th birthday its own 150th anniversary and launched the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust. Since its inception, the trust has raised more than £1.6 million that has been used to award annual grants, usually between £2,000 and £15,000, to individual craftsmen and women to help them to further their careers. To date, 186 grants have been made and demand for them, from a very wide range of talented people of all ages, continues to grow.

We are a first-generation warrant holder, but many companies go back several generations and are allowed to carry the Coat of Arms of several monarchs. Many are famous and well known, for example, Fortnum & Mason, Gieves & Hawkes, Berry Bros & Rudd, Corney & Barrow, Bronnley, Jaguar, Calor Gas and Twining. Nevertheless, we feel privileged to have one and to be recognised by one and all as "By Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen" and to be allowed to present her coat of arms proudly outside our premises in Haslemere. We’re in good company.

Christopher Ashton-Jones is the Royal Warrant Holder for Sheen Botanical Labels Limited, Haslemere, Surrey.