Use of Royal Portraits and images

Legal limitations apply to the usage and reproduction of Royal Portraits and images. Requests related to the commercial use of royal images should be addressed to utilisationdessymboles-useofsymbols@pch.gc.ca. Please note that a sketch of the intended use must be included with the request.

On this page

• Commercial use
• Prohibitions
• Stationery
• Advertising
• Copyright
• Arms and emblems of members of the Royal Family

Commercial use

The following rules govern the use of the Arms, emblems, flags, photographs, portraits, engravings, effigies and busts of The King and members of the Royal Family for commercial purposes.

The Lord Chamberlain’s Office has developed the following policy on the use of royal images: "…Generally, except when advertising a book, newspaper article or magazine article about a member of the Royal Family, royal images may not be used for advertising purposes in any medium. A firm’s advertisement may not include photographs of members of the Royal Family visiting their works or exhibition stands or being publicly involved with their goods or services". For example, if Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales were to visit a cheese shop, that shop could not use a photograph of the occasion to advertise its goods.

These rules are made to avoid unfair exploitation of the Royal Family by commercial organizations for their own advantage.

Prohibitions

Images of members of the Royal Family or their emblems should not be used on adhesive seals, articles of dress, household linen, packaging, boxes or labels.

Stationery

Images of members of the Royal Family may be used for the following provided they are free from advertisement:

• portrait postcards (which may include younger members of the Royal Family in family groups)
• greeting cards that carry only formal greetings
• calendars (as a special exception Trade Calendars may carry the name of the firm and its trading description)

Advertising

Except when advertising a book, newspaper, magazine article or television documentary about a member of the Royal Family, images of members of the Royal Family may not be used for advertising purposes in any medium.

A firm's advertisement may not include photographs of members of the Royal Family visiting their works or exhibition stands, or of being publicly involved with their products. Publication of film or photographs of such visits may, however, be used for House Journals or for specifically in-house purposes.

Copyright

Any question of copyright involved in the reproduction of a royal image must be settled by the prospective user directly with the copyright holder. Nothing in these rules gives any right to the use of a particular image.

Arms and emblems of members of the Royal Family

The Royal Arms of Canada are a state symbol whose use for commercial purposes is prohibited in most instances. Inquiries on their use may be directed to utilisationdessymboles-useofsymbols@pch.gc.ca.

The Royal Crown and the Royal Cypher are personal emblems of the Sovereign and may only be used by permission of the Sovereign. Likewise, the coats of arms, emblems, cyphers and monograms of members of the Royal Family are personal to these individuals and cannot be used without their consent.

Requests for use of such emblems should be addressed to the Office of the Secretary of the Governor General by email at royal@gg.ca.

Advice may be sought from the Department of Canadian Heritage, before the request is forwarded to Buckingham Palace for final approval.