It seems even the royal family enjoy a tipple or two from Britain’s oldest brewery.

Shepherd Neame in Faversham has been granted a royal seal of approval by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

The honour is exclusively given to companies which have regularly supplied goods or services for a minimum of five years to the royal family.

In recognition of Shepherd Neame’s longstanding position as a supplier of specialist orders to Prince Charles, permission has been given for the royal warrant to be used on bottles of its flagship beer – Spitfire Premium Kentish Ale.

Prince Charles first awarded a warrant to the brewery in 1998 for Grant’s Morella Cherry Brandy.