The Queen has awarded Britain’s leading sex toy company Lovehoney with a top prize due to its tremendous achievements in international trade in the last six years, according to an announcement.
According to Lovehoney's chief commercial officer, Debbie Bond, the Queen has been “a wonderful supporter” of the brand in the last years, as it has grown into being “the world’s leading sexual wellness brand”.
The company’s overseas sales have grown by 365% since 2015 (from £12 mln to £56 mln) as the British online retailer of orgasms spread to accommodate the US, Australia, France, Canada and a number of other global hubs, which now feature their own websites. Their message is simple – to send sexual happiness worldwide.
“Royal patronage will help us to create more jobs at our Bath headquarters and in our international offices and spread the sexual happiness message globally,” Bond told the Business Leader.
“The Queen is the UK’s greatest trade ambassador and royal approval shows again how mainstream shoppers and retail outlets are embracing sexual wellness products as never before and appreciating their importance in improving overall well-being,” she added, noting how crucial this message was after a “stressful” year of global pandemic.
The brand first gained global recognition when in 2012 it won the official license to create Fifty Shades of Grey “pleasure products”, significantly boosting its sales worldwide.
This year’s award marks the second time the seller of sexual pleasure was rewarded with a top prize from Her Majesty – in 2016 it received an award for International Trade, with Lovehoney founders Richard Longhurst and Neal Slateford going all the way to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen and Prince Philip for a garden party.
That moment was an “ultimate validation of sexual happiness”, the company says on its website. After all, “if it’s okay for the Queen, it’s okay for everyone”.