King William fortified wine: Complaint upheld against 'offensive' label given its 'clear link' to sectarianism

The fortified wine was launched in the west of Scotland by a Jersey-based company last year, with the drink broadly viewed as a direct rival to Buckfast. But following a complaint from a member of the public, an independent panel on the Portman Group, which regulates alcohol packaging and promotion in the UK, found the label was likely to be “divisive and inflammatory” in some communities.

The combination of the bottle’s label, which features the colour orange with William III on horseback and the “unusual presentation” of the ABV as 16.90 per cent, which appeared on the bottle five times, was of particular concern to the panel members, reported The Scotsman.

While the producer of the fortified wine claimed the 16.90 reference was a reference to the 1690 Distilling Act, the panel said it would be “far more likely" to be understood as a reference to the Battle of the Boyne, when William III claimed victory over James II and VII, the last Catholic king of England, Scotland and Ireland.

"The panel stated that while King William of Orange, in and of himself as a monarch, did not cause serious offence, the combination of elements on the label were likely to be divisive and inflammatory, fuelling division in certain communities where religiously aggravated crime was prevalent,” a statement from the panel said.

"The panel therefore concluded that the presentation of the packaging, particularly the overt references where the product’s ABV had been used to signify a year that linked the product, and King William, to a specific conflict associated with sectarianism, was likely to cause serious offence to certain communities.” The complaint was upheld for causing serious offence.

The panel noted that, in some communities, King William, his image and certain events associated with him could be intrinsically linked to sectarianism, especially in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The drink is produced by Belcondie, based in St Helier. The firm has since worked with the panel on the label, which it has agreed to change.

Nicola Williams, chair of the Independent Complaints Panel at the Portman Group, said: “The overall impression of a product should always be considered carefully and, in this instance, it was a combination of elements that when considered together, created a clear link to sectarianism in a manner that could still be considered divisive and inflammatory today.

"I welcome the producer’s intention to make changes to the product packaging and encourage other producers to note how a combination of factors can lead to a breach of the code.”

A spokesman for the company reportedly said: “We live in a world where people seem to be able to be offended by anything they choose.

“We are astonished some consider a number could cause serious offence however we are delighted that the Portman Group agreed with our arguments against the other points raised by the complainant as to the use of King William’s name and images of him on his famous white charger as being considered seriously offensive."