Inside the Queen's Pharmacy
Who did Queen Elizabeth II call when she got the sniffles? John Bell & Croyden, the pharmacists currently rumored to be safeguarding the anointing oil that will be used during King Charles III’s coronation on May 6th. The historic London pharmacy—celebrating its 225th anniversary this year—has had a lengthy relationship with the royal family. Its first Royal Warrant was granted by George V in 1909, and it held the title of officially appointed pharmacy for the Queen Mother until her death in 2002 and for Queen Elizabeth II from 1958 until 2022. It has also traditionally been involved in the creation and storage of the somewhat mystical Coronation Oil, a variety of which has been used to consecrate the rule of British monarchs for centuries (the oil used on George V was destroyed during WWII bombings, but John Bell & Croyden still keeps a vial of Queen Elizabeth’s elixir —applied during the only non-televised moments of her coronation ceremony in June 1953—tucked away in a safe).
Despite its illustrious history, there is nothing old-fashioned about John Bell & Croyden’s sleek, Space NK-like shop on Wigmore Street in Marylebone, where it has been located since 1912. Having undergone a £4 million refurbishment in 2015, it is now a modern wellness and beauty mecca, with prominent displays devoted to LYMA lasers, Noble Panacea skincare, and Clinique La Prairie supplements (which are rare to find outside of the storied clinic itself, and which range in price from £300 to £500 a jar). In addition to its assortment of high-end supplements, bath soaks, and scientifically supported skincare brands, the pharmacy also features clinics for chiropody, dental work, dermatology, osteopathy, and hair replacement, with a common waiting area where well-heeled customers sink into discreet wingback chairs.
You’d need to travel to London to shop for wellness wares like a monarch (or, for that matter, like Florence Nightingale and John Wellington, were also patrons)—John Bell & Croyden does not ship internationally—but many of its most popular brands are available Stateside. Making it even more worth the trip? If the pharmacy does hold the secret sauce for King Charles’ III’s consecration, there’s a chance it could go on display after the coronation. Until recently, a tiny replica of Queen Elizabeth II’s oil was available to peek at in a glass vitrine near the perfume counter.
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