François Delamotte founded the company in 1760, establishing one of France’s longest-running champagne houses. In 1798, his son, Nicolas-Louis Delamotte, a Knight of Malta, succeeded him and Lanson Champagnes adopted the Maltese Cross as their crest. In 1837, when Nicolas died, his associate and close friend Jean-Baptiste Lanson took over management of the company. This was when the champagne house took the name Lanson, Père & Fils. The company soon turned to the English market and in 1882 signed an exclusive agent contract with the London-based distributor Percy Fox. This agreement lasted one century. In 1900, Queen Victoria awarded Lanson a Royal Warrant, making it official supplier to the Court of England. The company has kept the title ever since. In 2006, the champagne house was taken over by the BCC Group (Boizel Chanoine Champagne).