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Great Seal of the Realm

 
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The Great Seal of the Realm or Great Seal of the United Kingdom (prior to the Union the Great Seal of England, then Great Seal of Great Britain) is a seal
Seal (device)

A seal can mean a wax seal bearing an impressed figure, or an embossed figure in paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document, but the term can also mean any device for making such impressions or embossments, essentially being a Molding that has the mirror image of the figure in counter-relief, such as mounted on rings known a...
 that is used to symbolise the monarch's approval of important state documents. Wax
Wax

Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by bees and used by them in constructing their honeycombs.It is an imprecisely defined term generally understood to be a substance with properties similar to beeswax, namely...
 is melt
Melt

Melt can refer to:*Melting, in physics, the process of heating a solid substance to a liquid*Melt , a term referring to the working material during steelmaking or thermoplastic forming...
ed in a metal
Metal

In chemistry, a metal is a chemical element whose atoms readily lose electrons to form positive ions , and form metallic bonds between other metal atoms and ionic bonds between nonmetal atoms....
 mould or matrix and impressed into a wax figure that is attached by cord or ribbon
Ribbon

A ribbon or riband is a thin band of flexible material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily for binding and tying....
 to documents that the monarch wishes to make official.

lass="link1" onMouseover='showByLink("m2542170",this)' onMouseout='hide("m2542170")'href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Edward_the_Confessor">Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor

Saint Edward the Confessor , son of Ethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was the penultimate Anglo-Saxons List of the monarchs of the Kingdom of England and the last of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 until his death....
 sometime before 1066 started using a Great Seal casting in wax of his own visage to signify that a document carried the force of his will.






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The Great Seal of the Realm or Great Seal of the United Kingdom (prior to the Union the Great Seal of England, then Great Seal of Great Britain) is a seal
Seal (device)

A seal can mean a wax seal bearing an impressed figure, or an embossed figure in paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document, but the term can also mean any device for making such impressions or embossments, essentially being a Molding that has the mirror image of the figure in counter-relief, such as mounted on rings known a...
 that is used to symbolise the monarch's approval of important state documents. Wax
Wax

Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by bees and used by them in constructing their honeycombs.It is an imprecisely defined term generally understood to be a substance with properties similar to beeswax, namely...
 is melt
Melt

Melt can refer to:*Melting, in physics, the process of heating a solid substance to a liquid*Melt , a term referring to the working material during steelmaking or thermoplastic forming...
ed in a metal
Metal

In chemistry, a metal is a chemical element whose atoms readily lose electrons to form positive ions , and form metallic bonds between other metal atoms and ionic bonds between nonmetal atoms....
 mould or matrix and impressed into a wax figure that is attached by cord or ribbon
Ribbon

A ribbon or riband is a thin band of flexible material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily for binding and tying....
 to documents that the monarch wishes to make official.

History

Great Seal of the Realm
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor

Saint Edward the Confessor , son of Ethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was the penultimate Anglo-Saxons List of the monarchs of the Kingdom of England and the last of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 until his death....
 sometime before 1066 started using a Great Seal casting in wax of his own visage to signify that a document carried the force of his will. With some exceptions, each subsequent British monarch has chosen his or her own design for the Great Seal.

In 1688, before attempting to flee to France, James II
James II of England

James II and VII was List of English monarchs, List of Scottish monarchs, and King of Ireland from 6 February 1685. He was the last Roman Catholic Church monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland....
 threw his Great Seal of the Realm into the River Thames.

Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom

Edward VIII was Monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the dominion, and Emperor of India from 20 January 1936, following the death of his father, George V of the United Kingdom, until his abdication on 11 December 1936....
, who abdicated in order to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson only a few months after succeeding to the throne, never selected a design for his own seal and continued to use that of his predecessor, George V
George V of the United Kingdom

George V was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha....
. On the other hand, the longer-lived British monarchs have had several Great Seals during their reigns. Only one matrix of the Great Seal exists at a time, and since the wax used for the Great Seal has a high melting point
Melting point

The melting point of a solid is the temperature range at which it changes states of matter from solid to liquid. At the melting point the solid and liquid phase exist in equilibrium....
, the silver plates that cast the Seal eventually wear out. Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was from 20 June 1837 the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and from 1 May 1876 the first Empress of India of the British Raj until her death....
 had to select four different Great Seal designs during the sixty-three years of her reign.

The current seal matrix was authorised by the Privy Council in July 2001. It was designed by James Butler
James Butler (artist)

James Walter Butler Order of the British Empire Royal Academician is a British sculptor.Butler was educated at Maidstone Grammar School and studied art at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Art....
 and replaced that of 1953, designed by Gilbert Ledward. The obverse
Obverse and reverse

The term obverse, and its antonym, reverse, describe the two sides of units of currency and many other kinds of two-sided objects, most often in reference to coins, but also to flags , medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art....
 shows the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain...
 enthroned and robed, holding in her right hand a sceptre
Sceptre

A sceptre or scepter is a symbolic ornamental Staff held by a ruling monarch, a prominent item of royal regalia. While some sceptres resemble a Ceremonial mace, their use is quite different....
 and in her left the orb
Sovereign's Orb

The Sovereign's Orb is a type of regalia known as a globus cruciger and is one of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.It was created for the coronation of Charles II of England in 1661 at a cost of ?1,150 ? approximately ?130,000 adjusted to 2007 currency values....
. The circumscription ELIZABETH . II . D . G . BRITT . REGNORVMQVE . SVORVM . CETER . REGINA . CONSORTIONIS . POPVLORVM . PRINCEPS . F . D . is the abbreviated Latin form of the royal title. On the reverse
Obverse and reverse

The term obverse, and its antonym, reverse, describe the two sides of units of currency and many other kinds of two-sided objects, most often in reference to coins, but also to flags , medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art....
 are the full royal arms
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom

The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion....
, including crest, mantling and supporters. This is the first time that the royal arms have provided the main design for one side of the British Great Seal. The reverse of the 1953 version depicted the Queen on horseback, dressed in uniform and riding sidesaddle
Sidesaddle

Sidesaddle riding is a form of Equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows a rider to sit aside rather than astride a horse, mule or pony....
, as she used to attend the annual Trooping the Colour
Trooping the Colour

Trooping the Colour is a military ceremony performed by regiments of the Commonwealth of Nations and the British Army. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments for centuries and it was first performed during the reign of Charles II of England....
 ceremony. The seal's diameter is six inches and the combined weight of both sides of the seal matrix exceeds 275 troy ounces
Troy weight

Troy weight is a system of Physical units of mass customarily used for precious metals, black powder, and gemstones.Named after Troyes, France, the troy system of weights was known to exist in medieval times, at the celebrated fair at Troyes in North Eastern France....
.

Usage


The Great Seal is attached to the official documents of state that require the authorization of the monarch to implement the advice of the Government. Under today's usage of the Great Seal, seals of dark green
Green

Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520?570-Nanometre....
 wax are affixed to letters patent
Letters patent

Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of an open letter issued by a monarch or government, granting an office, right, government-granted monopoly, title, or status to a person or to some entity such as a corporation....
 elevating individuals to the peerage
Peerage

The Peerage is a system of titles of nobility in the United Kingdom, part of the British honours system. The term is used both collectively to refer to the entire body of titles, and individually to refer to a specific title....
, blue
Blue

Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440?490 Nanometre....
 seals authorize actions relating to the Royal family
Royal family

A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term "imperial family" more appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress regnant, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate in reference to the relatives of a reigning duke, grand duke, or prince....
, and scarlet
Scarlet

Scarlet or Scarlett may refer to a number of things or people:Things* Scarlet , a bright shade of red* Scarlet , a type of woollen cloth common in medieval England...
 seals appoint bishops and implement various other affairs of state. In some cases the seal is replaced by a wafer version, a smaller representation of the obverse of the Great Seal embossed on coloured paper attached to the document being sealed. This simpler version is used for royal proclamations, letters-patent granting the royal assent
Royal Assent

The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarchy completes the legislative process of lawmaking by formally assenting to an Act of Parliament....
, writs of summons to Parliament and for licences for the election of bishops and commissions of the peace. It formerly constituted treason
Treason

In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more serious acts of loyalty to one's sovereignty or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife ....
 to forge
Forgery

Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents , with the intent to deception. The similar crime of fraud is the crime of deceiving another, including through the use of objects obtained through forgery....
 the Great Seal.

The Great Seal of the Realm is in the custody of and administered by the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal

The Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and later of Great Britain, was formerly an officer of the English Crown charged with physical custody of the Great Seal of England....
. This office has been held jointly with that of Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor

The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom....
 since 1761. The current Lord Chancellor is Jack Straw
Jack Straw

Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also be:* Jack Straw , English* Jack Straw * Jack Straw * Jack Straw Foundation, American public radio foundation...
. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005
Constitutional Reform Act 2005

The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It provides for a Supreme Court of the United Kingdom to take over the existing role of the Law Lords and some powers of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, and remove the functions of Speaker of the House of Lords and Head of the Jud...
 reiterates that the Lord Chancellor continues to be the custodian of the Great Seal.

The Clerk of the Crown in Chancery
Clerk of the Crown in Chancery

Since 1885 the office of Clerk of the Crown in Chancery has been combined with that of Permanent Secretary to the Lord Chancellor's Department. As a separate office however, the Clerk is head of the Crown Office, which has custody of the Great Seal of the Realm, and has certain administrative functions in connection with the courts and the ju...
, who is also Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary

The Permanent Secretary, in most departments officially titled the Permanent Under-Secretary of State , is the most senior British Civil Service of a Her Majesty's Government Ministry , charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis....
 of the Ministry of Justice (formerly the Department of Constitutional Affairs), heads Her Majesty
Majesty

Majesty is an English language word derived ultimately from the Latin Maiestas, meaning Greatness....
's Crown Office, and is responsible for the affixing of the Great Seal. He is assisted by the Deputy Clerk of the Crown. Day-to-day custody is entrusted to the Clerk of the Chamber, and subordinate staff include a Sealer, and two Scribe
Scribe

A scribe is a person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession. The profession, previously found in all literate cultures in some form, lost most of its importance and status with the advent of printing....
s to Her Majesty's Crown Office.

Inscriptions on the Great Seal

The Great Seal for each successive monarch is inscribed with the monarch's names and titles on both sides of the seal. Some of those used in the past are shown below. Where the inscriptions on both sides of the seal are identical, only one is given. Where they are the same except for the use of abbreviations, the one with the fuller forms is given. Where they are different, they are shown separated by a slash.

  • Edward the Confessor
    Edward the Confessor

    Saint Edward the Confessor , son of Ethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was the penultimate Anglo-Saxons List of the monarchs of the Kingdom of England and the last of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 until his death....
    . SIGILLVM EADVVARDI ANGLORVM BASILEI
    • Seal of Edward, King of the English.
  • William II of England
    William II of England

    William II , the third son of William I of England, was Kingdom of England from 1087 until 1100, with powers also over Duchy of Normandy, and influence in Kingdom of Scotland....
    . WILLELMVS DEI GRATIA REX ANGLORVM
    • William, by the grace of God, King of the English.
  • Henry I of England
    Henry I of England

    Henry I was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror. He succeeded his elder brother William II of England as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106....
    . HENRICVS DEI GRATIA REX ANGLORVM / HENRICVS DEI GRATIA DVX NORMANNORVM
    • Henry, by the grace of God, King of the English / Henry, by the grace of God, Duke of the Normans.
  • Stephen of England
    Stephen of England

    Stephen often known as Stephen of Blois was a grandson of William I of England. He was the last Norman dynasty King of England, from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne jure uxoris....
    . STEPHANVS DEI GRATIA REX ANGLORVM
    • Stephen, by the grace of God, King of the English.
  • Henry II of England
    Henry II of England

    Henry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France....
    . HENRICVS DEI GRATIA REX ANGLORVM / HENR[ICVS] DEI GRA[TIA] DVX NORMANNORVM ET AQUIT[ANORVM] ET COM[ES] ANDEG[AVORVM]
    • Henry, by the grace of God, King of England / Henry, by the grace of God, Duke of the Normans and of the Aquitanians and Count of the Angevins.
  • Richard I of England
    Richard I of England

    Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Ireland, Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Nantes and Brittany at various times during the same period....
    . RICARDVS DEI GRATIA REX ANGLORVM / RICARDVS DEI GRATIA DVX NORMANNORVM ET AQUITANORVM ET COMES ANDEGAVORVM
    • Richard, by the grace of God, King of England / Richard, by the grace of God, Duke of the Normans and of the Aquitanians and Count of the Angevins.
  • John of England
    John of England

    John reigned as List of English monarchs from 6 April 1199, until his death. He succeeded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I of England, who died without issue....
    . IOHANNES DEI GRACIA REX ANGLIE ET DOMINVS HIBERNIE / IOH[ANNE]S DVX NORMANNIE ET AQUITANIE COMES ANDEGAVIE
    • John, by the grace of God, King of England and Lord of Ireland / John, Duke of Normandy and of Aquitaine, Count of Anjou.
  • Henry III of England
    Henry III of England

    Henry III was the son and successor of John of England as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 to his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester....
    . HENRICVS DEI GRACIA REX ANGLIE DOMINVS HIBERNIE DVX AQUITANIE
    • Henry, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Aquitaine.
  • Edward I of England
    Edward I of England

    Edward I , popularly known as Longshanks, the English Justinian, and the Hammer of the Scots , was a House of Plantagenet King of England who achieved historical fame by conquering large parts of Wales and almost succeeding in doing the same to Scotland....
    . EDWARDVS DEI GRACIA REX ANGLIE DOMINVS HYBERNIE DVX AQUITANIE
    • Edward, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Aquitaine.
  • Edward II of England
    Edward II of England

    Edward II, of Caernarfon, was Kingdom of England from 1307 until he was deposition in January 1327. His tendency to ignore his nobility in favour of low-born favourites led to constant political unrest and his eventual deposition....
    . EDWARDVS DEI GRACIA REX ANGLIE DOMINVS HYBERNIE DVX AQUITANIE
    • Edward, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Aquitaine.
  • Edward III of England
    Edward III of England

    Edward III was one of the most successful List of the monarchs of the Kingdom of Englands of the Britain in the Middle Ages. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II of England, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into the most efficient military power in Europe....
    . EDWARDVS DEI GRACIA REX ANGLIE D[OMI]N[V]S HIBERNIE ET AQUITANIE
    • Edward, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland and of Aquitaine.
  • Richard II of England
    Richard II of England

    Richard II was the eighth King of England of the House of Plantagenet. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III of England....
    . RICARDVS DEI GRACIA REX FRANCIE ET ANGLIE ET D[OMI]N[V]S HIBERNIE
    • Richard, by the grace of God, King of France and England and Lord of Ireland.
  • Henry IV of England
    Henry IV of England

    Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . Like other kings of England, he also claimed the title of King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence the other name by which he was known, Henry Bolingbroke....
    . HENRICVS DEI GRACIA REX FRANCIE ET ANGLIE ET D[OMI]N[V]S HIBERNIE
    • Henry, by the grace of God, King of France and England and Lord of Ireland.
  • Henry V of England
    Henry V of England

    Henry V was one of the most significant English warrior kings of the 15th century. He was born at Monmouth, Wales, in the tower above the gatehouse of Monmouth Castle, and reigned as King of England from 1413 to 1422....
    . HENRICVS DEI GRACIA REX FRANCIE ET ANGLIE ET D[OMI]N[V]S HIBERNIE / HENRICVS DEI GRACIA REX ANGLIE ET FRANCIE ET DOMINUS HIBERNIE
    • Henry, by the grace of God, King of France and England and Lord of Ireland / Henry, by the grace of God, King of England and France and Lord of Ireland.
  • Henry VI of England
    Henry VI of England

    Henry VI was Kingdom of England 1422?1461 and then 1470?1471, and King of France as the de jure monarch from 1422 to 1429....
    . HENRICVS DEI GRACIA FRANCORVM ET ANGLIE REX
    • Henry, by the grace of God, of the French and of England, King.
  • Edward IV of England
    Edward IV of England

    Edward IV was Kingdom of England from 4 March 1461 until 2 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death....
    . EDWARDVS DEI GRACIA REX ANGLIE & FRANCIE ET DOMINVS HIBERNIE
    • Edward, by the grace of God, King of England and France and Lord of Ireland.
  • Richard III of England
    Richard III of England

    Richard III was List of the monarchs of the Kingdom of England of Kingdom of England from 1483 until his death. He was the last king from the House of York, and his defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field marked the culmination of the Wars of the Roses and the end of the Plantagenet dynasty....
    . RICARDVS DEI GRACIA REX ANGLIE ET FRANCIE ET DOMINVS HIBERNIE
    • Richard, by the grace of God, King of England and France and Lord of Ireland.
  • Henry VII of England
    Henry VII of England

    Henry VII was the Kingdom of England and Lordship of Ireland from his usurpation of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty....
    . HENRICVS DEI GRACIA REX ANGLIE ET FRANCIE ET DOMINVS HIBERNIE
    • Henry, by the grace of God, King of England and France and Lord of Ireland.
  • Henry VIII of England
    Henry VIII of England

    Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lordship of Ireland and claimant to the Early Modern France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII of England....
    . HENRICVS OCTAV[V]S DEI GRATIA ANGLIE ET FRANCIE ET HIBERNIE REX FIDEI DEFE[N]SOR ET [IN] TER[R]A ECCLESIA[E] A[N]GLICANE ET HIBERNICE SVPREM[VM] CA[PVT]
    • Henry the Eighth, by the grace of God, of England and France and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, and on Earth, of the England and Irish Church, Supreme Head.
  • Edward VI of England
    Edward VI of England

    Edward VI became List of English monarchs and King of Ireland on 28 January 1547 and was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII of England and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first Protestantism ruler....
    . ... EDWARDI SEXTI DEI GRATIA ANGLIE FRANCIE / ET HIBERNIE REX FIDEI DEFE[N]SOR ET IN TERRA ECCLESIE ANGLICANE ET HIBERNICE SVPREMVM CAPVT
    • ... of Edward the Sixth, by the grace of God of England, France / and of Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, and on Earth, of the English and Irish Church, Supreme Head.
  • Mary I of England
    Mary I of England

    Mary I , was Queen of England and Monarchy of Ireland from 19 July 1553 until her death. The fourth crowned monarch of the Tudor dynasty, she is remembered for restoring England to Roman Catholicism after succeeding her short-lived half brother, Edward VI of England, to the English throne....
    . MARIA D[EI] G[RATIA] ANGLIE FRANCIE ET HIBERNIE REGINA EIVS NOMINIS PRIMA FIDEI DEFENSOR
    • Mary, by the grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, Queen, first of her name, Defender of the Faith.
  • Elizabeth I of England
    Elizabeth I of England

    Elizabeth I was List of English monarchs and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the House of Tudor....
    . ELIZABETHA DEI GRACIA ANGLIE FRANCIE ET HIBERNIE REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR
    • Elizabeth, by the grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith.
  • James I of England
    James I of England

    James VI and I was List of monarchs of Scotland as James VI, and List of English monarchs and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Kingdom of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary I of Scotland....
    . IACOBVS DEI GRACIA ANGLIĘ SCOTIĘ FRANCIĘ ET HIBERNIĘ REX FIDEI DEFENSOR
    • James, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith.
  • Charles I of England
    Charles I of England

    Charles I was List of English monarchs, List of monarchs of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his capital punishment on 30 January 1649....
    . CAROLVS DEI GRATIA ANGLIĘ SCOTIĘ FRANCIĘ ET HIBERNIĘ REX FIDEI DEFENSOR
    • Charles, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith.
  • Commonwealth of England
    Commonwealth of England

    The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first Kingdom of England and Wales, and then Kingdom of Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland from 1649 to 1660....
    . THE GREAT SEAL OF ENGLAND / IN THE THIRD YEARE OF FREEDOME BY GODS BLESSING RESTORED
  • Oliver Cromwell
    Oliver Cromwell

    Oliver Cromwell was an English people Military history of the United Kingdom and Politics of England leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
    . OLIVARIVS DEI GRA[TIA] REIP[VBLICĘ] ANGLIĘ SCOTIĘ ET HIBERNIĘ &C PROTECTOR
    • Oliver, by the grace of God, of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, etc., Protector.
  • Richard Cromwell
    Richard Cromwell

    Richard Cromwell was the third son of Oliver Cromwell, and was the second Lord Protector#Cromwellian_republican_Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, for just under nine months, from 3 September 1658 until 25 May 1659....
    . RICHARDVS DEI GRA[TIA] REIP[VBLICĘ] ANGLIĘ SCOTIĘ ET HIBERNIĘ &C PROTECTOR
    • Richard, by the grace of God, of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, etc., Protector.
  • Charles II of England
    Charles II of England

    Charles II was the Monarchy of Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland.His father Charles I of England Regicide#The regicide of Charles I of England at Palace of Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War....
    . CAROLVS II DEI GRA[TIA] MAGNĘ BRITANNIĘ FRANCIĘ ET HIBERNIĘ REX FIDEI DEFENSOR
    • Charles II, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith.
  • James II of England
    James II of England

    James II and VII was List of English monarchs, List of Scottish monarchs, and King of Ireland from 6 February 1685. He was the last Roman Catholic Church monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland....
    . IACOBVS SECVNDVS DEI GRATIA MAGNĘ BRITANNIĘ FRANCIĘ ET HIBERNIĘ REX FIDEI DEFENSOR
    • James the Second, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith.
  • William
    William III of England

    William III was a Prince of Orange by birth. From 1672 onwards, he governed as List_of_stadtholders_for_the_Low_Countries_provinces William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic....
     and Mary
    Mary II of England

    Mary II reigned as List of English monarchs, List of Scottish monarchs, and King of Ireland from 1689 until her death. Mary, a Protestantism, came to the thrones following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of her Roman Catholic father, James II of England....
    . GVLIELMVS III ET MARIA II DEI GRA[TIA] ANG[LIĘ] FRA[NCIĘ] ET HIB[ERNIĘ] REX ET REGINA FIDEI DEFENSATORES / AUREA FLORIGERIS SUCCRESCUNT POMA ROSETIS : SECURITAS BRITANNIĘ RESTITUTA
    • William III and Mary II, by the grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, King and Queen, Defenders of the Faith / Golden apples grow in flowering rosebushes : The security of Britain restored.
  • William III of England
    William III of England

    William III was a Prince of Orange by birth. From 1672 onwards, he governed as List_of_stadtholders_for_the_Low_Countries_provinces William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic....
    . GVLIELMVS III DEI GRATIA MAGNĘ BRITANNIĘ FRANCIĘ ET HIBERNIĘ REX FIDEI DEFENSOR
    • William III, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith.
  • Anne of England. ANNA DEI GRATIA MAGNĘ BRITANNIĘ FRANCIĘ ET HIBERNIĘ REGINA FID[EI] DEFENSOR
    • Anne, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith.
  • Anne of Great Britain
    Anne of Great Britain

    Anne became Queen of England, Queen of Scots and Kingdom of Ireland on 8 March 1702, succeeding her brother-in-law, William III of England. Her Roman Catholic father, James II of England, was Glorious Revolution in 1688/9; her brother-in-law and her sister then became joint monarchs as William III & II and Mary II of England, the only such c...
    . ANNA DEI GRATIA MAGNĘ BRITANNIĘ FRANCIĘ ET HIBERNIĘ REGINA FID[EI] DEFENSOR / BRITANNIA ANNO REGNI ANNĘ REGINĘ SEXTO
    • Anne, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith / Britain in the sixth year of the reign of Queen Anne.
  • George I of Great Britain
    George I of Great Britain

    George I was List of British Monarchs#House of Hanover and King of Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of Electorate of Hanover in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
    . GEORGIVS DEI GRATIA MAGNĘ BRITANNIĘ FRANCIĘ ET HIBERNIĘ REX FIDEI DEFENSOR / BRVNSWICEN[SIS] ET LVNENBVRGEN[SIS] DVX SACRI ROMANI IMPERII ARCHITESAVRARIVS ET PRINCEPS ELECTOR
    • George, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith / Of Brunswick and Lüneburg, Duke, of the Holy Roman Empire, Arch-treasurer and Prince-Elector.
  • George II of Great Britain
    George II of Great Britain

    George II was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-L?neburg and Prince-elector#High Offices and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death....
    . GEORGIVS DEI GRATIA MAGNĘ BRITANNIĘ FRANCIĘ ET HIBERNIĘ REX FIDEI DEFENSOR / BRVNSWICE[NSIS] ET LVNEBVRGEN[SIS] DVX SACRI ROMANI IMPERII ARCHITHESAVRARIVS ET PRINCEPS ELECTOR
    • George, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith / Of Brunswick and Lüneburg, Duke, of the Holy Roman Empire, Arch-treasurer and Prince-Elector.
  • Victoria of the United Kingdom
    Victoria of the United Kingdom

    Victoria was from 20 June 1837 the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and from 1 May 1876 the first Empress of India of the British Raj until her death....
    . VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR
    • Victoria, by the grace of God, Queen of the Britains, Defender of the Faith.
  • George V of the United Kingdom
    George V of the United Kingdom

    George V was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha....
    . GEORGIVS V D[ei] G[ratia] MAG[nae] BR[itanniae] HIB[erniae] ET TERR[arum] TRANSMAR[inarum] QVAE IN DIT[ione] SVNT BRIT[annica] REX F[idei] D[efensor] IND[iae] IMP[erator]
    • "George the Fifth, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland, and the Lands across the sea which are in the British Dominion, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India"
  • George VI of the United Kingdom
    George VI of the United Kingdom

    George VI was British monarchy and the United Kingdom Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death. He was the last Emperor of India and the last King of Ireland , and the first Head of the Commonwealth....
    . GEORGIUS VI D[ei] G[ratia] MAG[nae] BR[itanniae] HIB[erniae] ET TERR[arum] TRANSMAR[inarum] QUAE IN DIT[ione] SUNT BRIT[annica] REX F[idei] D[efensor] IND[iae] IMP[erator]
    • "George the Sixth, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland, and the Lands across the sea which are in the British Dominion, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India"


See also

  • Great Seal
    Great Seal

    The Great Seal might mean:...
  • Great Seal of Northern Ireland
    Great Seal of Northern Ireland

    The Great Seal of Northern Ireland is the Great Seal used for Northern Ireland. The great seal is currently under the possession of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland....
  • Great Seal of Scotland
    Great Seal of Scotland

    The Great Seal of Scotland allows the monarch to authorise official documents without having to sign each document individually. Wax is melted in a metal mould or matrix and impressed into a wax figure that is attached by cord or ribbon to documents that the monarch wishes to make official....
  • Papal Bull
    Papal bull

    A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a pope. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end to authenticate it....


External links



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