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The Great Seal of Scotland (; also the Scottish Seal; formally the Seal appointed by the Treaty of Union to be kept and made use of in place of the Great Seal of Scotland) is a
seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...
used by the
first minister of Scotland The first minister of Scotland () is the head of government of Scotland. The first minister leads the Scottish Government, the Executive (government), executive branch of the devolved government and is th ...
to seal
letters patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...
signed by the monarch giving
royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...
to bills passed by the
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...
. The Great Seal of Scotland is the principal
national symbol A national symbol is a manifestation of a nation or community, serving as a representation of their National identity, identity and values. National symbols may be not only applied to sovereign states but also nations and countries in a state of ...
of
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
that 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. The earliest
seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...
impression, in the Treasury of
Durham Cathedral Durham Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Durham, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Durham and is the Mother Church#Cathedral, mother church of the diocese of Durham. It also contains the ...
, is believed to be the Great Seal of Duncan II and dates to 1094. During the reign of
Mary I Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her death in 1558. She made vigorous a ...
, the
thistle Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterized by leaves with sharp spikes on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles can also occur all over the planton the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves. T ...
was incorporated into the design of the Great Seal, segmenting the thistle's status as a national Scottish symbol. The Privy Seal of Scotland is separate from that of the Great Seal of Scotland. The Privy Seal was the Scottish monarchs private or personal seal, with the earliest known Seal to have been used was during the reign of Alexander III. The Privy Seal of Scotland's last official record of usage was in 1898. The Privy Seal of Scotland and the associated office of
Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland The office of Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland, one of the Great Officers of State, first appears in the reign of David II of Scotland, David II. After the Act of Union 1707 its holder was normally a peerage, peer, like the Great Seal of Sco ...
have never formally been abolished. The office of Keeper of the Privy Seal has been vacant since the death of
Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane (9 April 1851 – 19 October 1922), styled as Lord Glenorchy between 1862 and 1871 and as the Earl of Breadalbane and Holland between 1871 and 1885, was a Scottish nobleman and Liberal politician. B ...
in 1922. The
National Records of Scotland National Records of Scotland () is a non-ministerial department of the Scottish Government. It is responsible for civil registration, the census in Scotland, demography and statistics, family history, as well as the national archives and hist ...
are responsible for the physical sealing of letters patent, commissions, royal warrants and charters with the Great Seal of Scotland as well as holding the records of the Great Seal of Scotland. The earliest known records to be held by the Nations Records of Scotland date from 1315. The first minister of Scotland is the current
keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland The keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ''Neach-gleidhidh Seula Mòr na h-Alba'') is one of the great officers of state in Scotland held concurrently with the post of first minister of Scotland. The office holder is the keeper ...
and it is considered as one of the highest honours of the office of the first minister.


History


Kingdom of Scotland

In the
Kingdom of Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a Anglo-Sc ...
, an independent
sovereign country A sovereign state is a state that has the highest authority over a territory. It is commonly understood that a sovereign state is independent. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may also refer to a constituent country, or a ...
, the
chancellor of Scotland The Lord Chancellor of Scotland, formally titled Lord High Chancellor, was an Officer of State in the Kingdom of Scotland. The Lord Chancellor was the principal Great Officer of State, the presiding officer of the Parliament of Scotland, the K ...
had the custody of the King's Seal. The register of the Great Seal of Scotland is Scotland's oldest national record having served as a means by which the Monarch signs official documents in Scotland and documents relating to
Scots law Scots law () is the List of country legal systems, legal system of Scotland. It is a hybrid or mixed legal system containing Civil law (legal system), civil law and common law elements, that traces its roots to a number of different histori ...
for over 700 years. Prior to the
Union of the Crowns The Union of the Crowns (; ) was the accession of James VI of Scotland to the throne of the Kingdom of England as James I and the practical unification of some functions (such as overseas diplomacy) of the two separate realms under a single ...
in 1603, the King of Scots had provided Royal Assent to acts of the Scottish Parliament by touching the Scottish Sceptre (part of the
Honours of Scotland The Honours of Scotland (, ), informally known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, are the regalia that were worn by List of Scottish monarchs, Scottish monarchs at their Coronation_of_the_British_monarch#Scottish_coronations, coronation. Kept in the ...
), to a copy of any bill introduced by the Parliament of Scotland. King
James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
stated that no law was permitted to pass and become law in Scotland “without his scepter put to it for giving force of law”. Following the Union of the Crowns, the seal was adapted under the reign of
James VI and I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 M ...
(James VI of Scotland, and James I of England and Ireland). The seal was first used in 1603 until 1605 and notably featured a change of coat of arms on the seal. The coat of arms featured on the Great Seal under James VI contained the arms of both Scotland and Ireland and also featured differences to the legend which featured on the seal. Such changes were an indication of the union with Scotland, England and Ireland under one monarch as a result of the Union of the Crowns which came into effect in 1603. Following the Union of the Crowns, as the King of Scotland was no longer considered to be an official resident in Edinburgh, most procedures related to the usage of the Great Seal of Scotland was carried out by a High Commissioner who acted on behalf of the monarch. “Logistical difficulties” were described as a result of the passing of the responsibilities from the monarch to a High Commissioner following the Union of the Crowns. It was described that "Commissioners had to be adequately instructed in London as to what was allowable before the session commenced in Edinburgh, and sometimes members opposed to court policy used the hesitancy of royal assent to criticise the competence of government ministers". During the period which Scotland was under the Commonwealth (1652–1660), the Great Seal was changed to depict
Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...
who was the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. The seal depicted a Cromwell equestrian figure with long hair and wearing a sash and armour. On the reverse side, a view of troops with a landscape in the background was featured. The
Coat of Arms of Scotland The coat of arms of Scotland, colloquially called the Lion Rampant, is the coat of arms historically used as arms of dominion by the monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland, and later used within the coat of arms of Great Britain and the present co ...
featured on the seal with English language inscriptions. The Great Seal as used by
Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...
were discovered in 2017, however, concerns quickly arose over the legitimacy of the seals. The Great Seal of Scotland used under the reign of Robert the Bruce carried the inscription ''Robert, by the Grace of God, King of the Scots''. Despite questions being raised surrounding the authenticity of the seals, they were described as "still being of significance to the history of Scotland".


Treaty of Union and devolution

Strictly, the continuation of the Great Seal of Scotland was guaranteed by the
Treaty of Union The Treaty of Union is the name usually now given to the treaty which led to the creation of the new political state of Great Britain. The treaty, effective since 1707, brought the Kingdom of England (which already included Wales) and the Ki ...
which provided that "a Seal in Scotland after the Union be alwayes kept and made use of in all things relating to private Rights or Grants, which have usually passed the Great Seal of Scotland, and which only concern Offices, Grants, Commissions, and private Rights within that Kingdom". Hence, the
Scotland Act 1998 The Scotland Act 1998 (c. 46) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which legislated for the establishment of the devolved Scottish Parliament with tax varying powers and the Scottish Government (then Scottish Executive). It was o ...
refers to the current seal as "the seal appointed by the Treaty of Union to be kept and made use of in place of the Great Seal of Scotland". Nevertheless, the seal is still commonly referred to as the Great Seal of Scotland. Under the terms of the Treaty of Union, a new Great Seal of Great Britain was to be created, however, it was to be different from the Great Seals of both the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England. The new Great Seal of Great Britain did not formally replace the Great Seal of Scotland, and the Great Seal of Scotland continued its status as the official national seal of Scotland despite the new British seal often being credited as being a replacement of the Scottish seal. Section 12 of the
Treason Act 1708 The Treason Act 1708 ( 7 Ann. c. 21) is an act of the Parliament of Great Britain which harmonised the law of high treason between the former kingdoms of England and Scotland following their union as Great Britain in 1707. This act is partl ...
( 7 Ann. c. 21), still in force today, makes it
treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...
in Scotland to counterfeit the seal. The Great Seal is administered by the keeper of the Great Seal, one of the
Great Officers of State Government in medieval monarchies generally comprised the king's companions, later becoming the royal household, from which the officers of state arose. These officers initially had household and governmental duties. Later some of these offic ...
. From 1885 this office was held by the
secretary for Scotland The secretary of state for Scotland (; ), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Scotland Office. The incum ...
, later the
Secretary of State for Scotland The secretary of state for Scotland (; ), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Scotland Office. The incum ...
. It transferred in 1999 to the
first minister of Scotland The first minister of Scotland () is the head of government of Scotland. The first minister leads the Scottish Government, the Executive (government), executive branch of the devolved government and is th ...
, whose place in the
order of precedence in Scotland The order of precedence in Scotland was fixed by Royal Warrant in 1905. Amendments were made by further Warrants in 1912, 1952, 1958, 1999 (to coincide with the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government) and most recently ...
is determined by his or her office as keeper of the Great Seal. In practice the Seal is in the custody of the keeper of the Registers of Scotland, who has been appointed as deputy keeper. During a Zeplin air raid over
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
, the capital city of Scotland, in April 1916 during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, concerns quickly arose regarding the safety and protection of both the Great Seal of Scotland and the
Honours of Scotland The Honours of Scotland (, ), informally known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, are the regalia that were worn by List of Scottish monarchs, Scottish monarchs at their Coronation_of_the_British_monarch#Scottish_coronations, coronation. Kept in the ...
. A letter to the Keeper of the Great Seal, the
Secretary of State for Scotland The secretary of state for Scotland (; ), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Scotland Office. The incum ...
Thomas McKinnon Wood Thomas McKinnon Wood Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (26 January 1855 – 26 March 1927) was a British Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician. Regarded as a liberal with "sound Progressive credentials," he served as a member of ...
, proposed that the Great Seal and the Honours of Scotland to be stored in a vault in
Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcol ...
for protection from bombing, fire and theft. This followed a German bomb exploding close to the Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle whereby it was discovered that the Crown Room in the castle could not be made blast proof without a considerable amount of investment which would have been deemed impractical during the war.


Features of the Great Seal


Design

The obverse side features the current reigning monarch, while the reverse depicts the Royal Arms as used in Scotland. The obverse is inscribed "ELIZABETH II D G BRITT REGNORVMQVE SVORVM CETER REGINA CONSORTIONIS POPULORUM PRINCEPS F D" and the figure on it is the same as on the
Great Seal of the United Kingdom The Great Seal of the Realm is a Seal (emblem), seal that is used in the United Kingdom to symbolise the British monarchy, sovereign's approval of state documents. It is also known as the Great Seal of the United Kingdom (known prior to the Tr ...
. The design of the Great Seal is the responsibility of the
Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officer of State, Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scotland, Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry i ...
.


Usage

Royal Commissions are granted by the reigning monarch under usage of the Great Seal of Scotland. Additionally, prior to any bill of the Scottish Parliament becoming formal law, the bill must be given royal assent by the monarch who signs a "letters patent" under the Great Seal of Scotland. Conservators from the
National Records of Scotland National Records of Scotland () is a non-ministerial department of the Scottish Government. It is responsible for civil registration, the census in Scotland, demography and statistics, family history, as well as the national archives and hist ...
assist in the preparation of all letters patent by the monarch used to formally sign bills of the Scottish Parliament, granting them to become official laws of Scotland. The Great Seal matrix, which was created at the Queen’s accession, was used to cast a double-sided wax seal that was attached to official documents by a ribbon. Each seal is hand crafted by a conservator from the National Records of Scotland using traditional beeswax. Unlike in the United Kingdom, the day after which a proposed bill is formally passed by members in the Scottish Parliament, letters are sent to the Law Officers of Scotland – the
Lord Advocate His Majesty's Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate (), is the principal legal adviser of both the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolution, devolved powers of the Scottish P ...
,
Solicitor General for Scotland His Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland () is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Scottish Government on Scots Law. They are also responsible for the Crown Office and P ...
and the Attorney General to formally notify them of the four week period they have to raise objections to the piece of proposed legislation. If neither of the law officers raise any objections, the
Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament The presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament (, ) is the presiding officer and speaker of the Scottish Parliament. The office of presiding officer was established by the Scotland Act 1998, and the elected presiding officer is a member of t ...
then sends the bill of the Scottish Parliament to the monarch at
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...
to formally seek approval from the monarch. The Presiding Officer also sends a warrant for Royal Sign Manual. Once the monarch receives the proposed bill from the Presiding Officer, the monarch returns the bill to the Scottish Parliament which is then sent to both the
Registers of Scotland Registers of Scotland (RoS) () is the non-ministerial department of the Scottish Government responsible for compiling and maintaining records relating to property and other legal documents. They currently maintain 21 public registers. The offic ...
followed by the
National Records of Scotland National Records of Scotland () is a non-ministerial department of the Scottish Government. It is responsible for civil registration, the census in Scotland, demography and statistics, family history, as well as the national archives and hist ...
and instructs the first minister of Scotland to use the Great Seal of Scotland to formally sign "letters patent" of the proposed bill on the monarch's behalf. Under the authority of an Order in Council made on 10 September 2022, following the demise of Queen Elizabeth II, the existing seal continues to be used until another seal is prepared and authorised by King Charles III.


List of Keepers of the Great Seal

''Since 1999 the keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland has been the incumbent first minister of Scotland'': *
Donald Dewar Donald Campbell Dewar (21 August 1937 – 11 October 2000) was a Scottish statesman and politician who served as the inaugural First Minister of Scotland, first minister of Scotland from 1999 until his death in 2000 and leader of the Labour Par ...
(1999–2000) *
Henry McLeish Henry Baird McLeish (born 15 June 1948) is a Scottish politician, author, academic and former professional footballer who served as first minister of Scotland from 2000 to 2001. With a term of 1 year, 12 days, he is the shortest serving holder ...
(2000–2001) *
Jack McConnell Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale, (born 30 June 1960) is a Scottish politician who served as first minister of Scotland and leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2001 to 2007. McConnell served as the Minister f ...
(2001–2007) *
Alex Salmond Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond ( ; 31 December 1954 – 12 October 2024) was a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure in the Scottish nationalist movement, he was Leader of the Sc ...
(2007–2014) *
Nicola Sturgeon Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2014 to 2023. She has served as a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) sin ...
(2014–2023) *
Humza Yousaf Humza Haroon Yousaf (; born 7 April 1985) is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from March 2023 to May 2024. He served under his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon as Scottish ...
(2023–2024) *
John Swinney John Ramsay Swinney (born 13 April 1964) is a Scottish politician who has served as First Minister of Scotland, first minister of Scotland since 2024. Swinney has served as Leader of the Scottish National Party, leader of the Scottish National ...
(2024–present)


Register

Records of charters under the Great Seal of Scotland from 1306 to 1668 are published in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland (''Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum'').


See also

*
Director of Chancery The office of Director of Chancery (or Chancellory), the keeper of the Quarter Seal of Scotland, was formerly a senior position within the legal system of Scotland. The medieval post, latterly an office at General Register House, Edinburgh, was ...


References


External links

* https://archive.org/stream/registrummagnisi07scot#page/n5/mode/2up {{Scotland topics
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
Government of Scotland Political office-holders in Scotland Lists of Scottish people Scots law National symbols of Scotland