At some time before the year 1066 Edward the Confessor began to use a "Great Seal", which created a casting in wax of his own face, to signify that a document carried the force of his will.

With some exceptions, each subsequent monarch up to 1603, when the king of Scotland succeeded to the throne of England, chose his or her own design for the Great Seal.

When opening Parliament on 3 September 1654, the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell was escorted by the three "Commissioners of the Great Seal of the Commonwealth of England", who were Whitelock, Lisle, and Widdrington.

On the other side was shown the interior of the House of Commons, the Speaker in his chair, with the inscription, "In the first year of Freedom, by God's blessing restored, 1648."

But they held the seal only until 1656, when Cromwell nominated William Steele, Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer in England, Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

When Mary died, the obverse returned to the design used by James II, while the female figure was deleted from the reverse.

Thus, William III used a seal that was identical to James II's, except for changes to the legend and coat of arms.

The obverse shows the middle-aged Elizabeth II enthroned and robed, holding in her right hand a sceptre and in her left the orb.

The circumscription is an abbreviated form of the royal titles in Latin: elizabeth · ii · d·g· britt· regnorvmqve · svorvm · ceter· regina · consortionis · popvlorvm · princeps · f·d·, lit.

This is the first time that the royal arms have provided the main design for one side of the English or British Great Seal.

The obverse of the 1953 version depicted the Queen on horseback, dressed in uniform and riding sidesaddle, as she used to attend the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony for many years until the late 1980s.

[17] The Great Seal is attached to the official documents of state that require the authorisation of the monarch to implement the advice of His Majesty's Government.

Day-to-day custody is entrusted to the Clerk of the Chamber, and subordinate staff include a Sealer and two Scribes to His Majesty's Crown Office.