Great Seal of Scotland

Charles III William, Duke of Rothesay Swinney government The Rt Hon John Swinney MSP The Rt Hon John Swinney MSP Kate Forbes MSP Sixth session Alison Johnstone MSP Angela Constance MSP Dorothy Bain KC The Rt Hon Lord Carloway KC PC United Kingdom Parliament elections European Parliament elections Local elections Referendums Starmer ministry The Rt Hon Keir Starmer MP The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP The Great Seal of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Seala Mòr na h-Alba; 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 used by the first minister of Scotland to seal letters patent signed by the monarch giving royal assent to bills passed by the Scottish Parliament.

The office of Keeper of the Privy Seal has been vacant since the death of Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane in 1922.

[6] Prior to the Union of the Crowns 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), to a copy of any bill introduced by the Parliament of Scotland.

“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".

The seal depicted a Cromwell equestrian figure with long hair and wearing a sash and armour.

A letter to the Keeper of the Great Seal, the Secretary of State for Scotland Thomas McKinnon Wood, proposed that the Great Seal and the Honours of Scotland to be stored in a vault in Edinburgh Castle for protection from bombing, fire and theft.

[15] The obverse side features the current reigning monarch, while the reverse depicts the Royal Arms as used in Scotland.

[16] 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.

Under the reign of Charles III, the obverse is inscribed CHARLES THE THIRD by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories King Head of the Commonwealth Defender of the Faith To Our trusty and well beloved the members of the Scottish Parliament.

Each seal is hand crafted by a conservator from the National Records of Scotland using traditional beeswax.

[19] 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, Solicitor General for Scotland and the Attorney General to formally notify them of the four week period they have to raise objections to the piece of proposed legislation.