Letters patent (United Kingdom)

Modern patents, instead of requiring this form be issued, state that the grantee shall replace the present holder of the office in question.

The ranks of the peerage are, in descending order, duke and duchess, marquess and marchioness, earl and countess, viscount and viscountess, and baron and baroness.

They rank immediately below the barons and baronesses but above knights and dames of the various orders of chivalry within the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

ELIZABETH THE SECOND by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories Queen Head of the Commonwealth Defender of the Faith To the Commissioners more particularly described hereinafter and all other Our faithful Subjects whatsoever to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting: WHEREAS Our right trusty and well beloved Counsellor James Peter Hymers Baron Mackay of Clashfern, Our Chancellor of Great Britain, hath humbly besought Us to grant to him and his successors in office (the holder for the time being of the said office being hereafter called Our Chancellor) leave to be absent from Our United Kingdom from time to time during Our Pleasure, and We are graciously please to assent to his request; AND WHEREAS We deem it expedient to commit to the Commissioners constituted by and for the purposes of these Presents (hereinafter called Our Commissioners) the custody of Our Great Seal of Our Realm (hereinafter called Our Great Seal) during any such absence of Our Chancellor, save when it is in Our custody; AND WHEREAS We further deem it expedient, if at any time and for so long as Our Chancellor is by reason of ill-health or for any other reason temporarily incapable of exercising the powers, duties and functions of his office, to commit to Our Commissioners both the custody of Our Great Seal (save when it is in Our custody) and also all other his powers, duties and functions; AND WHEREAS We further deem it expedient to commit to Our Commissioners during any vacancy that may in future occur in the office of Our Chancellor both the custody of Our Great Seal (save when it is in Our custody) and also all other his powers, duties and functions; NOW YE THAT We do hereby grant leave to Our Chancellor to be absent from Our United Kingdom from time to time during Our Pleasure, until We give further order or direction to the contrary, to the intent that such leave shall not determine by the return of Our Chancellor to Our United Kingdom, but shall endure and be a continuing leave to Our Chancellor to be absent from Our United Kingdom from time to time; AND THAT We do hereby constitute as Our Commissioners for the purposes of these Presents the holders for the time being of the following offices, that is to say:- AND THAT We do hereby commit to Our said Commissioners:- during any absence of Our Chancellor from Our United Kingdom in pursuance of Our leave hereinbefore granted, the custody of Our Great Seal and the responsibility for passing under it all such things as have ordinarily been used to be sealed with it, and during any time when Our Chancellor is, whether by reason of ill-health or for any other reason, temporarily incapable of exercising the powers, duties and functions of his office, such incapacity to be certified under instrument under the hand of Our Prime Minister, until such time and Our Prime Minister shall be like instrument certify that Our Chancellor is again able to exercise his powers, duties and functions, or during any vacancy that may occur in the office of Our Chancellor, both the custody of Our Great Seal as aforesaid and also all other powers, duties and functions of Our Chancellor except those appertaining to his office as Speaker of Our House of Lords;

upon the return of Our Chancellor to Our United Kingdom after any absence therefrom in pursuance of Our leave hereinbefore granted, or upon receiving an instrument under the hand of Our Prime Minister certifying that Our Chancellor, after a period of temporary incapacity, is again able to exercise the powers, duties and functions of his office, Our Commissioners shall immediately recommit to Our Chancellor the custody or Our Great Seal without any further Commission, warrant or authority in that respect; this Our Commission shall not be determined by the return of Our Chancellor to Our United Kingdom, or by the recommitment to him of Our Great Seal, or by its commitment after a vacancy in the office of Our Chancellor to a new holder of that office but, until We give further order or direction to the contrary, this Our Commission shall endure and be a continuing Commission operating during any further absence of Our Chancellor from Our United Kingdom, during any further temporary incapacity of Our Chancellor and during any further vacancy that may occur in his office; save, however, that nothing in this Commission shall operate to commit the custody of Our Great Seal, or any other power, duty or function of Our Chancellor, to Our Commissioners, during any time when Our Great Seal is in Our custody; AND WE do hereby declare that:- during any period when, by virtue of these Presents, the custody of Our Great Seal stands committed to Our Commissioners, any two of Our Commissioners may pass or cause to be passed under Our Great Seal any thing which ought so to pass; and during any period when, by virtue of these Presents, other powers, duties and functions of Our Chancellor stand committed to Our Commissioners, those powers, duties and functions may be exercised by any three Commissioners being the holders of the following offices, that is to say:- The Vice-Chancellor of the Chancery Division of Our High Court of Justice provided that the Lord Chief Justice of England or the Master of the Rolls may represent Our Chancellor where he is required to countersign a Royal Warrant of Appointment, or where any person appointed as a Lord Justice of Appeal or Puisne Judge of Our High Court, or as a Circuit Judge, is required to take the oath of allegiance and the judicial oath in his presence or before him; In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent Witness Ourself at Westminster the thirty-first day of January in the thirty-seventh year of Our Reign Lords Commissioners of the Treasury: The Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury are nowadays appointed through letters patent as a group, with the first person named within the patent being the First Lord of the Treasury, and the second being the Second Lord of the Treasury; the rest of the persons named assume office as junior Lords.

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 all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Whereas XX has resigned his Office as a Judge of the Supreme Court and the same is now vacant Now Know Ye that We of Our especial grace have in pursuance of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 nominated and appointed and by these Presents Do nominate and appoint XX to be one of Our Judges of the Supreme Court of Our United Kingdom To hold the said Office so long as he shall well behave himself therein subject to the provisions in the said Act mentioned with all emoluments privileges rank and precedence whatsoever to the said Office belonging or in anywise appertaining In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent Witness Ourselves at Westminster the XX day of XX in the XX year of Our Reign Lord of Appeal in Ordinary:

Counsellors of State Principality of Wales: this title is held by the eldest son of the Monarch, who is in turn heir-apparent to the throne; the Prince supports The King in discharging his royal duties.

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 all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Know Ye that We reposing especial trust and confidence in the care fidelity and circumspection of XX of Our especial Grace certain knowledge and mere motion Have given and granted And by these Presents Do give and grant unto the said XX the Offices of Governor and Constable of Our Castle of Windsor in Our Royal County of Berkshire and of all other places whatsoever belonging or appertaining to the said Offices or either of them or being parcel thereof And him the said XX Governor and Constable of Our said Castle of Windsor and of all other places belonging or appertaining to the said Offices or either of them or being parcel thereof We do make ordain and constitute and by these Presents with effect from the eighteenth day of December Two thousand and twenty-two To have hold exercise and enjoy the said Offices to be unto the said XX during Our Pleasure the duties of the said Offices to be executed by the said XX in person with all salaries privileges and pre-eminences belonging or appertaining to the said Offices or either of them Provided always and We do exclude out of this Our grant the custody or the Officer of Keeper of Our Park adjoining to Our Castle aforesaid called The Little Park and of the Stables built near Eton and by Charles Earl of Carlisle formerly used and enjoyed and also the Officer of Keeper of all Our Forests Parks and Warrens of Windsor in Our said Royal County of Berkshire and of all other places whatsoever to the Office of Keeper of the same belonging and also the Office of Lieutenant of Our said Forest of Windsor Provided also and by these Presents We will that if Our said Governor and Constable of Our said Castle of Windsor should appoint any person or persons to be Ranger or Rangers of that part of Our said Forest commonly called by the name or description of Swinley Rails or of that part of Our said Forest commonly called by the name or description of Swinley Lodge or of that part of Our said Forest commonly called by the name or description of Swinley Walk except such person or persons as it shall please Us from time to time to command or direct under Our Royal Sign Manual or in any other manner as to Us shall seem expedient then these Our Letters Patent shall be void and of none effect anything in these Presents contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding And We do hereby strictly charge and command all and singular Mayors Bailiffs Constables and other Our Officers Ministers and Subjects whatsoever inhabiting or who shall inhabit in or about Our said Castle of Windsor or the Towns thereunto adjacent or the Liberties Precincts or Territories thereof that they and every of them be from time to time aiding helping and assisting unto the said XX during Our Pleasure in all things for or concerning the due execution of the said Offices or the safeguard of Our said Castle of Windsor as they tender Our Pleasure and will answer the contrary at their utmost peril In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent Witness Ourselves at Westminster the XX day of XX in the XX year of Our Reign Lord High Admiral: one of the Great Officers of State, the Lord High Admiral is the ceremonial head of the Royal Navy.

When the recipient is a knight by virtue of an order of chivalry or is otherwise entitled to a higher prefix than "Sir", he may use the letters "Kt" after his name.