The title keeper of the seals or equivalent is used in several contexts, denoting the person entitled to keep and authorize use of the
great seal of a given country. The title may or may not be linked to a particular
cabinet or
ministerial office. This is most often the case today, but in the past the role was often a distinct and important job.
Canada
The official Keeper of the
Great Seal of Canada
The Great Seal of Canada (french: Grand Sceau du Canada) is a governmental seal used for purposes of state in Canada, being set on letters patent, proclamations and commissions, both to representatives of the monarch and for the appointment of ...
is the
Governor General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...
. At his or her installation, the governor general swears three oaths, one of which is the oath of the office of keeper of the great seal. The seal is also presented to the Governor General who entrusts it back to the registrar general for safekeeping. The seal is actually kept with the
Registrar General of Canada The registrar general of Canada (french: registraire général du Canada) is responsible for registering all letters patent, commissions, instruments, proclamations, and any other documents that may, from time to time, be issued under the Great Se ...
, a title which since 1995 has been linked to the office of
Minister of Industry The industry minister is a cabinet position in a government.
The title may refer to the head of the governmental department that specializes in industry. This position may also be responsible for trade and employment, areas that fall under the mi ...
.
Each province since 1869 has its own seal and their keepers are the provincial
Lieutenant Governors. As the Registrar General actually keeps the Great seal of Canada, so the provincial Great Seals are placed by the lieutenant-governors of the provinces into the keeping of the provincial Attorneys-General.
France
The French "Keeper of the Seals" (''Garde des Sceaux'') is a title held by the
Minister of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
. Formerly, as
Keeper of the Seals of France
Keeper of the Seals of France () was an office of the French monarchy under the ''Ancien Régime''. Its principal function was to supplement or assist the Chancellor of France. Its successor office under the Republic is the Keeper of the Seals, ...
, this title belonged to the
Chancellor, the ''
ancien régime
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for "ancient, old"
** Société des anciens textes français
* the French for "former, senior"
** Virelai ancien
** Ancien Régime
** Ancien Régime in France
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for ...
'' counterpart of the minister of justice. The title is nowadays often used interchangeably with "Minister of Justice of France."
The Minister of Justice guards the
Great Seal of France
The Great Seal of France (french: Grand Sceau de la République française) is the official seal of the French Republic. After the 1792 revolution established the First French Republic, the insignia of the monarchy was removed from the seal. Ove ...
, dating from 1848, in his or her office, as well as the stamping press. The Seal was used in 1958 to seal the
Constitution of France and has since been used to seal certain constitutional amendments.
Italy
In Italy, the
Minister of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
assumes the duties of ''Guardasigilli'' (Keeper of the Seals).
As ''Guardasigilli'', the Minister of Justice countersigns all laws and decrees signed by the
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
and the decrees issued by other ministries. The Minister of Justice is also the editor of the ''
Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana
The ''Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana'' (Italian, ) is the official journal of record of the Italian government. It is published by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome.
Function
The ''Gazzetta Ufficiale'' promulgat ...
'', the official bulletin of the
Italian Republic
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.
Japan
The
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan
The was an administrative post not of Cabinet rank in the government of the Empire of Japan, responsible for keeping the Privy Seal of Japan and State Seal of Japan. The modern office of the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal was identical with the o ...
(内大臣, Naidaijin) was an administrative post not of
Cabinet rank in the government of the
Empire of Japan
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of Japan, 1947 constitu ...
, responsible for keeping the
Privy Seal of Japan
The is one of the national seals and is the Emperor of Japan's official seal.
Description
The Privy Seal of Japan is square, and its inscription ("The Emperor's Imperial Seal") is written in . It has two lines of vertical writing, with the ...
and
State Seal of Japan.
Malaysia
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, custody of the great seal is held ex-officio by the Minister of Justice.
New Zealand
The
Governor-General of New Zealand has custody of the
Seal of New Zealand
The Seal of New Zealand is the official seal of New Zealand, used to authorise official instruments of government, such as Royal Warrants, writs and Letters Patent. The seal is defined by the Seal of New Zealand Act 1977. ''The Seal of New Zealan ...
. However, responsibility for the seal is delegated to the
Clerk of the Executive Council. The seal is affixed to various instruments that require it.
Papacy
In medieval and Renaissance times the Papal ''Custode del Piombo'' ("Keeper of the
Lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
") was an important and well-paid office, always held by a
friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ...
. The painter
Sebastiano del Piombo
Sebastiano del Piombo (; c. 1485 – 21 June 1547) was an Italian painter of the High Renaissance and early Mannerist periods famous as the only major artist of the period to combine the colouring of the Venetian school in which he was trained ...
held it from 1531 until his death in 1546, and the nickname he is known by came from his job-title. He had to take
holy orders for the purpose, despite having a wife and two sons. The position was usually awarded for life, and in the Renaissance was often given to artists who worked on papal projects. The important architect
Bramante
Donato Bramante ( , , ; 1444 – 11 April 1514), born as Donato di Pascuccio d'Antonio and also known as Bramante Lazzari, was an Italian architect and painter. He introduced Renaissance architecture to Milan and the High Renaissance style ...
had been appointed in 1513, but died the next year, when
Mariano Fetti succeeded. He was already a friar, and a sort of court jester, but also an intimate friend to the Medici
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X ( it, Leone X; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521.
Born into the prominent political an ...
. He held the role under three popes until his death in 1531, when Sebastiano succeeded him.
United Kingdom
Several British officials have titles connected to the keeping of seals.
United States
The
United States Secretary of State
The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
is the official keeper of the
Great Seal of the United States, and the seal may only be affixed to instruments as provided by law or by authorization of the President. The authority to manage the operation of the device is delegated to an official at the State Department. This official is the Director of the Office of Presidential Appointments, the office that manages the Great Seal at the Department of State. Informally, the director is sometimes referred to as the “Keeper” in the sense that the job has been delegated.
[ Speckart, Kathryn. "Keeper of the Great Seal" Received by Nick Saito, 20 Feb. 2020. Email Interview.]
Unlike the Great Seals listed above, the Great Seal of the United States is the primary graphical emblem of the United States and is used equivalently to a
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
.
The
seals of individual U.S. states are typically the responsibility of the
State Secretary of State.
References
{{Reflist
Government occupations
Legal professions
Government of France
Court titles
Medieval titles