The Welsh Seal () 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, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...

used for

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

Independent Wales

Seals were used by the native Princes of Wales during Welsh independence.

Llywelyn the Great

NLW Wynnstay Estate , Ystrad Marchell Charters 58 (seal 1) front (8633592701)

On Llywelyn the Great' (Llywelyn ap Iorwerth) seal is dated to 1240. Llywelyn is pictured armoured in surcoat holding a sword in his right hand and a shield on his left arm mounted on horse galloping to the right. Seals were used as a sign of authenticity of the signatory and a privy seal was sometimes added to the back of the wax seal to ensure further authenticity. Llywelyn ap Iorwerth is known to have used his privy or counter-seal such as in 1230, "sealing the letters with his secret seal because he has not his great seal with him".

Llywelyn the Last

The privy seal of Llywelyn the Last (Llywelyn ap Gruffydd), his wife Eleanor and his brother

Dafydd Dafydd is a Welsh masculine given name, related to David, and more rarely a surname. People so named include: Given name Medieval era :''Ordered chronologically'' * Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd (c. 1145-1203), Prince of Gwynedd * Dafydd ap Gruffydd (12 ...

are thought to have been melted down by the English after finding them upon their bodies to make a chalice in 1284. Archbishop Peckham, in his first letter to Robert Bishop of Bath and Wells dated 17 December 1282 stated "If the king wishes to have the copy

f the list F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. Hist ...

found in the breeches of Llywelyn, he can have it from Edmund Mortimer, who has custody of it and also of Llywelyn’s privy seal and certain other things found in the same place."

Owain Glyndwr

Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...

's Great privy Seal as Prince of Wales included a dragon gules on his crest. The Pennal letter, written by Owain Glyndwr is currently held in the Archives Nationales in Paris. Facsimile copies involving specialist ageing techniques and moulds of the famous Glyndwr seal were created by The National Library of Wales which were presented by the then heritage minister Alun Ffred Jones, to six Welsh institutions in 2009. The royal great seal from 1404 was given to Charles IV of France and contains images and Glyndŵr's title – la, Owynus Dei Gratia Princeps Walliae – 'Owain, by the grace of God, Prince of Wales'. Glyndŵr's Great Seal and a letter handwritten by him to the French in 1406 are in the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris. Six reproductions were made by the National Library of Wales for display in Wales.

Wales in the United Kingdom

Provision for a Welsh seal is made in Part 4 of the

Government of Wales Act 2006 The Government of Wales Act 2006 (c 32) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the then-National Assembly for Wales (now the Senedd) and allows further powers to be granted to it more easily. The Act creates a system o ...

which also designated the First Minister of Wales as "Keeper of the Welsh Seal" (''Ceidwad y Sêl Gymreig''). The seal is used by the First Minister to seal (and so bring into force) letters patent 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 oth ...

to bills passed by the Senedd (Welsh Parliament; ) in order for those bills to become an

Act of Senedd Cymru An Act of Senedd Cymru ( cy, Deddf gan Senedd Cymru), or informally an Act of the Senedd, is primary legislation that can be made by the Senedd (Welsh Parliament; ) under part 4 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (as amended by the Wales A ...

Welsh seal during the reign of Elizabeth II

The basic form of the seal used during the reign of

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

was approved by the First Minister of Wales in January 2011. The seal is one-sided and represents both the monarch and the Welsh nation; it also features the

Royal Badge of Wales A Royal Badge for Wales was approved in May 2008. It is based on the arms borne by the thirteenth-century Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great (''blazoned quarterly Or and gules, four lions passant guardant counterchanged''), with the addition of St ...

. The final design of the seal was decided on 23 June 2011 by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee on the Design of Coins, Medals, Seals and Decorations, with the advice of the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sovere ...

. The design was made public in December 2011, following a visit by First Minister

Carwyn Jones Carwyn Howell Jones (born 21 March 1967) is a Welsh politician who served as First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour from 2009 to 2018. He served as Counsel General for Wales from 2007 to 2009. Jones served as the Member of the S ...

to the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, where the seal was about to be made. Queen

formally delivered the seal into the custody of the First Minister at a meeting of the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence 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 royal hospitality. It ...

, London, on 14 December 2011. The design featured the following elements: *A representation of the monarch,

on a throne, *The

, *The

Welsh Dragon The Welsh Dragon ( cy, y Ddraig Goch, meaning 'the red dragon'; ) is a heraldic symbol that represents Wales and appears on the national flag of Wales. As an emblem, the red dragon of Wales has been used since the reign of Cadwaladr, King of ...

Welsh seal during the reign of Charles III

A new Welsh seal is expected to be struck following the accession of

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

to the throne on 8 September 2022.

List of Keepers of the Welsh Seal

The

designated the First Minister of Wales as Keeper of the Welsh Seal. *2011–2018:

*2018–present: Mark Drakeford

References

National seals British monarchy Senedd {{UK-law-stub