Letters patent (always in the plural; abbreviated to LsP by the Crown Office), in the United Kingdom, are legal instruments generally issued by the monarch granting an office, right, title (in the peerage and baronetage), or status to a person (and sometimes in regards to corporations and cities). Letters patent have also been used for the creation of corporations or offices, for granting city status, for granting coat of arms, and for granting royal assent.
Patents are prepared by the Crown Office; the name of the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery is subscribed/printed at the end of all documents as a way of authentication of their having passed through the Crown Office.
The form of letters patent have been disclosed by the Crown Office as pro forma texts, and have been compiled here. The Ministry of Justice has said in the past that there are 92 unique types of letters. The text of letters patent can be altered for specification in certain situations, though the following texts are the general basis for draft.
Terminology
In appointing a person to an office through letters patent, there are three documents involved: The warrant – This contains the monarch's instructions to the Lord Chancellor to prepare letters patent. The Lord Chancellor delivers the said instructions to the Crown Office, who under the guidance of the Clerk of the Crown prepare the patent. Letters patent (sometimes called the patent) – the document which actually makes the appointment; it is sealed by either the Great Seal or its wafer form, and is typed or handwritten on vellum. The patent roll entry – this is a record of the warrant. The patent roll entries are bound together at the end of each regnal year and are sent to The National Archives, together with the warrants for permanent retention and storage.
These documents are not always given to the appointee. Letters patent come at a cost for an appointee who elects to receive an illustrated document prepared by the scribes at the Crown Office, but is otherwise entitled to receive a text-only version for nothing. The patent roll entry is exclusively held by The National Archives and is not given to the appointee.
Patents, most notably before the 20th century, were granted with special conditions. The following methods were mainly used in regards to the appointment of individuals to offices, whose purpose was to allow the holder to pick his successor. Grant in reversion – granted to a person after the demise of the current holders (or sometimes after the demise of multiple future holders) Grant in survivorship – granted to two persons who hold the office collectively; upon the death of one of the parties the remaining assumes the office alone
Types of letters patent
Removal from office Persons may be removed of an office through letters patent, though this process is reserved for offices that were granted through patents in the first place. Modern patents, instead of requiring this form be issued, state that the grantee shall replace the present holder of the office in question.
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 on the XX day of XX two thousand and XX We of Our especial grace and favour conferred XX upon XX as a XX Now Know Ye that We of Our certain knowledge and mere motion do hereby cancel and annul the XX conferred upon the said XX as a XX together with all rights precedences privileges and advantages to the same degree title honour and dignity belonging or appertaining thereto In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent Witness Ourself at Westminster the XX day of XX in the XX year of Our Reign
Peerage and baronetage
Peerages: Peerages may be created for individuals for life, or as hereditary peerages. 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.
Duke Duchess Marquess Marchioness Earl Countess Viscount Viscountess Baron Baroness 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 Lords Spiritual and Temporal and all other Our Subjects whatsoever to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Know Ye that We of Our especial grace certain knowledge and mere motion do by these Presents advance create and prefer Our XX to the state degree style dignity title and honour of Duke of XX Duchess of XX Marquess of XX Marchioness of XX Earl [XX/XX of XX/of XX] Countess [XX/XX of XX/of XX] Source required Viscount XX [of XX] of XX in XX Viscountess XX [of XX] of XX in XX Baron XX [of XX] of XX in XX Baroness XX [of XX] of XX in XX And for Us Our heirs and successors do appoint give and grant unto [him/her] the said name state degree style dignity title and honour of Duke of XX Duchess of XX Marquess of XX Marchioness of XX Earl [XX/XX of XX/of XX] Countess [XX/XX of XX/of XX] Viscount XX [of XX] Viscountess XX [of XX] Baron XX [of XX] Baroness XX [of XX] and by these Presents do dignify invest and ennoble him by girding him with a sword and putting a cap of honour and a coronet of gold on his head and by giving into his hand a rod of gold and by these Presents do dignify invest and really ennoble her with such name state degree title and honour of Duchess of XX and by these Presents do dignify invest and ennoble him by girding him with a sword and putting a cap of honour and a coronet of gold on his head and by giving into his hand a rod of gold and by these Presents do dignify invest and really ennoble her with such name state degree title and honour of Marchioness of XX and by these Presents do dignify invest and ennoble him by girding him with a sword and putting a cap of honour and a coronet of gold on his head and by these Presents do dignify invest and really ennoble her with such name state degree title and honour of Countess [XX/XX of XX/of XX] to have and to hold the said name state degree style dignity title and honour of the said name degree style dignity title and honour of Duke of XX Duchess of XX Marquess of XX Marchioness of XX Earl [XX/XX of XX/of XX] Countess [XX/XX of XX/of XX] unto [him/her] and the heirs male of [his/her] body lawfully begotten and to be begotten Willing and by these Presents granting for Us Our heirs and successors that [he/she] and [his/her] heirs male aforesaid and every of them successively may enjoy and use all the rights privileges pre-eminences immunities and advantages to the degree of a Duke Marquess Earl Viscount Baron duly and of right belonging which Dukes Marquesses Earls Viscounts Barons of Our United Kingdom do at present use and enjoy In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent Witness Ourself at Westminster the XX day of XX in the XX year of Our Reign
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 Lords Spiritual and Temporal and all other Our Subjects whatsoever to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Know Ye that We of Our especial grace certain knowledge and mere motion in pursuance of the Life Peerages Act 1958 and of all other powers in that behalf Us enabling do by these Presents advance create and prefer Our trusty and well beloved [Counsellor] XX to the state degree style dignity title and honour of [Baron/Baroness] XX [of XX] of XX in XX And for Us Our heirs and successors do appoint give and grant unto [him/her] the said name state degree style dignity title and honour of [Baron/Baroness] XX [of X] to have and to hold unto [him/her] for [his/her] life Willing and by these Presents granting of Us Our heirs and successors that [he/she] may have hold and possess a seat place and voice in the Parliaments and Public Assemblies and Councils of Us Our heirs and successors within Our United Kingdom amongst the Barons And also that he may enjoy and use all the rights privileges pre-eminences immunities and advantages to the degree of a Baron duly and rights belonging which Barons of Our United Kingdom have heretofore used and enjoyed as they do at present use and enjoy In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent Witness Ourself at Westminster the XX day of XX in the XX year of Our Reign
Baronetcies: Baronets and baronetesses are not part of the peerage but hold the styles of "sir" and "dame" as applicable. 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. 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 of Our especial grace certain knowledge and mere motion do by these Presents erect appoint and create Our XX to the dignity state and degree of a Baronet And for Us Our heirs and successors do appoint give and grant unto him the said name state degree style dignity title and honour of Baronet unto him and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten and to be begotten Willing and by these Presents granting for Us Our heirs and successors that he and his heirs male aforesaid may enjoy and use all the rights privileges precedences and advantages to the degree of a Baronet duly and right belonging which Baronets of Our United Kingdom do at present use and enjoy In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent Witness Ourself at Westminster the XX day of XX in the XX year of Our Reign
HM Government
Commissioners of the Great Seal: The Great Seal Act 1688 provided for the office of Lord Chancellor to be put in commission, and since the office held custody of the Great Seal of the Realm, the said custody had to be vested upon Lord Commissioners.
Letters patent would be issued on an ad hoc basis for commissioners to take custody of the Great Seal during any overseas visit by the Lord Chancellor or for when the Lord Chancellor would otherwise be unable to exercise his functions. In 1980 letters patent were issued providing for the delegation of the functions of the Lord Chancellor to commissioners whenever the Lord Chancellor was abroad. Additional letters patent were issued in 1989 expanding the purview of the 1980 letters patent.
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;