Legal Definitions - privy signet

The privy signet was historically a personal seal used by a monarch (a king or queen) to authenticate documents that were considered less formal or more private in nature. Unlike the larger, more official "Great Seal of the Realm," the privy signet was typically used for the sovereign's personal correspondence, warrants, or grants of lesser importance, signifying the monarch's direct and personal approval.

Here are some examples to illustrate the use of a privy signet:

• Imagine a 16th-century English monarch wishing to appoint a trusted courtier to a minor administrative position, such as "Keeper of the Royal Swans." Instead of using the elaborate Great Seal, which was reserved for major state acts, the monarch might have affixed their privy signet to a letter or warrant confirming this appointment. This would signify the king or queen's personal authorization for this specific, less formal grant of office.

• Consider a queen in the 18th century who needed to send a confidential instruction to a distant ambassador regarding a delicate family matter or a discreet diplomatic maneuver that she did not want formally recorded in state archives. She would have sealed the letter with her privy signet. This act would confirm that the message originated directly from her, carrying her personal authority and ensuring its authenticity without the full formality of a state document.

• Suppose a king wanted to grant a small annual pension or a specific plot of land from his personal estates to a loyal servant as a reward for long service. To formalize this personal gift, a document outlining the grant would be prepared and authenticated with the king's privy signet. This would serve as a clear mark of the sovereign's personal will and approval for the grant, distinguishing it from larger land grants or official decrees that would typically require the Great Seal.