“An intriguing look into the past through The National Archives . . . It offers a glimpse into the different seals of the monarchs, nobility, and clergy.” —Tudor Blogger Royal Seals is an introduction to the seals of the kings and queens of England, Scotland and latterly the United Kingdom, as well as the Church and nobility. Ranging from Medieval times to modern day, it uses images of impressive wax seals held at The National Archives to show the historical importance of these beautiful works of art. Included are features on the great seals of famous monarchs like Richard III, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and twentieth-century monarchs, as well as insights on the role of seals in treaties and foreign policy. With ecclesiastical seals and those of the nobility and lower orders included, this is a comprehensive and lavishly illustrated guide. “It is actually very fascinating as the book looks at the different types of seal used by various monarchs and why the seal came into being. We read about some of the most notable monarchs such as Charles II, George IV, James I, Henry VIII and more. But what has to be the best part of this book produced in conjunction with The National Archives, is the high quality of the pictures, certainly fantastic and really do show off the book at its best.” —UK Historian “The book should interest readers of Medieval Archaeology, providing a good introduction to the subject through what is undoubtedly an amazing national collection.” —Medieval Archaeology

The character and appearance of English governance were changed utterly in 1649, when Charles I was executed and the monarchy abolished. At a stroke, legitimate authority in the nation was stripped of the charismatic focus from whence it had derived much of its apparently ageless dignity. This volume provides a study of how England's political culture was reinvented by the new parliamentary republic. It describes how government members colonized and revived the abandoned royal palace at Whitehall, and describes the imaginative and consistently iconographic and ceremonial languages with which they replaced the imagery and spectacle of the monarchy. It makes a case for the comprehensive revision of the historio-graphical preconceptions surrounding England's only lengthy period of kinglessness.