Elizabeth I Signed Document With Royal Great Seal
For Sale: £65,000.00
Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I (1533-1603) was born into royalty and an age of religious controversy. Her reign, lasting from 1558 until her death in 1603, was marked by two major occurrences: the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, 1587; and the defeat of the Spanish Armada, 1588. Often thought of as The Golden Age, Elizabeth's reign saw a flourishing culture of arts and exploration.
Famed for her temper, Elizabeth was well educated, quick-witted and did not suffer fools gladly. Uncertainty was caused by her stubborn refusal to marry and the succession was in jeopardy due to her lack of heirs. However, Elizabeth named her first cousin twice-removed, James VI, as her successor and he became the first sovereign to reign over both England and Scotland.
This document is signed by Elizabeth I and dated 1563 and states the terms of a loan that Elizabeth is taking out through her financier Sir Thomas Gresham.
Accompanying the document is a rare example of the Royal Great Seal, also known as The Great Seal of the Realm.
The Royal Great Seal was used to symbolise the Sovereign's approval of important state documents. This example is the first great seal 1558-1586, prior to the seal engraved by Nicholas Hilliard.
The wax seal depicts an image of Elizabeth I on horseback. The reverse shows the Queen seated on her throne.
The document is signed on the reverse by the Privy Council; Councilor Robert Dudley (1532-1588), Lord Keeper of the Great Seal Sir William Cecil (1520-1598), Sir Nicholas Bacon (1510-1579), Lord Chamberlain William Howard of Effingham (1510-1573), and Member of Parliament and Governor of Portsmouth, Sir Francis Knollys (1514-1596).
The vellum document measures 15½" x 19½" the overall frame 21" x 25". It has been professionally silked and restored at vellum cuts, one passing through the "z" of the bold signature of the Queen.
It is very rare to find a seal like this one in such good condition. An exceptionally rare historical document.
Further notes:
Sir Thomas Gresham was a merchant and financier who worked for King Edward VI of England and for Edward's half-sisters, Queens Mary I and Elizabeth I. He used part of his wealth to build the Royal Exchange in the City of London.
Queen Elizabeth also found Gresham useful in a great variety of other ways, including acting as jailer to Lady Mary Grey (sister of Lady Jane Grey), who, as a punishment for marrying Thomas Keyes the sergeant porter, remained a prisoner in his house from June 1569 to the end of 1572.
Robert Dudley was Master of the Queen's Horse and a Privy Councilor. It is believed by most historians that Dudley and the Queen were in love and there was no doubt that he was her favourite.
Also: Please also refer to PT319, a Henry VIII signed document relating to Sir Richard Gresham
This item qualifies for our layaway plan
Stock Status:In Stock
Product Code: PT247
