as King-Emperor
Composition The royal sign-manual usually consists of the sovereign's
regnal name (without number, if otherwise used), followed by the letter
R for
Rex (king) or
Regina (queen). Thus, the signs-manual of both
Elizabeth I and
Elizabeth II read
Elizabeth R. When the
British monarch was also
Emperor or Empress of India, the sign manual ended with
R I, for
Rex Imperator or Regina Imperatrix (
king-emperor or queen-empress). When the future
George IV, then the
Prince of Wales,
became regent on behalf of his incapacitated father,
George III, the
Regency Act 1811 expressly directed that the prince should sign "George P R", the initials standing for
Princeps Regens meaning
prince regent.
Uses Some
letters patent are not signed by the monarch in person. Instead, the monarch signs a warrant authorizing the preparation of the letters patent (traditionally written in ceremonial calligraphy on
vellum) and approving the draft text of the letters patent. Then, once the letters patent are prepared, they are sealed with the Great Seal without the need for the signature of the monarch, because royal authority for issuing the letters patent had already been given by means of the warrant. Those letters patent finish with the words "By warrant under the King/Queen's Sign Manual", to signify that they do not bear the sign-manual themselves, having already been approved by warrant signed by the sovereign. Other letters patent, due to the nature of their contents (such as those that authorise the expenditure of money, or those that signify
royal assent to
Acts of Parliament), require the royal sign-manual to be affixed directly to them. Such letters patent contain, at the bottom, the words: "By the King/Queen Him/Herself, signed with His/Her own hand". The royal sign-manual is usually placed by the sovereign at the top of the document. These papers usually must be countersigned by a
principal secretary of state or other responsible minister. ==Kingdom of the Netherlands==