royal blazon of the House of Stuart  
❧ By the King.  
AS often as We call to mind the most joyful and just Recognition made by the whole body of our Realm, in the first Session of our High Court of Parliament, of that blessing which it hath pleased God to reserve many years in his Providence to our Person, and now in the fullness of the time of his Disposition, to bestow upon Us; Namely the blessed Union, or rather Reuniting of these two mighty, famous, and ancient Kingdoms of England and Scotland, under one Imperial Crown: So often do We think, that it is our duty, to do our uttermost endeavour, for the advancement and perfection of that work, which is of his beginning, and whereof he hath given so many palpable signs and Arguments, as he that seethe them not, is blind, and he that impugneth them, doth but endeavour to separate that, which God hath put together. For, to omit those things which are evident to sense, That the Isle within itself hath almost none but imaginary bounds of separation without, but one common limit or rather Guard of the Ocean Sea, making the whole a little world within itself, the Nations an uniformity of constitutions both of body and mind, especially in Martial prowesses, A community of Language, the principal means of Civil society, An unity of Religion, the chiefest band of hearty Union, and the surest knot of lasting Peace: What can be a more express Testimony of God's authority of this work, than that two mighty Nations, having been ever from their first separation continually in blood each against other, should for so many years immediately before our Succession, be at peace together, as it were to this end, That their memory being free from sense of the smart of former injuries, their minds might, in the time of God's appointment, more willingly come together, That it hath pleased him so to dispose, that this Union is not enforced by Conquest and violence, nor contracted by doubtful and deceivable points of transaction, but naturally derived from the Right and Title of the precedent Princes of both Kingdoms, concurring in our Person, alike lineally descended from the blood of both through the Sacred conjunction of Wedlock, An Union which is the work of God and Nature, and whereunto the works of Force or Policy cannot attain? We may add hereunto that which We have received from those that be skilful in the Laws of this Land, That immediately upon our Succession, divers of the ancient Laws of this Realm are Ipso facto expired, As namely, that of Escuage, and of the Naturalisation of the Subjects, And that there is a greater affinity and concurrence between most of the ancient Laws of both Kingdoms, then is to be found between those of any other two Nations, As namely, in states of Inheritance and Freehold, as fee-simple, Fee-tail, Tenant for life, by Courtesy, Dower, and such like, In Cases of descents of Inheritance, In Tenors of Lands, as of Knight's service, Socage, Frank Almoigne, Burgages, Villeinage, and such like, In writs and forms of Process, In cases of Trial by juries, Grand juries; And lastly in Officers and Ministers of justice, As Sheriffs, Coroners, and such like, which We leave to be further considered by the Commissioners of both Realms.  
All which being matter prepared only by the Providence of Almighty God, and which by human Industry could not have been so ordered; We, and all our Subjects ought first with reverence to acknowledge his handiwork therein, and to give him our most humble thanks for the same, and then to further by our endeavours that, which his Wisdom doth by so many signs point out to be his Will: Whereof many particularities depending upon the determinations of the States and Parliaments of both Realms, We leave them there to be discussed, according to the Commissions granted by the several Acts of both Parliaments. And some other things resting in Our own Imperial Power, as the Head of both, We are purposed towards the building of this excellent work, to do by Ourself that, which justly and safely We may by Our absolute power do. And for a first stone of this work, whereupon the rest may be laid, seeing there is undoubtedly but one Head to both People's, which is Ourself; And that unfeignedly We have but one Heart and Mind to communicate equally to both States, as Lines issuing from one Centre, Our justice, our Favours, and whatsoever else dependeth upon the Unity of Our Supreme power over both, (God having ministered to Us so just cause to embrace them both with equal and indifferent Love, in as much as Our Birth, and the first part of Our life hath been in the one, and the later part thereof is like to be for the most part in the other:) We think it unreasonable, that the thing, which is by the work of God and Nature so much in effect one, should not be one in name; Unity in name being so fit a means to imprint in the hearts of people, a Character and memorial of that Unity, which ought to be amongst them indeed.  
Wherefore We have thought good to discontinue the divided names of England and Scotland out of our Regal Style, and do intend and resolve to take and assume unto Us in manner and form hereafter expressed, The Name and Style of KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, including therein according to the truth, the whole Island. Wherein no man can imagine Us to be led by an humour of Vainglory or Ambition, because we should in that case, rather delight in a long enumeration of many Kingdoms and signiories, (whereof in Our Inheritance We have plenty enough, if We thought there were glory in that kind of Style) but only that We use it as a signification of that, which in part is already done, and a significant Prefiguration of that, which is to be done hereafter; Nor that We covet any new affected Name devised at Our pleasure, but out of undoubted knowledge do use the true and ancient Name, which God and Time have imposed upon this Isle, extant, and received in Histories, in all Maps and Cartes, wherein this Isle is described, and in ordinary Letters to Ourself from divers Foreign Princes, warranted also by Authentical Charters, Exemplifications under Seals, and other Records of great Antiquity, giving Us precedent for our doing, not borrowed out of Foreign Nations, but from the Acts of our Progenitors, Kings of this Realm of England, both before and since the Conquest, having not had so just and great cause as We have.  
Upon all which considerations We do by these Presents, by force of our Kingly Power and Prerogative, assume to Ourself by the clearness of our Right, The Name and Style of KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND IRELAND, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, etc. as followeth in Our just and lawful Style, And do hereby publish, promulge and declare the same, to the end that in all Proclamations, Missives foreign, and Domestical, Treaties, Leagues, Dedicatories, Impressions, and in all other cases of like nature, the same may be used and observed. And to the end the same may be the sooner and more universally divulged both at Home and abroad: Our will and pleasure is, That the same Style be from henceforth used upon all Inscriptions upon our currant Moneys and Coins of Gold and Silver hereafter to be Minted. And for that We do not Innovate or assume to Us any new thing, but declare that which is and hath been evident to all; Our will and pleasure is, That in such Appellations or Nominations, as shall be hereafter made by force of these presents, the same shall be expressed in such and the same manner and form, and after such computation, as if we had assumed and declared the same the first day of our Reign of our Realm of England; Forbearing only for the present that any thing herein contained do extend to any Legal proceeding, Instrument, or Assurance, until further Order be taken in that behalf.  
Given at our Palace of Westminster the twentieth day of October, in the second year of our Reign of England, France and Ireland, and of Scotland the eight and thirtieth. 
 God save the King.   

❧ Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty.  
ANNO DOM. 1604.