Jason Loch
@jasonloch.bsky.social
I am a historian of the British constitution whose work focuses on the Crown, the House of Lords, and the Church of England.
You can read my blog here: venerablepuzzle.wordpress.com.
You can read my blog here: venerablepuzzle.wordpress.com.
Recently added to the Corpus of British Administrative Instruments: Statute of the Order of the Garter allowing the appointment of Lady Companions. cbaionline.org/corpus/items...
Royal Warrant - Statute of the Order of the Garter For the Appointment of Lady Companions [1987-10-01] · Corpus of British Administrative Instruments
cbaionline.org
November 10, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Recently added to the Corpus of British Administrative Instruments: Statute of the Order of the Garter allowing the appointment of Lady Companions. cbaionline.org/corpus/items...
Is Andrew still the Duke of York? Legally yes, officially no. My new post explores the ambiguous nature of being removed from the Roll of the Peerage. venerablepuzzle.wordpress.com/2025/11/06/a...
Administrative Oblivion: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the Roll of the Peerage
On October 30, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor[1] was abruptly removed from the Roll of the Peerage. Although the media is portraying this as tantamount to the revocation of his peerages, that’s not act…
venerablepuzzle.wordpress.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Is Andrew still the Duke of York? Legally yes, officially no. My new post explores the ambiguous nature of being removed from the Roll of the Peerage. venerablepuzzle.wordpress.com/2025/11/06/a...
We may never see the instruments removing Andrew from the Order of the Garter and the Royal Victorian Order. They were likely prepared and countersigned by officers of the relevant Orders without passing through the Crown Office. 1/2
November 6, 2025 at 4:47 PM
We may never see the instruments removing Andrew from the Order of the Garter and the Royal Victorian Order. They were likely prepared and countersigned by officers of the relevant Orders without passing through the Crown Office. 1/2
Recently added to the Corpus of British Administrative Instruments: Queen Elizabeth II's Letters Patent granting the titular dignity of Prince to the Duke of Edinburgh. cbaionline.org/corpus/items...
Letters Patent - Titular Dignity of Prince [1957-02-22] · Corpus of British Administrative Instruments
cbaionline.org
November 4, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Recently added to the Corpus of British Administrative Instruments: Queen Elizabeth II's Letters Patent granting the titular dignity of Prince to the Duke of Edinburgh. cbaionline.org/corpus/items...
Recently added to the Corpus of British Administrative Instruments: Queen Elizabeth II's 1960 Declaration stating that certain of her descendants would bear the name of "Mountbatten-Windsor." cbaionline.org/corpus/items...
Order in Council - Recording Queen Elizabeth II's Declaration Regarding the Name Mountbatten-Windsor [1960-02-08] · Corpus of British Administrative Instruments
cbaionline.org
November 3, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Recently added to the Corpus of British Administrative Instruments: Queen Elizabeth II's 1960 Declaration stating that certain of her descendants would bear the name of "Mountbatten-Windsor." cbaionline.org/corpus/items...
I've been working on a curated collection of Letters Patent, Royal Warrants, Ministerial Submissions, and similar material called the Corpus of British Administrative Instruments. 1/2 cbaionline.org/corpus/
Corpus of British Administrative Instruments
cbaionline.org
October 31, 2025 at 6:07 PM
I've been working on a curated collection of Letters Patent, Royal Warrants, Ministerial Submissions, and similar material called the Corpus of British Administrative Instruments. 1/2 cbaionline.org/corpus/
As the Palace announces that the King has initiated a process to remove Prince Andrew's titles, his name has already disappeared from the Roll of the Peerage. But what, exactly, does that mean? venerablepuzzle.wordpress.com/2025/10/30/e...
Erasing the Duke of York: The Roll of the Peerage and the limits of removal
Buckingham Palace today announced that the King has “initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.” The style of Royal Highness, the title of prince, and his …
venerablepuzzle.wordpress.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:23 AM
As the Palace announces that the King has initiated a process to remove Prince Andrew's titles, his name has already disappeared from the Roll of the Peerage. But what, exactly, does that mean? venerablepuzzle.wordpress.com/2025/10/30/e...
The Lord Chancellor makes a number of ecclesiastical appointments including presentations to Crown benefices valued at less than £20 in The King's Book. Here's what an instrument of appointment to one of these benefices looks like. 1/3
October 9, 2025 at 6:50 PM
The Lord Chancellor makes a number of ecclesiastical appointments including presentations to Crown benefices valued at less than £20 in The King's Book. Here's what an instrument of appointment to one of these benefices looks like. 1/3
Becoming Archbishop of Canterbury used to be an expensive proposition. Edward White Benson had to pay a total of £885/5/6. According to The National Archives' currency converter, that is the equivalent of approximately £58,591.66! 1/2
October 9, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Becoming Archbishop of Canterbury used to be an expensive proposition. Edward White Benson had to pay a total of £885/5/6. According to The National Archives' currency converter, that is the equivalent of approximately £58,591.66! 1/2
After the King approves the Prime Minister's submission recommending Sarah Mullally, the Crown Office will prepare a Warrant to pass a congé d'élire under the Great Seal authorizing the College of Canons to elect a new Archbishop. 1/17
October 7, 2025 at 7:46 PM
After the King approves the Prime Minister's submission recommending Sarah Mullally, the Crown Office will prepare a Warrant to pass a congé d'élire under the Great Seal authorizing the College of Canons to elect a new Archbishop. 1/17
Many of us saw Penny Mordaunt preside over the Accession Council. But was she actually Lord President? This post unpacks the constitutional ambiguity behind her role, and why it matters. venerablepuzzle.wordpress.com/2025/09/16/a...
A very British fudge
On September 10, 2022, Penny Mordaunt presided over the King’s Accession Council. Since then, there has been some confusion regarding the nature of her role. Was she Lord President or merely Acting…
venerablepuzzle.wordpress.com
September 16, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Many of us saw Penny Mordaunt preside over the Accession Council. But was she actually Lord President? This post unpacks the constitutional ambiguity behind her role, and why it matters. venerablepuzzle.wordpress.com/2025/09/16/a...
The Docquet Book is a record of instruments prepared by the Crown Office, including Letters Patent, Warrants of Appointment, Proclamations, and Writs of Summons. Here are some recent entries I received via a FOI request (it's oddly formatted because that's how I received it). 1/6
September 12, 2025 at 9:13 PM
The Docquet Book is a record of instruments prepared by the Crown Office, including Letters Patent, Warrants of Appointment, Proclamations, and Writs of Summons. Here are some recent entries I received via a FOI request (it's oddly formatted because that's how I received it). 1/6
The office copy of the submission for Lord Wright's appointment as Master of the Rolls notes that it was submitted to King George V unsigned "after an explanation by Sir Claud [Schuster] over the telephone, the Lord Chancellor not being available" [LCO 6/918].
September 11, 2025 at 9:23 PM
The office copy of the submission for Lord Wright's appointment as Master of the Rolls notes that it was submitted to King George V unsigned "after an explanation by Sir Claud [Schuster] over the telephone, the Lord Chancellor not being available" [LCO 6/918].
Summons to a meeting of the Privy Council for the purpose of swearing-in new Ministers. [PREM 49/2130].
September 10, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Summons to a meeting of the Privy Council for the purpose of swearing-in new Ministers. [PREM 49/2130].
Correspondence with the Palace regarding Augustus Andrewes Uthwatt's appointment as a High Court Justice, including the informal advice, the reply from the King's Private Secretary, and the formal submission [LCO 6/1582].
July 9, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Correspondence with the Palace regarding Augustus Andrewes Uthwatt's appointment as a High Court Justice, including the informal advice, the reply from the King's Private Secretary, and the formal submission [LCO 6/1582].
The precedence clause in a baronet's patent of creation used to contain an almost comical number of provisos and caveats. That language was simplified in the later 19th century, and the current form of the patent trimmed it even further. 1/2
June 26, 2025 at 6:29 PM
The precedence clause in a baronet's patent of creation used to contain an almost comical number of provisos and caveats. That language was simplified in the later 19th century, and the current form of the patent trimmed it even further. 1/2
These were the Confessor's duties in the 18th century. This is taken from William Lovegrove's manuscript about the Chapel Royal which is published in vol. 2 of The Cheque Books of the Chapel Royal edited by Andrew Ashbee and John Harley. 1/2
June 18, 2025 at 5:13 PM
These were the Confessor's duties in the 18th century. This is taken from William Lovegrove's manuscript about the Chapel Royal which is published in vol. 2 of The Cheque Books of the Chapel Royal edited by Andrew Ashbee and John Harley. 1/2
Transcript of a Sign-Manual Warrant from 1761 ordering the Sub-Dean of the Chapels Royal to admit David Walter Morgan to the office of Confessor of His Majesty's Household and Priest-in-Ordinary of the Chapels Royal [SP 44/157 f.49]. 1/3
June 17, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Transcript of a Sign-Manual Warrant from 1761 ordering the Sub-Dean of the Chapels Royal to admit David Walter Morgan to the office of Confessor of His Majesty's Household and Priest-in-Ordinary of the Chapels Royal [SP 44/157 f.49]. 1/3
Sign-Manual Warrant for the appointment of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Because the resulting patent would pass the seals of the Duchy and County Palatine, the Warrant is addressed to the Duchy's Attorney General and Clerk instead of the English Law Officers [SP 44/375 f.53].
June 13, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Sign-Manual Warrant for the appointment of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Because the resulting patent would pass the seals of the Duchy and County Palatine, the Warrant is addressed to the Duchy's Attorney General and Clerk instead of the English Law Officers [SP 44/375 f.53].
During the King's recent trip to Canada, the Queen was sworn in as a Member of His Majesty's Privy Council for Canada. Similarly, the Duke of Edinburgh joined the Council when Queen Elizabeth II visited Canada in 1957. The ceremonial involved was set out in a memo for the PM. 1/4
June 3, 2025 at 3:23 AM
During the King's recent trip to Canada, the Queen was sworn in as a Member of His Majesty's Privy Council for Canada. Similarly, the Duke of Edinburgh joined the Council when Queen Elizabeth II visited Canada in 1957. The ceremonial involved was set out in a memo for the PM. 1/4
The Order in Council approving a new Great Seal has changed quite a bit over the years. In the 17th and early 18th centuries, the wording doesn't appear to have been fixed, though they often highlight the defacement of the old seal as well as the approval of the new one. 1/10
May 28, 2025 at 8:43 PM
The Order in Council approving a new Great Seal has changed quite a bit over the years. In the 17th and early 18th centuries, the wording doesn't appear to have been fixed, though they often highlight the defacement of the old seal as well as the approval of the new one. 1/10
When the late Queen approved her second Great Seal in 2001, the Order in Council noted she had approved a new Wafer Seal as well. Oddly, the Order approving the current Great Seal makes no mention of a Wafer Seal. I've asked the PCO about this but they haven't responded.
May 20, 2025 at 6:21 PM
When the late Queen approved her second Great Seal in 2001, the Order in Council noted she had approved a new Wafer Seal as well. Oddly, the Order approving the current Great Seal makes no mention of a Wafer Seal. I've asked the PCO about this but they haven't responded.
The King's decision to use the Royal Arms on the reverse of the Great Seal follows a precedent set by the late Queen's second Great Seal. This record of a meeting between Crown Office and Royal Mint officials shows the change was considered as far back as 1999. 1/2
May 12, 2025 at 10:28 PM
The King's decision to use the Royal Arms on the reverse of the Great Seal follows a precedent set by the late Queen's second Great Seal. This record of a meeting between Crown Office and Royal Mint officials shows the change was considered as far back as 1999. 1/2
Seals of the Duchy of Lancaster (top) and County Palatine of Lancaster (bottom) from the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Both feature Corgis—on the Duchy seal, it's near her foot; on the County Palatine seal, it's positioned under her horse [Royal Mint Annual Report 1953 vol. 84].
May 11, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Seals of the Duchy of Lancaster (top) and County Palatine of Lancaster (bottom) from the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Both feature Corgis—on the Duchy seal, it's near her foot; on the County Palatine seal, it's positioned under her horse [Royal Mint Annual Report 1953 vol. 84].
When a new Great Seal was approved, the old one was traditionally given to the Lord Chancellor as a perquisite of his office. Sir Almeric FitzRoy's description of the handover suggests it could be quite a taxing affair. These accounts are from vol. 1 of his Memoirs.
May 11, 2025 at 12:13 AM
When a new Great Seal was approved, the old one was traditionally given to the Lord Chancellor as a perquisite of his office. Sir Almeric FitzRoy's description of the handover suggests it could be quite a taxing affair. These accounts are from vol. 1 of his Memoirs.