It's taken a little time (but then, it always has!), but King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland now has his very own Great Seal.
One of the best stories I've seen about this was a May 10, 2025 article over on Royal Central, which you can see on-line at https://royalcentral.co.uk/royal-news/king-charles-iiis-great-seal-of-the-realm-unveiled-210198/
The article contains some images from the Royal Mint of the obverse and reverse of the new Great Seal.
The obverse (front side) of the seal has a very well done image of Charles III seated on a throne, and the reverse (back side) has a nice image of the Royal Arms, updated with the Tudor crown which Charles prefers.
I think all that is well and good, but I have a question about one part of the new seal.
It contains the expected Latin inscription around the outer edge, but ...
... if you take a close look at the inscription, which I have mirrored in the image immediately above so it is easier to read (and you can click on this image to go to a larger version which is even more clear), beginning at the 12 o'clock position and running clockwise around the seal. It is all in Latin except for one word: the King's name is given in its English form ("Charles") rather than its Latin equivalent ("Carolus").
Now, I will admit to finding the use of Charles rather than Carolus a little jarring in an otherwise entirely Latin inscription, but as a good friend of mine told me, "You're expecting consistency from the English. Ain't gonna happen. That ship sailed when Edward VII died."
So maybe I am, even as an historian, asking a little too much by expecting an otherwise entirely Latin inscription to use the Latin form of the King's name. And, truthfully, it's really a pretty minor quibble.
But don't you have to be impressed by the engraver's art here? I know I am.
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