II.   Sovereign

A Royal Charter is a deed granting some corporate franchise, usually conferring some privilege or exemption according to some sovereign power and authority, itself granted from a higher ecclesiastical authority. The concept of Charter is derived from the 13th Century deliberate corruption of the previous 8th Century Carolingian form of Carta (Charter) under Sacré Loi (Sacred Law).

The first “Royal Charter” issued by an English King was John Plantagenet (King John) in June 1215 and the formation of the Great Charter or “Magna Carta” as a compromise and peace treaty with the barons of England and Wales:

(i) In 1213, John Plantagenet (King John) in an attempt to outflank the claims of Simon de Montfort as Lord High Steward, ceded the land permanently to the Roman Death Cult and himself as a vassal of Lotario Savelli di Conti as Roman Pontiff Innocens II (III) (1198-1216) in exile. In turn, the Roman Pontiff recognized the Plantagenet as lawful and legal monarchs, but still recognizing the de Montfort as Lord High Stewards; and

(ii) In 1215, the barons forced John Plantagenet (King John) into a truce and the Magna Carta. In the same year, the Roman Death Cult achieved the recognition Frederick II (1194-1250) of the House of Hohenstaufen against the legitimate French Popes and Catholic Church; and

(iii) At the death of John Plantagenet, a Great Charter of the Forest (Country) was issued in 1217 as the basis and formation of the “count trees” or survey and scope of England and its rights. The Carta de Forestae was reissued in 1225 and joined with the Magna Carta in the Confirmation of Charters in 1297; and

(iv) From 1217 until the reign of Henry VIII all kings of England as vassals of the Roman Death Cult also known as the Vatican were expected to commence their reign by firstly reconfirming the Magna Carta (Great Charter) as the basis of all secular law of the realm to which the king would then add their ordinances as capitululm (cap.). The practice ceased in England under Henry VIII (1509-1547) following the concept and system of Acts and Statutes of Parliament that lived beyond the life of one (1) Monarch; and

(v) From 1217 also saw the commencement of other lesser Royal Charters granting privileges and exemptions such as the Charter of Oxford and under the reign of Edward I (1272 – 1307), the Charter of Westminster in 1275. However, until Henry VIII, a condition of all previous Royal Charters was that they were renewed by a succeeding monarch, as the concept of law outliving the sovereign had not yet commenced;

(vi) From 1509 and the reign of Henry VIII witnessed the most dramatic change in the issue of Royal Charters, especially after the issue of the Act of Supremacy in 1534, whereby Royal Charters took on the personality of Papal Bulls in that their issue and grant of authority might created perpetual estates subject to approval of Parliament, without need for reconfirmation by subsequent monarchs and secondly that they be perfected law as the monarch claimed both supremacy of head of the Church as well as State; and

(vii) Two (2) forms of Royal Charter emerged from the 16th Century onwards, with all grants being recorded in the patent rolls, but with all perpetual estates requiring the approval of parliament by one (1) or more acts.

(viii) The two (2) civil wars and coup d’état against the monarchs by Parliament in the 17th Century saw a significant change in the authority of Royal Charter with all Royal Charter in the creation of perpetual estates being vested in the parliament and privy council from 1708 onwards, but with the monarch retaining limited authority to issue Royal Charters within the limits of statute.

Since the time of Henry VIII of England in the 16th Century, all such Royal Charters regarding the power and authority to issue a Royal Charter granting one (1) or more perpetual rights, privileges have required an act of parliament to validate their legitimacy or exemption of benefits thereunder.

While an instrument may be historically known as a Royal Charter, unless it relates to one (1) or more acts of parliament validating the associated franchise, such instruments are in effect letters patent and subject to finite periods and conditions.