THE QUEEN has been pleased to issue Her Majesty’s Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm in the form following:

ELIZABETH THE SECOND by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories Queen Head of the Commonwealth Defender of the Faith To all Archbishops Dukes Marquesses Earls Viscounts Bishops Barons Baronets Knights Citizens and Burgesses and all other Our faithful Subjects whatsoever to whom these Presents shall come Greeting WHEREAS by the enactments known as the Regency Acts 1937 to 1953 it is (amongst other things) enacted that in the event of the circumstances set out in section 6(1) of the 1937 Act We may in order to prevent delay or difficulty in the despatch of public business by Letters Patent under the Great Seal delegate to Counsellors of State such of Our Royal functions (except the power to dissolve Parliament other than on our express instructions and the power to grant any rank title or dignity of the peerage) as may be specified in the Letters Patent AND WHEREAS We deem it expedient to delegate pursuant to the said enactments the Royal functions hereinafter specified AND WHEREAS the persons described by the said enactments as the   Counsellors of State to be named in such Letters Patent are as follows that is to say Our most dearly beloved Son and most faithful Counsellor Charles Philip Arthur George Prince of Wales Knight of Our Most Noble Order of the Garter Knight of Our Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle Great Master and the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of Our Most Honourable Order of the Bath Member of Our Order of Merit Our most dearly beloved Grandson Prince William Arthur Philip Louis Duke of Cambridge Knight of Our Most Noble Order of the Garter Knight of Our Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle Our most dearly beloved Grandson Prince Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex and Our most dearly beloved Son Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward Duke of York Knight of Our Most Noble Order of the Garter Knight Grand Cross of Our Royal Victorian Order subject however to provisions enabling Us by the Letters Patent to except from among the number of those Counsellors any person who is absent from Our United Kingdom KNOW YE that by virtue of the said enactments We do hereby delegate to the said Counsellors of State (excepting the Duke of Sussex while absent from the United Kingdom) full power and authority to open the new session of Parliament on the tenth day of May in the seventy-first year of Our Reign with the cause of summons being declared by one Counsellor of State in the presence of another and That if We signify or it appears to them that they should not act in any matter or for any purpose without Our previous special approval they shall not act in that matter or for that purpose without that approval Commanding all and singular Archbishops Dukes Marquesses Earls Viscounts Bishops Barons Baronets Knights Citizens and Burgesses and all other Our Officers Ministers and Subjects that in everything appertaining to the matters aforesaid they be attendant counselling and helping the said Counsellors of State as it behoves In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent Witness Ourself at Westminster the tenth day of May in the seventy-first year of Our Reign

BY WARRANT UNDER THE QUEEN’S SIGN MANUAL

ROMEO