Royal Warrant - Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland [2014-12-10]

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 whom these presents may concern.

GREETING!

WHEREAS We taking into Our Royal consideration that the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland was appointed to meet on the sixteenth day of May next and seeing We by reason of Our other weighty affairs cannot in Person be present in the said Assembly.

AND WE being desirous that Our Right Trusty and Well-beloved Counsellor Sir James Arthur David Hope, Baron Hope of Craighead, Knight of Our Most Noble and Most Ancient Order of the Thistle shall discharge the great trust of Our High Commissioner to the General Assembly:

WE ordain a Commission to be made and passed in due form under the Seal appointed by the Treaty of Union to be kept and made use of in place of the Great Seal of Scotland, nominating, constituting and appointing like, as We by these presents do nominate, constitute and appoint the said Sir James Arthur David Hope, Baron Hope of Craighead, to be Our High Commissioner to the said General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

GIVING AND GRANTING unto the said Sir James Arthur David Hope, Baron Hope of Craighead, full power commission and warrant to represent Our Sacred Person and Royal Authority and supply His Presence and hold His Place in the said ensuing General Assembly as Our High Commissioner specially appointed for that effect, and to do all and everything belonging to the power and place of a High Commissioner to a General Assembly as fully and freely in all respects as any other in that High Station hath done or might have done in any time heretofore and as We Ourselves might do if Personally present, We hereby ratifying and approving all and whatsoever things the said Sir James Arthur David Hope, Baron Hope of Craighead shall in the discharge of this Commission lawfully do or cause to be done:

WE HEREBY require and command all the Ministers, the Diaconate and Elders of the said Assembly and Church with all other of Our good subjects in Scotland of whatsoever degree or quality to acknowledge

reverence, honour and obey the Sir James Arthur David Hope, Baron Hope of Craighead, as Our High Commissioner to the effect and manner above mentioned, and We declare that this Commission shall commence and be in force from the fifteenth day of May next and from thenceforward to continue during the ensuing session of the said General Assembly or until this Commission be by Us revoked and discharged:

AND WE ordain the said Commission to be further extended in the most ample and best form with all clauses needful and to pass the Seal aforesaid per saltum without passing any other Seal or Register.

These presents shall be a sufficient Warrant to the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland for writing the said Commission in the Chancery Office in Edinburgh and to the Keeper of the said Seal for causing the same to be appended thereto.