The Welsh Seal is a seal to be used for Wales. Provision for a Welsh seal was made in Part 4 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 which also designated the First Minister of Wales as "Keeper of the Welsh Seal".[1] The seal is used by the First Minister to seal (and so bring into force) letters patent signed by the Queen giving Royal Assent to bills passed by the National Assembly for Wales in order for those bills to become Acts of the Assembly.
The basic form of the seal was approved by the First Minister of Wales in January 2011.[2] The seal is one-sided and represents both the Monarch and the Welsh nation.[3] The final design of the seal was decided on 23 June 2011 by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee on the design of Coins, Medals, Seals and Decorations, with the advice of the College of Arms. The design was made public in December 2011, following a visit by First Minister Carwyn Jones to the Royal Mint where the seal was about to be made.[4] The Queen formally delivered the seal into the custody of the First Minister at a meeting of the Privy Council at Buckingham Palace, London, on 14 December 2011.[5][6][7]