King Henry III of England - Plantagenet Royal Great Seal - 1219 - Historical Wax Seal Stamp

Henry III of England, Plantagenet Royal Great Seal - c.1219 - Historical Wax Seal Stamp

Wax seal stamp based on the Great Seal of Henry III, one of the longest-reigning medieval kings of England and a central figure in 13th-century Plantagenet history.

Henry III succeeded his father, King John, in 1216 at only nine years old and was crowned at Gloucester Abbey on 28 October. His reign lasted for more than fifty years, from 1216 until 1272, spanning a formative period in the development of English government, royal administration and heraldry.

A new Great Seal was cut for the young king in 1218 and came into use around 1219. Like other medieval English Great Seals, it presented two complementary images of kingship: the monarch enthroned in majesty on one face and mounted on horseback on the other. The equestrian image represented the king as defender of the realm, while the enthroned portrait represented royal authority and government.

The seal is particularly important in the history of English heraldry. Henry is shown carrying a shield bearing the three lions passant guardant, the royal arms that had become firmly established as the emblem of the English crown. These three lions would remain at the heart of English royal heraldry for centuries.

Henry III's reign was also closely connected with Magna Carta. The charter was reissued in his name in 1216 and 1217, and in 1225 Henry issued the version that became the definitive medieval text. His 1225 Magna Carta survives with his Great Seal attached.

Henry was a particularly enthusiastic patron of architecture and religion. His rebuilding of Westminster Abbey in the Gothic style transformed the church into a major expression of Plantagenet kingship and ultimately provided the setting for his own burial following his death in 1272.

The Great Seal therefore represents more than Henry III personally: it belongs to a period in which royal seals, heraldic arms and written charters were becoming increasingly important expressions of royal identity and authority.

Each stamp is made of solid brass, fitted with a wooden handle and presented in a velvet pouch.

Design: Great Seal of Henry III
Monarch: Henry III of England
Dynasty: Plantagenet
Date: c.1219
Reign: 1216–1272
Period: 13th-century England
Stamp Size: 50 mm
Material: Solid brass
Type: Wax seal stamp / sealing stamp

Suitable for letters, envelopes, historical collections, medieval displays, genealogy projects, traditional stationery and decorative sealing.

The legend reads:
+ HENRICVS DVS NORMANNIE AND AQVITANIE COMS ANDEGAVIE

Expanded legend
Henricus dux Normannie and Aquitania, comes Andegavie.
“Henry, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, Count of Anjou”