Declaration
Declaration of our sovereign lord's perfect age

†Concerning the proposition made by our sovereign lord and his three estates convened in this present parliament for declaration of what is the perfect age of his highness, making mention of an act of parliament made by King James II of good memory, of the date 20 March 1489,† and likewise of the late act made by [Mary], his highness's late dearest mother, of the date 15 December 1564, as the said acts at more length purport; desiring, therefore, the declaration of the said acts concerning the lawful and perfect age of the prince, if it be of 21 years complete; our sovereign lord and his said three estates have declared and declare† that the king's majesty's predecessors, kings and queens of this realm, were by the said acts held of lawful age at 21 years complete, likewise our said sovereign lord, being now of 21 years of age complete, is of perfect and lawful age, so that his highness, his predecessors and successors after the said age of 21 years complete might have done and may do all things that thereafter a prince of lawful and perfect age might have done or may do of the law.

  1. NAS, PA2/13, ff.80r-v. Back
  2. 'V.' written in margin. Back
  3. To correct a contemporary error, this text is underlined in the manuscript and the correct year, '1437', inserted in the margin, authorised by the signature of the clerk register. Back
  4. A large ink stain covers part of the top left corner of f.80v, in the same colour of ink as the earlier interpolation of the clerk register. Back