Exhibition: Power and beauty: seals, charters and the story of identity

Power and beauty: Seals, charters and the story of identity, is a new exhibition this autumn at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) taking visitors on a journey through the centuries to encounter the stunning objects that have signified royal power and conveyed magisterial identity throughout time.

Drawing on the extraordinary archives of the RCP with more than 40 items, some dating back generations before the organisation’s foundation in 1518, the displays showcase many exhibits never seen in public before. Treasures include a recently discovered and never previously exhibited great seal of King John, identical to that with which the Magna Carta was confirmed 800 years ago, and the RCP’s own first royal charter granted by Henry VIII himself. They are joined by a magnificent formal signature of Elizabeth I, the exquisite official marks of arch adversaries King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell, and the great seals in richly coloured wax of both our current Queen, Elizabeth II, and the sovereign she will exceed to become our longest serving monarch during the exhibition’s run, Queen Victoria.

Taken together they form an outstanding collection of royal regalia from the mediaeval to the modern age.

Just as remarkable are documents relating to men and women outside the royal household. A pendant seal from a 13th century 'direct debit' to a charitable hospital depicting the donor as a warrior knight or the doctoral diploma of William Harvey, the physician who gave us our understanding of the circulatory system, awarded by the University of Padua in 1602. Other items have an added poignancy because of the events to which they are connected, like the letter of condolence sent by the medical profession to Queen Victoria on the death of Prince Leopold, her fourth son, during an epileptic fit in 1884, sealed with the coat of arms of the Royal College of Physicians itself.

In every case, the seal or mark guarantees the identity of the sender, and the legitimacy of the orders, instructions or sentiments the documents contain.

Viewed from the perspective of an era in which identity is secured with at best a scribbled signature and more and more a password or PIN code, these beautiful objects provide a tantalising glimpse into another world where power, beauty and identity collided. These unique pieces are brought together here for the first time in an truly 'once in a lifetime' exhibition.