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Series

Secretaries of State: State Papers Foreign, Royal Letters

Catalogue reference: SP 102

What's it about?

SP 102

Mainly original letters from foreign royal personages, and drafts of letters from members of the British royal family, for the most part after 1689. Earlier letters are distributed among the general series (arranged by country). Not all the...

Full description and record details

Reference

SP 102

Title
Secretaries of State: State Papers Foreign, Royal Letters
Date

1564-1780

Description

Mainly original letters from foreign royal personages, and drafts of letters from members of the British royal family, for the most part after 1689. Earlier letters are distributed among the general series (arranged by country). Not all the letters are from heads of state, some being from cardinals, bishops, towns and churches.

The letters often concern a royal birth, death or marriage, or send congratulations on military success, or merely concern the credentials of an ambassador.

Arrangement
Arrangement

The records are arranged in alphabetical order of country.

Related material

A three-volume manuscript calendar to most pieces in the series from the time of Queen Anne is in: SP 130/8 SP 130/9 SP 130/10

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Legal status

Public Record(s)

Language

English

Physical description

68 bundles and volumes

Subjects
Topics
International
Marriage and divorce
Religions
Royalty
Publication note(s)
Selected documents dated before August 1589 are described in the Calendar of State Papers Foreign Series of the Reign of Elizabeth I ed A J Butler S C Lomas and R B Wernham (London 1901-1950). For references to the more important papers for the period August 1589 to December 1595 see the List and Analysis of State Papers Foreign Series Elizabeth I I-VI ed by Richard Bruce Wernham (London 1964-1993). Please speak to staff at the Map and Large Document Room enquiry desk for the precise location.
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C13641/

Catalogue hierarchy

Over 27 million records

This record is held at The National Archives, Kew

208,922 records

Within the department: SP

Records assembled by the State Paper Office, including papers of the Secretaries...

You are currently looking at the series: SP 102

Secretaries of State: State Papers Foreign, Royal Letters

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