King Charles strikes hammer on Queen Elizabeth's seal

The King’s new Great Seal of the Realm has been unveiled, a symbol of Sovereign authority traditionally affixed to official state documents to signify Royal approval, said a statement issued by the Buckingham Palace on Saturday.

The statement said, "Uniquely designed for each Monarch, the Seal's design was approved by His Majesty, who entrusted it into the custody of the Lord High Chancellor during a Privy Council meeting." 

It added, "In keeping with centuries-old tradition, the old Seal was symbolically defaced by the Monarch himself and preserved for historical record."

According to Daily Mail, "the seal is unique to each monarch and dates back to the 11th century, when Edward the Confessor first used such a device to create a wax casting of his face on documents."

"Tradition dictates that the old version should be struck with a hammer by the new king in the Privy Council meeting, an act that signifies its destruction," the publication reported.

The approval of a new seal marks the final stage in the formal transition to the King’s reign.

The Daily Mail reported that King Charles's new seal replaces the previous one, which depicted his late mother Queen Elizabeth II in a similar pose.