This month we celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee by choosing ZSL's Royal Charter as artefact of the month.

The Charter is very important to ZSL as it incorporates us and marks us as a Royal Society.The Royal Charter was first granted by George IV in 1829. King William IV became Patron of the Zoological Society in 1831, and his Royal successors have kindly agreed to be Patrons of ZSL ever since.

This is ZSL's third Charter. After the first Charter of 1829 there was a supplementary Charter granted by King George VI in 1948 and a Second Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1963.

Our current Charter, illustrated here, was granted by Queen Elizabeth after, in the words of the Charter, "the Society has presented to Us in Our Council an humble Petition representing unto Us that it is expedient that the Secord Charter should be replaced and praying for the grant of a new Charter accordingly."

"THEREFORE KNOW YE that WE, having taken the said Petition into Our Royal Consideration, by virtue of Our Perogative Royal and Our especial grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, have willed and ordained... as follows:" There then follows the important provisions of the Charter, concluding with:

"WITNESS Ourself at Westminster the Nineteenth day of May in the forty-fourth year of Our Reign."