Thousands of people gathered for the ceremony, during which the Princess Royal presented the Letters Patent on behalf of the Queen.

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The previous arms, featuring a Roman Centurion and a Royal Marine, were assigned to the Borough of Deal in 1968 by Letters Patent.

BBC: Deal coat of arms

Sark's system of government dates back to 1565 when Queen Elizabeth I granted "letters patent" to the first seigneur to hold the island as a "royal fief".

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