The first proclamation of James II A Proclamation signifying His Majesties Pleasure that all men being in Office of Government at the Decease of his late King, His Majesties most Dear and most Entirely beloved Brother, shall so continue til His Majesties further Direction...printed broadside dated February 6th [1685]. Printed on a single leaf of paper approx 16x12ins, paper slightly browned, weakness in a central horizontal fold and slight fraying to edges but fully legible. Issued on the day James II acceded to the Throne. This was the first proclamation of his relatively short reign. Charles II had died in the early morning of February 6th and apart from the actual proclamation of the accession of James II- which was declared by the Privy Council – James declared that all those who had held Royal office throughout the land would obviously stay in post until he had time to re-constitute his Government. This was an important step as James, being a Catholic, would clearly change the delicate balance of power which had existed uneasily in the latter stages of his late brother’s reign. An extremely rare and important historical document