Thereal cédula (Latin:Regium Diploma;[1] English:royal certificate), also called areal despacho (English:royal dispatch),[2][3] was, inSpanish law during theancien régime, a dispatch from theking of Spain, issued by some council orsuperior court at the request of the king or on his behalf (that is, that is, by decision of the court), in which a favour was granted or some measure was taken.[1] More specifically, the content of the order resolved some conflict of legal relevance, established some guideline of legal conduct, created some institution, appointed some royal position, granted a personal or collective right or ordered some specific action.
Currently, the concept of "royal certificate" still exists in the case of appointments, being a ratification published in theBoletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) of a position historically created by areal cédula, by which a person is appointed. to occupy that position.Reales cédulas that were issued in the past for the founding of certain institutes continue to form part of their statutes, and can be consulted, ratified or transformed to the current constitutional model.[4][5]
There are two fundamental variants: Thereales cédulas de oficio that derive from the administrative function itself, which begin with the name—if it is personalized—or with the positions or titles of the people to whom it is addressed. The otherreales cédulas are also granted by the King, but at the request of a party and begin by mentioning the subject of the request and the applicant.
This type of document was used both inPeninsular Spain and in theSpanish overseas dominions—America and thePhilippines—in this case with advice in most cases from theCouncil of the Indies.
The order was headed by the words:El Rey ("The King"), addressed to the recipient of the mandate and ended with the signature:Yo, el Rey ("I, the King").[1][6] SinceCharles I became emperor of theHoly Roman Empire, his orders usually bore the title of emperor, and, depending on the occasion, they could be issued in the name of the queen consort.[7]
In 1782, a significantReal Cédula by the King of Spain addressed administrative procedures surrounding the confirmation of vendible and renunciable offices (oficios vendibles y renunciables) in the Spanish colonies.[8] The case originated from a petition by Benito de León y Medrano, who sought royal confirmation of his office asEscribano deMinas y Bienes de Difuntos (Notary of Mines and Deceased Estates) in the Province of Paria,Audiencia of Charcas.[8]
Previous irregularities in testimonies presented for such confirmations prompted the Crown to issue a comprehensive clarification.[8] TheReal Cédula ordered that future requests must include two separate documents:
This 1782 ruling became a juridical precedent for subsequent confirmations across the Indies and the Philippines, reinforcing theBourbon monarchy's push for standardized, transparent bureaucratic practices in colonial governance. The case exemplified the increasing reliance on codified legal process and increased documentary rigor in the final decades of imperial rule.[8]