[PHILIP AND MARY (1527-1598 and 1516-1558), King and Queen of England]. Decorated manuscript with Royal seal, granting parcels of the manors of Halesowen (Shropshire), Stratford Toney (Wiltshire), Blatchington, Sompting and Cokeham (Sussex) and Oakhanger (Hampshire) to Sir Henry Sidney, Sir George Blounte, John Somerfield and Thomas Marrowe, Westminster, 4 May 1555. 1 page, 603 x 950 mm. (23¾ x 37 5/8 in.), ON FINE PARCHMENT, written in Latin in a small, even chancery hand, WITH FINE PEN-WORK DECORATION: first line of text elaborately decorated with engrossed majuscules and interlaces, LARGE INITIAL "P" ENCLOSING A PORTRAIT OF THE ENTHRONED KING AND QUEEN, Philip in Royal robes holding upraised sword and cross, Mary in elaborate Royal robe holding scepter and cross, with motto "Dieu et mo[n] Droit"; upper margin delicately embellished with finely drawn penwork foliage, a heraldic lion and dragon, each bearing an upright banner, a large Tudor rose, fleur-de-lis, and the arms of England, IN VERY FINE CONDITION, in a fine giltwood frame. SEAL: Great Seal of Mary I in dark brown wax (diameter 131 mm. (5 in.), obverse depicting the enthroned queen flanked by Tudor Rose and crowned heraldic seal), pendant on heavy green and white plaited cord, two breaks repaired. A RARE INITIAL LETTER PORTRAIT OF PHILIP AND MARY, WITH SEAL Philip and Mary grant lands left by Joanna Dudley, Duchess of Northumberland: Sir Henry Sidney, the first-named recipient, was her son-in-law. Although initially out of favour under Queen Mary, owing to his close links to the Dudley faction which had opposed her accession, Sir Henry Sidney's standing steadily improved. On 8 November 1554 his grants during the reign of Edward VI were confirmed, and on 30 November in the same year, five months before the present document, King Philip stood godfather to Sidney's son, named in his honur: this was Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586), the poet and soldier, friend of Sir Edmund Spenser. Sir Henry's career was to reach its climax in his service as Lord Deputy in Ireland, 1565-1578. Philip II of Spain married Queen Mary in 1554, four years before her death: owing to the brevity of their period of joint rule, documents with initial letter portraits of both of them are rare. Provenance: The Lyttleton Papers, property of the Viscount Cobham (sale, Sotheby's, 12 December 1978, lot 27).