MADNESS OF KING GEORGE III: despatch box!

Despatch box, , ministerial box, or document box carried byministers in the British government. Similar in appearance to a briefcase, they are primarily used to hold and transport official departmentalpapers from place to place.

The Red Box.

"Red box" is the informal term given to the despatch box.

The design of the boxes has changed little since the 1860s. Covered in red stained rams' leather, it is embossed with the Royal Cypher and ministerial title. The 2 or 3 kg boxes are constructed of slow-grown pine, lined with lead and black satin and, unlike a briefcase, the lock is on the bottom, opposite the hinges and the handle, to guarantee that the box is locked before being carried

The colour red, the dominate colour of Prince Albert's royal crest, has remained the traditional covering of the boxes. The lead lining, which has been retained in modern boxes, was once meant to ensure that the box sank when thrown overboard in the event of capture. Also bomb-proof, they are designed to survive any catastrophe that may befall their owner.

Exceptions to the red colouring are those carried by the government whips, which are covered in black leather. Discreet black boxes are also available for ministers who need to travel by train. Traditionally, when ministers leave office, they are permitted to retain one of the red (or black) boxes as a memento.

Other red boxes of note are the ones delivered to the British Sovereign every day (except Christmas Day and Easter Day) by government departments, via the Page of the Presence. These boxes contain Cabinet and Foreign and Commonwealth Office documents, most of which the monarch must sign and give Royal Assent to, before they can become law (an essential part of the role of a constitutional monarch).