Present: “Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary”
The passport to me is symbolic of the potential an individual has to change there lives with great significance whether offering the opportunity to temporarily experience new cultures or permanently change the environment in which we live in.
The passport is an official document issued by the national government which certifies the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. A passport does not entitle the passport holder to entry into another country however it does normally entitle the passport holder to return to the country that issued the passport. It is thought King Henry V of England invented what some would consider the first true passport, however the rapid expansion of rail travel in Europe during the mid-19th century led to a breakdown in the European passport system due to the number of passengers that crossed borders during this time. Up until the First World War passports were not required for travel within Europe . However the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire maintained passport requirements for international travel, in addition to an internal passport system to control travel within there own borders. During the First World War European governments introduced border passport requirements for security reasons and to control emigration of citizen with useful skills, retaining potential manpower. These controls remained in place after the war and became standard procedure.
This particular passport which is now out of date was issued on the 24th June 2004 and expired on 24th June 2009 and contains documentation of various international countries in which I have travelled.
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