The entrance of the College of Arms. At the top, the Royal Arms can be seen. Below the name is the shield of the College itself. The banner bears the arms of William George Hunt, the officer in waiting on the day the picture was taken.

The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, in London is one of the few remaining government heraldic authorities in Europe. It was founded in 1484 by King Richard III, and is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings. As its name suggests, it is a corporate body consisting of the professional heralds who are delegated heraldic authority by the Queen for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. (Scotland is not included, as that country has its own heraldic authority: Lord Lyon King of Arms and his office.) The college also grants arms to citizens of other Commonwealth countries that do not have their own heraldic authorities. (Canada and South Africa have their own heraldic authorities, the Canadian Heraldic Authority and the Bureau of Heraldry, respectively.) Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1200 × 1600 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1200 × 1600 pixel, file size: 1. ... The Royal Arms as used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch, and are officially... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... William Hunt (centre) in the procession to the annual service of the Order of the Garter William George Hunt, TD, FCA is the current Windsor Herald of Arms in Ordinary at the College of Arms in London. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Year 1484 was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar). ... Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 1483 until his death. ... Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. ... Heraldry is the science and art of describing coats-of-arms, also referred to as achievements or armorial bearings. ... Incorporation (abbreviated Inc. ... A herald was originally a messenger sent by a king or nobleman to convey a message or proclamation. ... This article is about the monarchy of the United Kingdom, one of sixteen that share a common monarch; for information about this constitutional relationship, see Commonwealth realm; for information on the reigning monarch, see Elizabeth II. For information about other Commonwealth realm monarchies, as well as other relevant articles, see... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: ) is a part of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... This article is about the country. ... Arms of the Office of the Lord Lyon The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that kingdom, issuing new grants of arms, and... The Court of the Lord Lyon, also know as Lyon Court, is the institution which regulates heraldry in Scotland. ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2006 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Secretary-General Don McKinnon (since 1 April 2000) Establishment  -  Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926   -  Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931   -  London Declaration 28 April 1949  Area  -  Total... Badge of the Canadian Heraldic Authority The Canadian Heraldic Authority is an agency of the Government of Canada responsible for heraldry in Canada. ... The Bureau of Heraldry is the South African heraldic authority, It was established in Pretoria on 1 June 1963. ...

In addition to designing and granting new arms, the College fields many requests from people attempting to demonstrate descent from an armigerous (arms-bearing) person; a person descended in the male line (or through heraldic heiresses) from such an ancestor may be reissued that ancestor's arms (with differencing marks if necessary to distinguish from senior-line cousins). To that end, the college is involved in genealogy and the many pedigrees (family trees) in their records, although not open to the public, have official status. Anyone may register a pedigree with the college, where they are carefully internally audited and require official proofs before being altered. For other uses, see inheritance (disambiguation). ... Genealogy is the study and tracing of family pedigrees. ... A pedigree is a list of ancestors (usually implying distinguished), a list of ancestors of the same breed (usually in the case of animals), the purity of a breed, individual, or strain, or a document proving any of these things. ... The most general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, project or product. ...

Heralds were originally messengers; and to this day the officers of the College of Arms occasionally step back into that role by publicly reading Royal proclamations, notably at the accession of a new sovereign. They also have a part in planning for and guiding participants through state ceremonies, such as coronations, the introduction of new peers into the House of Lords, and the ceremonies of orders of chivalry. For these public appearances, the officers of the college wear costume representing their place in the Royal Household, either simple red livery or the herald's traditional colourful outfit of a tabard emblazoned with his master's arms (in this case the royal arms). On these occasions they are sometimes preceded by state trumpeters (with whom they should not be confused). In the United Kingdom, the Accession Council proclaims a new monarch upon the death of a previous monarch. ... British coronations are held in Westminster Abbey. ... For other uses, see Peerage (disambiguation). ... The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as the Lords. The Sovereign, the House of Commons (which is the lower house of Parliament and referred to as the Commons), and the Lords together comprise the Parliament. ... The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom. ... In all the medieval monarchies of western Europe the general system of government sprang from, and centred in, the royal household. ... A tabard worn by Francis Sedley Andrus, Beaumont Herald of Arms Extraordinary. ... The Royal Arms as used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch, and are officially... The trumpet is the highest brass instrument in register, above the French horn, trombone, baritone, euphonium, and tuba. ...

The College of Arms occupies a building on Queen Victoria Street in the City of London, not far to the south of St. Paul's Cathedral. The site was granted to the college when it was re-incorporated by Philip and Mary I in 1555, and the present 17th century building dates from after the Great Fire of London in 1666. Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state United Kingdom Constituent country England Region Greater London Status sui generis, City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government  - Leadership see text  - Mayor John Stuttard  - MP Mark Field  - London Assembly John Biggs Area  - City  1. ... St Pauls Cathedral is a cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London in London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. ... Philip II (Spanish: Felipe II de Habsburgo; Portuguese: Filipe I) (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598) was the first official King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, King of Naples and Sicily from 1554 until 1598, king consort of England (as husband of Mary I) from 1554 to 1558, Lord... Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 6 July 1553 (de facto) or 19 July 1553 (de jure) until her death on 17 November 1558. ... Events Russia breaks 60 year old truce with Sweden by attacking Finland February 2 - Diet of Augsburg begins February 4 - John Rogers becomes first Protestant martyr in England February 9 - Bishop of Gloucester John Hooper is burned at the stake May 23 - Paul IV becomes Pope. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Detail of painting from 1666 of the Great Fire of London by an unknown artist, depicting the fire as it would have appeared on the evening of Tuesday, 4 September from a boat in the vicinity of Tower Wharf. ... 1666 is often called Annus Mirabilis. ...

The College of Arms is featured in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service where James Bond visits his friend and mentor Sir Hillary Bray who permits Bond to impersonate him so he can spy on Blofeld's base Piz Gloria and Bray tells him information on Blofeld's geneological claim Count Balthazzar de Bleuchamp, and he even shows Bond his own distinctive coat of arms with the family motto: the world is not enough (this was used for the title of the 19th Bond film The World Is Not Enough). Flemings image of James Bond; commissioned to aid the Daily Express comic strip artists. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Piz Gloria is the name of the panoramic restaurant on the Schilthorn near Mürren in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. ... The World Is Not Enough is a 1999 spy film. ...

The officers

The full armorial achievement of the College of Arms taken from Lant's Roll of about 1595

The Earl Marshal, an hereditary office held by the Duke of Norfolk, oversees the College, though he is not a member of that body; arms may not be granted without his consent. Furthermore, the Earl Marshal may, in theory, hear cases and controversies relating to the use of arms in the Court of Chivalry, although the court has not sat since 1954. In practice, the Earl Marshal usually leaves affairs to the professional heralds of the College. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 562 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1142 × 1218 pixel, file size: 482 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) +/- File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): College of Arms... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 562 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1142 × 1218 pixel, file size: 482 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) +/- File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): College of Arms... Thomas Lant in a 1587 engraving based on his own work Thomas Lant (1554—1601) was a draftsman and long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. ... Earl Marshal (alternatively Marschal or Marischal) is an ancient chivalric title used separately in England, Ireland and the United Kingdom. ... Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk holding the baton of the Earl Marshal. ... The Court of Chivalry is a civil court in England. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Heralds, wearing tabards, in procession to St. ...

There are, historically, three levels of officers of arms: Kings of Arms, Heralds, and Pursuivants. The officers of arms occupy posts bearing traditional titles with royal connotations: Banners of the arms of office of the three current English Kings of Arms. ... Heralds, wearing tabards, in procession to St. ... The Honourable Adam Bruce, Finlaggan Pursuivant of Arms. ...

• Kings of Arms:
  • Garter Principal King of Arms, the senior King of Arms (his title is a reference to the Order of the Garter)
  • Clarenceux King of Arms, whose "province" is the part of England south of the River Trent
  • Norroy and Ulster King of Arms, whose "province" is the part of England north of the River Trent (Norroy) and Northern Ireland (Ulster)
• Heralds, whose titles are references to places or peerage titles historically associated with the monarchy:
  • Chester Herald of Arms in Ordinary
  • Lancaster Herald of Arms in Ordinary
  • Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary
  • Somerset Herald of Arms in Ordinary
  • Windsor Herald of Arms in Ordinary
  • York Herald of Arms in Ordinary
• Pursuivants, whose titles invoke various heraldic badges associated with the monarchy:
  • Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
  • Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
  • Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
  • Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary

The various officers of arms have their own private practices in heraldry and genealogy, and receive only nominal salaries as officers of the College. These salaries were set centuries ago and reflect the living costs of the day. They were fixed at higher levels by James I but reduced by William IV in the 1830s. The salaries of the officers of arms are listed below, which is not taxable income: Garter Principal King of Arms is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms. ... The insignia of a knight of the Order of the Garter. ... Clarenceux King of Arms is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses see Trent River. ... Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is one of the senior Officers of Arms of the College of Arms, and the junior of the two provincial Kings of Arms. ... For other uses, see Peerage (disambiguation). ... Chester Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. ... The Lancaster Herald is an officer of arms of the College of Arms, named after the Duchy of Lancaster and the city of Lancaster. ... Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms of the College of Arms. ... The Somerest Herald is an officer of arms of the College of Arms, named after the Duke of Somerset and the English county of Somerset. ... The Windsor Herald is an officer of arms of the College of Arms, named after the Barony of Windsor and the town of Windsor. ... York Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms. ... Heraldic badges were common in the Middle Ages particularly in England. ... The heraldic badge of Bluemantle Pursuivant Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms in London. ... The Portcullis Pursuivant is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms named after the portcullis which is a symbol of Parliament and the Palace of Westminster. ... The Rouge Croix Pursuivant is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms named after St Georges Cross. ... The Rouge Dragon Pursuivant is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms, named after the red dragon of Wales. ... James I (December 10, 1394 – February 21, 1437) reigned as King of Scots from April 4, 1406 until February 21, 1437. ... William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death. ... // Electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday Evolutionary theorist Charles Darwins expedition on the HMS Beagle. ...

• £49.07 per annum for Garter Principal King of Arms,
• £20.25 per annum for the provincial Kings of Arms,
• £17.80 per annum for the Heralds,
• and £13.95 per annum for the Pursuivants.

They serve on rotation as the "officer in waiting" to handle walk-in business at the college's premises. “GBP” redirects here. ...

Beyond these "Heralds in Ordinary", "Heralds Extraordinary" can be appointed to take part in special ceremonial occasions or to assist the Earl Marshal personally; they are not members of the college. Among the extraordinary heralds have been—

• Arundel Herald of Arms Extraordinary
• Beaumont Herald of Arms Extraordinary
• Maltravers Herald of Arms Extraordinary
• Norfolk Herald of Arms Extraordinary
• Surrey Herald of Arms Extraordinary
• Wales Herald of Arms Extraordinary
• Fitzalan Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary

One special case is that of New Zealand Herald Extraordinary, who, although not a member of the college, is a permanent post created to oversee heraldry in New Zealand; he works together with the college to grant new arms for people and bodies in that country (where he himself lives and works). Arundel Herald of Arms Extraordinary is an supernumery Officer of Arms in England. ... Beaumont Herald of Arms Extraordinary is an officer of arms extraordinary in England. ... Maltravers Herald of Arms Extraordinary is a current officer of arms extraordinary in England. ... Norfolk Herald of Arms Extraordinary is an officer of arms in England. ... Surrey Herald of Arms Extraordinary was an English officer of arms. ... Wales Herald of Arms Extraordinary is a current English officer of arms extraordinary. ... Fitzalan Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary is an current officer of arms in England. ... The New Zealand Herald Extraordinary is a herald responsible for the regulation of heraldry in New Zealand. ...

Grants and descent of arms

The College of Arms building in Queen Victoria Street, London, England

The Kings of Arms grant coats of arms by letters patent. Before they can even consider the granting of arms, an application must be made to the Earl Marshal, and a fee paid. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (3888 × 2592 pixel, file size: 5. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (3888 × 2592 pixel, file size: 5. ... Letters Patent by Queen Victoria creating the office of Governor-General of Australia Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of an open letter issued by a monarch or government granting an office, a right, monopoly, title, or status to someone or some entity such as...

The Kings of Arms are authorised in their patents of appointment to grant (with the consent of the Earl Marshal) to "eminent men", a phrase which first appeared in the patent of appointment of Stephen Leake as Clarenceux King of Arms in 1741. Originally, the test applied was one of wealth or social status, because any man entitled to bear a coat of arms was expected to be a gentleman. By 1530, the heralds applied a property qualification, requiring successful candidates for a grant of arms to have an income from land of £10 per annum, or movable wealth of £300. But since the heralds receive fees for granting arms, they have always had an incentive to be generous rather than restrictive in their interpretation of who should be allowed a grant. In 1616, Ralphe Brooke, York Herald, tricked Garter King of Arms, Segar, into granting a coat of arms to the common hangman for a fee of 22 shillings. For other uses, see Gentleman (disambiguation). ...

In 1673, the authority of the Earl Marshal, which the heralds had challenged, was established in its modern form by a royal declaration which stated, among other things, that no patents of arms should be granted without his consent. This established the system, which is still operated, whereby royal authority to approve candidates for grants of arms is exercised by the Earl Marshal, and royal authority to grant the arms themselves is exercised by the Kings of Arms from the College of Arms. The application to the Earl Marshal (the Duke of Norfolk) is in the form of a petition, called a "Memorial", in the name of the prospective grantee. The wording of the Memorial is important because it is closely followed (for example, as to the description of the grantee of arms by profession, place of residence, etc) in any subsequent Letters Patent containing the grant of arms. Earl Marshal (alternatively Marschal or Marischal) is an ancient chivalric title used separately in England, Ireland and the United Kingdom. ...

There are no fixed criteria as to whether a modern application for a grant of arms should be allowed. If a herald is approached and does not consider that the application has merit, he may tactfully suggest to the applicant that he or she should not proceed. If it does proceed, its success or otherwise will depend on the approval of the Earl Marshal, who may apply his own standards. Peter Gwynn-Jones, Garter King of Arms, has recently written that "In practice, eligibility depends upon holding a civil or military commission, a sound university degree or professional qualification, or having achieved some measure of distinction in a field beneficial to society as a whole." (Gwynn-Jones, 1998; p 121) Peter Llewellyn Gwynn-Jones CVO, Garter Principal King of Arms, the senior English herald. ...

If the Earl Marshal finds the application in the "Memorial" satisfactory, he will grant a Warrant authorising the Kings of Arms to proceed with the designing of arms. One of the heralds then works with the applicant to devise arms pleasing to him as well as heraldically correct. Once a final form is reached, the Kings of Arms grant letters patent (colourfully illuminated and decorated) authorising the use of arms blazoned therein to the grantee and his heirs.

They, or a differenced version of them using marks of cadency, will be inherited by all of the legitimate children of an individual and such children and their descendants may bear the arms (or a differenced version of them) from the moment of birth: they do not (as with other inheritance) have to wait for the death of the previous generation. Nor is there any requirement for the College of Arms to approve the use of the arms in each generation: the original grant of arms is the only authority required. Although daughters and sons inherit the right to bear arms for themselves personally, the right passes only through the male line: hence, a son transmits the arms to his children, but a daughter, while bearing them for herself, does not transmit them to her children. A partial exception to this rule is the case of a woman who has no brothers, or whose brothers have no issue; such a woman is called a heraldic heiress and may transmit the arms to her children as a quartering with their father's arms, and so consequently to their descendents. In heraldry, cadency is any systematic way of distinguishing similar coats of arms belonging to members of the same family. ... Divisions of the field is a heraldic term referring to the pattern on a shield. ...

The costs involved are quite substantial. The applicant does not buy a coat of arms: the arms themselves are freely given, but fees must be paid to the heralds and artists involved as professionals, and to support the buildings and other running costs of the College. Aside from the heralds' traditional nominal salaries, given above, the College of Arms is not financed by the taxpayer.

Name changes

The College of Arms is also responsible for recording the changes of names, should the person concerned wish to publicise the fact. In order to change one's name, one must apply for the relevant deed poll to be entered on the College's registers and published in the London Gazette. (The deed poll is not entered on the registers, but is still published, if the name change does not amend the surname.) A Deed of Change of Name is a legal document which enables a single person or a family to officially change his, her or their name and is bound to that contract. ... The London Gazette , front page from Monday 3 - 10 September 1666, reporting on the Great Fire of London. ...

Alternatively, when a Royal Licence is granted for a transfer of arms, the change of the surname of the transferee to that of the transferor may be permitted by the Licence itself, with no need of a deed poll.

See also

• Officer of Arms

Banners bearing heraldic badges of several officers of arms at the College of Arms in London. ...

References

• Gwynn-Jones, P. Ll. (1998) The Art of Heraldry : origins, symbols, designs, London : Parkgate, ISBN 1-85585-560-7

External link

• The College of Arms

Coordinates: 51°30′43.65″N, 00°05′55.67″W Earl Marshal (alternatively Marschal or Marischal) is an ancient chivalric title used separately in England, Ireland and the United Kingdom. ... The Court of Chivalry is a civil court in England. ... Banners of the arms of office of the three current English Kings of Arms. ... Garter Principal King of Arms is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms. ... Clarenceux King of Arms is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. ... Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is one of the senior Officers of Arms of the College of Arms, and the junior of the two provincial Kings of Arms. ... Heralds, wearing tabards, in procession to St. ... Chester Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. ... The Lancaster Herald is an officer of arms of the College of Arms, named after the Duchy of Lancaster and the city of Lancaster. ... Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms of the College of Arms. ... The Somerest Herald is an officer of arms of the College of Arms, named after the Duke of Somerset and the English county of Somerset. ... The Windsor Herald is an officer of arms of the College of Arms, named after the Barony of Windsor and the town of Windsor. ... York Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms. ... The Honourable Adam Bruce, Finlaggan Pursuivant of Arms. ... The heraldic badge of Bluemantle Pursuivant Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms in London. ... The Portcullis Pursuivant is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms named after the portcullis which is a symbol of Parliament and the Palace of Westminster. ... The Rouge Croix Pursuivant is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms named after St Georges Cross. ... The Rouge Dragon Pursuivant is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms, named after the red dragon of Wales. ... Banners bearing heraldic badges of several officers of arms at the College of Arms in London. ... Arundel Herald of Arms Extraordinary is an supernumery Officer of Arms in England. ... Beaumont Herald of Arms Extraordinary is an officer of arms extraordinary in England. ... Fitzalan Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary is an current officer of arms in England. ... Maltravers Herald of Arms Extraordinary is a current officer of arms extraordinary in England. ... Norfolk Herald of Arms Extraordinary is an officer of arms in England. ... Wales Herald of Arms Extraordinary is a current English officer of arms extraordinary. ... Surrey Herald of Arms Extraordinary was an English officer of arms. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...