College of Arms

The College of Arms is a British institution responsible for granting coats of arms in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. (Scottish heraldry is independently regulated by Lord Lyon King of Arms.) The College of Arms also grants arms to citizens of other Commonwealth countries that do not have their own heraldic authorities (currently only the United Kingdom, Canada and South Africa have heraldic authorities). The college is located on Queen Victoria street in the City of London, south of St. Paul's cathedral.

The officers

The Earl Marshal, a hereditary office held by the Duke of Norfolk, oversees and controls the College, though he is not a member of that body. A coat of arms may not be granted without the consent of the Earl Marshal. Furthermore, the Earl Marshal may, in theory, hear cases and controversies relating to the use of arms in the Court of Chivalry. In practice, however, the Earl Marshal usually leaves affairs to the professional heralds of the College.

These fall into three ranks: Kings of Arms, Heralds, and Pursuivants. Each member of the College holds one of the traditional posts, viz:

• Garter Principal King of Arms, the senior King of Arms
• 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)
• Chester Herald
• Lancaster Herald
• Richmond Herald
• Somerset Herald
• Windsor Herald
• York Herald
• Bluemantle Pursuivant
• Portcullis Pursuivant
• Rouge Croix Pursuivant
• Rouge Dragon Pursuivant

(The geographic titles of the Heralds are derived from peerages currently or formerly held by the Royal family and the heraldic titles of the Pursuivants from various royal badges. Neither has more than symbolic meaning.)

The various heralds conduct their own private practice in heraldry and genealogy, receiving only nominal salaries as officers of the College (₤49.07 for the Garter Principal King of Arms, ₤20.25 for the other Kings of Arms, ₤17.80 for the Heralds, and ₤13.95 for the Pursuivants.) They serve in rota as the 'officer of the day' to handle walk-in business.

(Beyond these 'Heralds in Ordinary' who make up the college, there have been from time to time certain 'Heralds Extraordinary' who are appointed for special occasions or who assist the Earl Marshal personally. They include

• Arundel Herald Extraordinary
• Beaumont Herald Extraordinary
• Maltravers Herald Extraordinary
• New Zealand Herald Extraordinary
• Norfolk Herald Extraordinary
• Wales Herald Extraordinary
• Fitzalan Pursuivant Extraordinary)

Heralds, both in ordinary and extraordinary, also serve ceremonial roles in state functions, such as investitures and the reading of proclamations. (On these occasions, they are sometimes proceeded by state trumpeters, with whom, however, they should not be confused.)

Grants and descent of arms

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. If the Earl Marshal finds the application satisfactory (there are no specific criteria), he may 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 the arms blazoned therein to the grantee and his heirs. They, or a differenced version of them, will be inherited by all of the legitimate sons of an individual; women only inherit if there are no male heirs. For more on the system used to differentiate among brothers, see cadency.

The costs involved are quite substantial; but it should be noted that in theory 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, since (aside from the heralds' traditional nominal salaries given above), the College of Arms is not taxpayer-financed.

Name changes

The College of Arms is also responsible for recording the changes of the names. In order to change one's name, one must apply for a "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.)

Alternatively, when a Royal Licence is granted for a transfer of arms, the change of the surname of the transferee to that of the transferer may be permitted by the Licence itself, without the need for a deed poll.

See also

• UK topics