The
College of Arms, or
Heralds' College, is an office regulating
heraldryHeraldry is the profession, study, or art of devising, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound *harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
and granting new armorial bearings for
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
,
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
and
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It was founded in 1484 by
King Richard IIIRichard III was King of England from 1483 until his death. He was the last king of the House of York and the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field was the decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, and is sometimes regarded as the end of the Middle Ages in England...
, and is a
corporateIncorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organization, sports club or a government of a new city or town. This article focuses on the process of incorporation; see also corporation.-Legal benefits:*Protection of personal assets...
body consisting of the professional
heraldA herald, or, more correctly, a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is often applied erroneously to all officers of arms....
s who are delegated heraldic authority by the British monarch.
Background
Based in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, the College is one of the few remaining government heraldic authorities in Europe.
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
has its own heraldic authority in
Lord Lyon King of ArmsThe 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 country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...
and the
Court of the Lord LyonThe Court of the Lord Lyon, also known as the Lyon Court, is a standing court of law which regulates heraldry in Scotland. Like the College of Arms in England it maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, as well as records of...
. The College also grants arms to citizens of other
CommonwealthThe Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
countries that do not have their own heraldic authorities. (
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
have their own heraldic authorities, the
Canadian Heraldic AuthorityThe Canadian Heraldic Authority is part of the Canadian honours system under the Queen of Canada, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General. The Authority is responsible for the creation and granting of new coats of arms , flags and badges for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and...
and the
Bureau of HeraldryThe Bureau of Heraldry is the South African heraldic authority, established in Pretoria on 1 June 1963. It is headed by a National Herald and its functions are to register arms, badges, flags and seals , to keep a public register, to issue registration certificates and, since 1980, to advise the...
, respectively.)
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 heiressIn English heraldry an heraldic heiress is a daughter of deceased man who was entitled to a coat of arms and who carries forward the right to those arms for the benefit of her future male descendents...
es) 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
genealogyGenealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
and the many
pedigreePedigree can refer to:* Pedigreed animals or purebreds.** Plant breeding - Sometimes referred to as pedigree.* Pedigree chart, a document to record ancestry, used by genealogists in study of human family lines, and in selective breeding of animals....
s (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
auditThe general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. Audits are performed to ascertain the validity and reliability of information; also to provide an assessment of a system's internal control...
ed and require official proofs before being altered.
Heralds were originally
messengerMessenger is a person or thing that carries a message.Messenger may also refer to:-Biology and chemistry:* Chemical messenger or Hormone, a molecule used for cellular signalling...
s; 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
accessionIn the United Kingdom, the Accession Council is a ceremonial body which assembles in St. James's Palace upon the death of a monarch, to make a formal proclamation of the accession of his or her successor to the throne, and to receive a religious oath from the new monarch...
of a new
sovereignSovereign may refer to:*Sovereignty, a philosophical concept or state*Sovereign *Sovereign Hill, Victoria, Australia*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign wealth fund, type of investment funds...
. They also have a part in planning for and guiding participants through state ceremonies, such as
coronationsThe Coronation of the British Monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...
, the introduction of new
peersThe Peerage is a system of titles in the United Kingdom, which represents the upper ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system. The term is used both collectively to refer to the entire body of titles, and individually to refer to a specific title...
into the
House of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". Parliament comprises the Sovereign, the House of Commons , and the Lords...
, and the ceremonies of
orders of chivalryThe British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom. The system consists of three types of award: honours, decorations and medals:...
. For these public appearances, the officers of the college wear costume representing their place in the
Royal HouseholdThe Royal Household in all the early medieval monarchies of Western Europe formed the basis for the general government of the country. In the modern period in Europe, royal households have become increasingly separate from government, where they still exist....
, either simple red
liveryA livery is a uniform or other insignia or symbol worn in a non-military context on a person or object to denote a relationship with a person or corporate body, often by using elements of the heraldry relating to that person or body, or a personal emblem, and normally given by them. It derives...
or the herald's traditional colourful outfit of a
tabardA tabard is a short coat, either sleeveless, or with short sleeves or shoulder pieces, which was a common item of men's clothing in the Middle Ages, usually for outdoors. It might be belted, or not...
emblazoned with his master's arms (in this case the
royal armsThe 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 known as her Arms of Dominion...
). On these occasions they are sometimes preceded by state
trumpetThe trumpet is a musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BC...
ers (with whom they should not be confused).
The College of Arms occupies a building on
Queen Victoria Street, LondonQueen Victoria Street, named after the British monarch from 1837 to 1901 is a long street in the City of London which runs east by north from its junction with New Bridge Street in Castle Baynard Ward , along a section that divides those of Queenhithe and Bread Street , then lastly through the...
in the
City of LondonThe City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, not far to the south of St. Paul's Cathedral. The site was granted to the college when it was re-incorporated by
PhilipPhilip II was King of Spain and Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, during his wife Mary Tudor's reign, King of England and Ireland...
and
Mary IMary I , was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 19 July 1553 until her death. She was the oldest daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. The fourth crowned monarch of the Tudor dynasty, she is remembered for restoring England to Roman Catholicism after succeeding her short-lived...
in 1555, and the present 17th century building dates from after the
Great Fire of LondonThe Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
in 1666.
On the morning of February 5, 2009, a fire broke out on the top floor of the College building. The fire brigade were called immediately and the building was safely evacuated with no casualties. There was also no damage to any of the records and the building remained open for business whilst repairs took place.
The officers
The
Earl MarshalEarl Marshal is an ancient chivalric title used separately in England, Ireland and the United Kingdom, and formerly in Scotland.- England :...
, an hereditary office held by the
Duke of NorfolkThe Duke of Norfolk is the Premier Duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the Premier Earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
, 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 ChivalryHer Majesty's High Court of Chivalry of England and Wales is a civil court in England. It has had jurisdiction in cases of the misuse of heraldic arms since the fourteenth century....
, although the court has not sat since 1954. In practice, the Earl Marshal usually leaves affairs to the professional
heraldA herald, or, more correctly, a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is often applied erroneously to all officers of arms....
s of the College.
There are, historically, three levels of officers of arms:
Kings of ArmsKing of Arms is the senior rank of an officer of arms. In many heraldic traditions, only a king of arms has the authority to grant armorial bearings. In other traditions, the power has been delegated to other officers of similar rank.-Heraldic duties:...
,
HeraldA herald, or, more correctly, a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is often applied erroneously to all officers of arms....
s and
PursuivantA Pursuivant, or more correctly a pursuivant of arms, is a junior officer of arms. Most pursuivants are attached to official heraldic authorities, such as the College of Arms in London or the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh. In the mediaeval era, many great nobles employed their own officers of...
s. The officers of arms occupy posts bearing traditional titles with royal connotations:
- Kings of Arms:
- Garter Principal King of Arms
The Garter Principal King of Arms is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms. He is therefore the most powerful herald within the juristiction of the College – primarily England, Wales and Northern Ireland – and so arguably the most powerful in...
, the senior King of Arms (his title is a reference to the Order of the GarterThe Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry, or knighthood, originating in medieval England, and presently bestowed on recipients in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms; it is the pinnacle of the honours system in the United Kingdom...
)
- Clarenceux King of Arms
Clarenceux King of Arms is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Clarenceux is the senior of the two provincial kings of arms and his jurisdiction is that part of England south of the River Trent. The office almost certainly existed in 1420, and there is a fair degree of...
, whose "province" is the part of EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
south of the River TrentThe River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire between Biddulph and Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent is...
- Norroy and Ulster King of Arms
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. The current office is the combination of two former appointments...
, 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
The Peerage is a system of titles in the United Kingdom, which represents the upper ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system. The term is used both collectively to refer to the entire body of titles, and individually to refer to a specific title...
titles historically associated with the monarchy:
- Chester Herald of Arms in Ordinary
Chester Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. The office of Chester Herald dates from the 14th century, and it is reputed that the holder was herald to Edward, Prince of Wales, the Black Prince. In the reign of King Richard II the officer was attached...
- Lancaster Herald of Arms in Ordinary
Lancaster Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an English officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. The title of Lancaster Herald first occurs in 1347 at Calais, and to begin with this officer was a servant to the noble house of Lancaster...
- Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary
Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms of the College of Arms. From 1421 to 1485 Richmond was a herald to John, Duke of Bedford, George, Duke of Clarence, and Henry, Earl of Richmond, all of whom held the Honour of Richmond...
- Somerset Herald of Arms in Ordinary
Somerest Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. In the year 1448 Somerset Herald is known to have served the Duke of Somerset, but by the time of the coronation of King Henry VII in 1485 his successor appears to have been raised to the rank of a royal...
- Windsor Herald of Arms in Ordinary
Windsor Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. It has been suggested that the office was instituted specifically for the Order of the Garter in 1348, or that it predates the Order and was in use as early as 1338...
- York Herald of Arms in Ordinary
York Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms. The first York Herald is believed to have been an officer to Edmund of Langley, Duke of York around the year 1385, but the first completely reliable reference to such a herald is in February of 1484, when John Water...
- Pursuivants, whose titles invoke various heraldic badge
In heraldry, a badge is an emblem or personal device used to indicate allegiance to or property of an individual or family.Physical badges were common in the Middle Ages particularly in England. They would be made of base metal and worn on the clothing of the followers of the person in question....
s associated with the monarchy:
- Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms in London. The office is reputed to have been created by King Henry V to serve the Order of the Garter, but there is no documentary evidence of this. There is, however, mention of an officer styled...
- Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. The office is named after the Portcullis chained Or badge of the Beauforts, which was a favourite device of King Henry VII. King Henry's mother was Lady Margaret Beaufort. The office was...
- Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms. The office is named after St George's Cross which has been a symbol of England since the time of the Crusades...
- Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms, named after the red dragon of Wales.The current Rouge Dragon Pursuivant is Clive Edwin Alexander Cheesman, MA PhD .-Holders of the office:...
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 IJames I was nominal King of Scots from 4 April 1406 until his death, although his effective reign only began in May 1424.He spent the earlier part of his reign as a prisoner in England...
but reduced by
William IVWilliam IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death on 20 June 1837...
in the 1830s. The salaries of the officers of arms are listed below, which is not taxable income:
- £
The pound sterling , often simply called the pound, is the currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and British Antarctic Territory...
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. 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
Arundel Herald of Arms Extraordinary is a supernumerary Officer of Arms in England. Though a royal herald, Arundel is not a member of the College of Arms, and was originally a private herald in the household of Thomas Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel. He is known to have served the Earl both in Portugal...
- Beaumont Herald of Arms Extraordinary
Beaumont Herald of Arms Extraordinary is an officer of arms extraordinary in England. Beaumont is a royal herald, but is not a member of the College of Arms. The office was created in 1982 and named after the barony of Beaumont, one of the subsidiary titles of the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk...
- Maltravers Herald of Arms Extraordinary
Maltravers Herald of Arms Extraordinary is a current officer of arms extraordinary in England. As such, Maltravers is a royal herald, but is not a member of the College of Arms in London. The present office was created in 1887 by the Earl Marshal, who was also the Duke of Norfolk and Baron...
- Norfolk Herald of Arms Extraordinary
Norfolk Herald of Arms Extraordinary is an officer of arms in England. As an officer extraordinary, Norfolk is a royal herald, though not a member of the corporation of the College of Arms in London. Beginning in 1539 this officer was a herald to the dukes of Norfolk, though the first holder,...
- Surrey Herald of Arms Extraordinary
Surrey Herald of Arms Extraordinary was an English officer of arms. Though an officer of the crown, Surrey Herald Extraordinary was not a member of the corporation of the College of Arms in London. This office was created in 1856 and first held by Edward Stephen Dendy. The badge of office was...
- Wales Herald of Arms Extraordinary
Wales Herald of Arms Extraordinary is a current English officer of arms extraordinary. Wales is a royal herald, but is not a member of the chapter of the College of Arms. There was a Wales Herald in the late fourteenth century, but the office was shortlived. It was re-established in 1963 as an...
- Fitzalan Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary
Fitzalan Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary is a current officer of arms in England. As a pursuivant extraordinary, Fitzalan is a royal officer of arms, but is not a member of the corporation of the College of Arms in London...
One special case is that of
New Zealand Herald ExtraordinaryNew Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary is the officer of arms responsible for the regulation of heraldry in New Zealand. Although affiliated with the College of Arms in London, New Zealand Herald lives and works in New Zealand, and is not a member of the College Chapter...
, who, although not a member of the college, holds a permanent post created to oversee heraldry in
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
; he works together with the college to grant new arms for people and bodies in that country (where he himself lives and works).
Grants and descent of arms
The Kings of Arms grant coats of arms by
letters patentLetters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of an open letter issued by a monarch or government, granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or to some entity such as a corporation. The opposite of letters patent are letters close , which are personal in nature...
. Before they can even consider the granting of arms, an application must be made to the Earl Marshal, and a fee paid.
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
gentlemanThe term gentleman , in its original and strict signification, denoted a man of good family, analogous to the Latin generosus...
. 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.
In 1673, the authority of the
Earl MarshalEarl Marshal is an ancient chivalric title used separately in England, Ireland and the United Kingdom, and formerly in Scotland.- England :...
, 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.
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-JonesPeter Llewellyn Gwynn-Jones, CVO is a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He is the current Garter Principal King of Arms, the senior English officer of arms.-Life and career:...
, 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)
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
cadencyIn heraldry, cadency is any systematic way of distinguishing similar coats of arms belonging to members of the same family. Cadency is necessary in heraldic systems in which a given design may be owned by only one person at once...
, 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 an
heraldic heiressIn English heraldry an heraldic heiress is a daughter of deceased man who was entitled to a coat of arms and who carries forward the right to those arms for the benefit of her future male descendents...
and may transmit the arms to her children as a quartering with their father's arms, and so consequently to their descendants.
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. Currently, the cost of an individual personal grant of both arms and crest is £3,950 as of January 2008. 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 pollA deed of change of name is a legal document in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, which enables a single person or a family to officially change their name...
to be entered on the College's registers and published in the
London GazetteThe London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the UK, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
. (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 transferor may be permitted by the Licence itself, with no need of a deed poll.
In fiction
The College of Arms is featured in the 1969
James BondJames Bond 007 is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. The character has also been used in the longest running and most financially successful English language film franchise to date, starting in 1962 with Dr...
film
On Her Majesty's Secret ServiceOn Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, and the only one to star George Lazenby as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
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 GloriaPiz Gloria is the name of the revolving restaurant on the Schilthorn near Mürren in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. The cable car station and the restaurant were built by the Bernese architect, Konrad Wolf...
. Bray tells Bond information on Blofeld's genealogical claim to be "Count Balthazzar de Bleuchamp", and even shows Bond his own distinctive coat of arms with the family motto: "The World is Not Enough" (which was used as the title of
the 19th Bond film The World Is Not Enough is the nineteenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film was directed by Michael Apted, with the original story and screenplay written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Bruce Feirstein. It was...
). In the book on which the film is based, Blofeld claims to be the "Compte de Bleuville," and the College of Arms selects the alter ego of Sir Hilary Bray for Bond, Bray being a person who lives in the hills of Scotland and is rarely seen.
External links