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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.1 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 ArmsKing of Arms is the title given to a kingdom's chief heralds. In the United Kingdom today, there is one king of arms for Scotland, Lord Lyon King of Arms and three at the College of Arms in London (with jurisdiction over England, Wales, and Northern Irela, Heralds, and PursuivantA Pursuivant is a minor herald. See also College of Arms Lyon Court.s. Each member of the College holds one of the following traditional posts:
- 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 TrentThe River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire between Biddulph and Mow Cop and its course flows through the Midlands until it joins the Humber Estuary and then the North Sea. It is unusual, in England, for flowing N
- Norroy and Ulster King of Arms, whose "province" is the part of England north of the River Trent (Norroy) and Northern Ireland (Ulster)
- ChesterThis article is about Chester in England. For other towns named after Chester see Chester (disambiguation). Chester is the county town of Cheshire in the north-west of England, close to the border with Wales. It is one of the best-preserved walled cities Herald
- LancasterLancaster is the name of several places around the world: Lancaster, England Lancaster, Ontario, Canada Lancaster, California, United States Lancaster, Kansas, United States Lancaster, Kentucky, United States Lancaster, Massachusetts, United States Lancas Herald
- RichmondRichmond may refer to multiple places: Australia Richmond, New South Wales Richmond, Queensland Richmond, Tasmania Richmond, Victoria Canada Richmond, British Columbia Richmond, Ontario Richmond, Prince Edward Island Richmond, Quebec federal electoral dis Herald
- SomersetThis page is about the county of Somerset in the United Kingdom. For other meanings of Somerset, see Somerset (disambiguation). Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. Somerset adjoins Gloucestershire to the north east, Wiltshire to the east, D 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.)
