L'Académie Internationale d'Héraldique (known in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

as the International Academy Of Heraldry) was founded in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in 1949 to bring together experts in

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...

representing the various areas of the world. Admission is by

election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

, and the number of active ''academicians'' is limited to 75. There is no limit to the number of ''associate members''. The general assembly usually meets once a year, and the headquarters of L'Académie are in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. The Académie's aim is to centralize the heraldic studies on the basis of the largest possible international cooperation. Applications for admission are addressed to L'Académie in writing and must have the sponsorship of to members of the Council. On a bi-yearly basis, the Académie holds the ''International Heraldic Colloquium''. Recent colloquia have been held in Antwerp (2019) and Copenhagen (2017). Current president (since 2022) is

Elizabeth Roads Elizabeth Ann Roads, (née Bruce; born 1951) is a former Scottish herald, an office from which she retired in 2021; in July 2018 she retired as Lyon Clerk at the Court of the Lord Lyon Personal life and education Elizabeth Roads is the dau ...

(UK).

Prominent members of L'Académie

* Luigi Borgia (former director of the State Archive of Arezzo and professor of heraldry at the School of Archival and Paleography of the State Archive of Florence) *

Claire Boudreau Claire Boudreau, (1965 - November 17, 2020) was a Canadian historian, genealogist, and officer of arms. She served as a herald in the Canadian Heraldic Authority from March 17, 1997 in the office of Saguenay Herald and later as Saint-Laurent Her ...

* D'Arcy Boulton *

Cecil Humphery-Smith Cecil Raymond Julian Humphery-Smith (29 October 1928 – 12 January 2021) was a British genealogist and heraldist. Early life Cecil Humphery-Smith was born on 29 October 1928 to Frederick Humphery-Smith of Burgess Hill, West Sussex, a company ...

Michel Pastoureau Michel Pastoureau (born 17 June 1947) is a French professor of medieval history and an expert in Western symbology. Biography Pastoureau was born in Paris on 17 June 1947. He studied at the École Nationale des Chartes, a college for prospective ...

Hervé Pinoteau Baron Hervé Pinoteau (19 July 1927 – 24 November 2020) was a French historian and royalist apologist. He was the author of more than 900 articles and 22 books primarily on history and heraldry. Biography Pinoteau was born in Paris. From 1950 ...

(former vice president of the Académie Internationale d'Héraldique and historian). *

Gerard Slevin Gerard Slevin (1 November 1919 – 18 January 1997) was born in Cork, Ireland. Slevin was assistant to Edward McLysaght, the Chief Herald of Ireland, from 1944 to 1954, at which time he succeeded McLysaght. He held this position for 27 years until ...

Hallvard Trætteberg Hallvard Trætteberg (1898 in Løten – 21 November 1987 in Oslo) was the leading Norwegian heraldic artist and the expert adviser on heraldry to the Government of Norway and the Norwegian Royal Family for much of the 20th century. From about ...

Auguste Vachon Auguste Georges Vachon, is a Canadians, Canadian Officer of Arms, officer of arms. He held the post of Saint-Laurent Herald, Saint-Laurent Herald of Arms in Ordinary at the Canadian Heraldic Authority from its foundation in 1988 until his retirem ...

Robert Watt Robert Douglas Watt, (born 1945) is a former Canadian museum curator and officer of arms who served as the first Chief Herald of Canada. He was appointed at the foundation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority in 1988, and he was succeeded by Cla ...

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Academie Internationale d'Heraldique Heraldic societies Organizations established in 1949 Organizations based in Paris

Prominent members of L'Académie

See also

External links