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King 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 and sometimes certify genealogies and noble titles. In other traditions, the power has been delegated to other officers of similar rank.
Heraldic duties
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In
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
, the authority to grant a
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...
is subject to the formal approval of the
Earl Marshal in the form of a
warrant. In jurisdictions such as the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
the authority to grant armorial bearings has been delegated to a chief herald that serves the same purpose as the traditional king of arms.
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
also has a
chief herald, though this officer grants arms on the authority of the
Governor General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...
as the
Queen's representative through the
Herald Chancellor's direct remit. Scotland's only king of arms, the
Lord Lyon, exercises the royal prerogative by direct delegation from the Crown and like the Chief Herald of Ireland and the old Ulster King of Arms needs no warrant from any other office bearer.
In the
Kingdom of Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
, the power to certify
coats of arms has been given to the ''
Cronistas de Armas'' (Chroniclers of Arms).
The
English and
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
kings of arms are the only officers of arms to have a distinctive
crown
of office, used for ceremonial purposes such as at
coronations (as opposed to peers, who instead wear a
coronet
A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. A coronet differs from other kinds of crowns in that a coronet never has arches, and from a tiara in that a coronet completely encircles the head, while a tiara doe ...
). At the
coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
The coronation of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and execu ...
, the kings of arms used a crown trimmed with sixteen
acanthus leaves alternating in height, and inscribed with the words ''Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam'' (Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy great mercy;
Psalm 51). When this crown is shown in pictorial representations, nine leaves and the first three words are shown. Recently, a new crown has been made for the Lord Lyon, modelled on the Scottish Royal crown among the
Honours of Scotland
The Honours of Scotland (, gd, Seudan a' Chrùin Albannaich), informally known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, are the regalia that were worn by Scottish monarchs at their coronation. Kept in the Crown Room in Edinburgh Castle, they date from ...
. This crown has removable arches (like one of the late Queen Mother's crowns) which will be removed at coronations to avoid any hint of
lèse majesté.
Kings of arms and heraldic authorities of the United Kingdom
Kings of arms of
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
and
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. North ...
*
Garter Principal King of Arms
The Garter Principal King of Arms (also Garter King of Arms or simply Garter) is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms, the heraldic authority with jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland ...
*
Clarenceux King of Arms (England and Wales south of the
Trent)
*
Norroy and Ulster King of Arms (England north of the Trent and Northern Ireland)
Scottish King of Arms
*
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Right Honourable 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 country, issuing new gra ...
Orders of chivalry
Garter King of Arms is the herald of the
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the Georg ...
as is in Scotland Lord Lyon King of Arms the herald of the
Order of the Thistle. The
Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is the herald of the (now dormant)
Order of St Patrick. Other British orders of chivalry have their own kings of arms:
*
Bath King of Arms
The King of Arms of the Order of the Bath, or Bath King of Arms, is the herald of the Order of the Bath. He is not a member of the Heralds College, but takes precedence next after the Garter King of Arms. He wears a crown
A crown is a t ...
, for the
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as ...
*
King of Arms of the Order of St Michael and St George
*
King of Arms of the Order of the British Empire
Chief or state heralds of Ireland and the Commonwealth
*
The Chief Herald of Canada
*
The Chief Herald of Ireland
*
The National Herald (formerly State Herald) of South Africa
*
New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary
New 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, the New Zealand Herald lives and works in New Zealand, and is ...
The Herald of Arms of New Zealand
State Herald of Sweden
*The State Herald (''Statsheraldiker'') of Sweden is the head of a branch of the
National Archives of Sweden
Cronistas de Armas of Spain
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*
Cronistas Reyes de Armas
Former kings of arms of Portugal
*
Rei de Armas Portugal or
Portugal Rei de Armas
''Portugal Rei de Armas'' or ''Rei de Armas Portugal'' (Portuguese for "Portugal King of Arms") was the title of the main officer of arms of the Kingdom of Portugal. The office was established by King John I of Portugal, with its first holder bei ...
(''Portugal King of Arms'')
*
Rei de Armas Algarve
''Portugal Rei de Armas'' or ''Rei de Armas Portugal'' ( Portuguese for "Portugal King of Arms") was the title of the main officer of arms of the Kingdom of Portugal. The office was established by King John I of Portugal, with its first holder be ...
(''Algarve King of Arms'')
*
Rei de Armas Índia
''Portugal Rei de Armas'' or ''Rei de Armas Portugal'' ( Portuguese for "Portugal King of Arms") was the title of the main officer of arms of the Kingdom of Portugal. The office was established by King John I of Portugal, with its first holder be ...
(''India King of Arms'')
King of Arms of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies
*
King of Arms Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ti ...
(
Fernando Muñoz Altea
Fernando Muñoz Altea (22 November 1925 - 2 March 2018) was the King of Arms of the Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He was a Spanish/Mexican historian, specialised in the study of the aristocratic European colonial families of the Americas. ...
, first appointed by the
Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro)
See also
*
Bureau of Heraldry
*
Canadian Heraldic Authority
The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; french: Autorité héraldique du Canada) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Monarchy of Canada, Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority i ...
*
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sover ...
*
Court of the Lord Lyon
*
Grant of arms
*
Heraldic authority
References
External links
The Court of the Lord LyonThe College of Arms*
* Genealogy & Heraldry Bill, 200
- new legislation on heraldry before the Irish Senate
King of Arms Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies (Appointed by the Duke of Castro){{Heraldry footer
Officers of arms
Government occupations
Positions of authority