College of Arms - College of Arms

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Insignia</a></li><li class="item-118"><a href="/services/identifying-a-coat-of-arms-or-crest" >Identifying a Coat of Arms or Crest</a></li><li class="item-394"><a href="/services/evening-tours" >Evening Tours</a></li></ul></li><li class="item-129 deeper parent"><a href="/resources" >Resources</a><ul class="nav-child unstyled small"><li class="item-155"><a href="/resources/architecture" >Architecture of the College</a></li><li class="item-138"><a href="/resources/bibliography-of-present-officers" >Bibliography of Present Officers</a></li><li class="item-184"><a href="/resources/court-of-chivalry" >Court of Chivalry</a></li><li class="item-205"><a href="/resources/crests-of-knights-of-the-garter" >Crests of Knights of the Garter</a></li><li class="item-358"><a href="/resources/ecclesiastical-hats" >Ecclesiastical Hats: Anglican Communion</a></li><li class="item-359"><a href="/resources/ecclesiastical-hats-roman-catholic-church" >Ecclesiastical Hats: Roman Catholic Church</a></li><li class="item-136"><a href="/resources/faqs" >FAQs: heraldry</a></li><li class="item-208"><a href="/resources/flag-flying-days-2024" >Flag Flying Days 2024</a></li><li class="item-343"><a href="/resources/flag-flying-news-by-email" >Flag-Flying News by Email</a></li><li class="item-130"><a href="/resources/the-law-of-arms" >The Law of Arms</a></li><li class="item-272 deeper parent"><a href="/resources/peerages-and-baronetcies" >Peerages and Baronetcies</a><ul class="nav-child unstyled small"><li class="item-273"><a href="/resources/peerages-and-baronetcies/proving-succession-to-a-baronetcy" >Proving succession to a Baronetcy</a></li><li class="item-274"><a href="/resources/peerages-and-baronetcies/roll-of-the-baronetage" >Roll of the Baronetage</a></li><li class="item-275"><a href="/resources/peerages-and-baronetcies/proving-succession-to-a-peerage" >Proving succession to a Peerage</a></li><li class="item-276"><a href="/resources/peerages-and-baronetcies/what-is-recorded-in-the-roll-of-the-peerage" >What is recorded in the Roll of the Peerage</a></li></ul></li><li class="item-137"><a href="/resources/roll-of-the-peerage" >Roll of the Peerage</a></li><li class="item-216"><a href="/resources/same-sex-marriages" >Same-sex marriages</a></li><li class="item-204"><a href="/resources/duke-and-duchess-of-cambridge" >Duke and Duchess of Cambridge</a></li><li class="item-360"><a href="/resources/union-flag-approved-designs" >Union Flag: approved designs</a></li><li class="item-160"><a href="/resources/union-flag-faqs" >Union Flag: FAQs</a></li><li class="item-382"><a href="/resources/flags-on-churches" >Flags on churches</a></li><li class="item-389"><a href="/resources/impaling-arms-of-office" >Impaling Arms of Office</a></li><li class="item-390"><a href="/resources/arms-of-her-majesty-queen-camilla" >Arms of Her Majesty Queen Camilla</a></li><li class="item-393"><a href="/resources/royal-cyphers" >Royal Cyphers</a></li></ul></li><li class="item-115 deeper parent"><a href="/news-grants" >News & Grants</a><ul class="nav-child unstyled small"><li class="item-124 deeper parent"><a href="/news-grants/grants" >Grants</a><ul class="nav-child unstyled small"><li class="item-156"><a href="/news-grants/grants/personal-arms" >Personal Arms</a></li><li class="item-157"><a href="/news-grants/grants/corporate-arms" >Corporate Arms</a></li><li class="item-198"><a href="/news-grants/grants/honorary" >Honorary</a></li><li class="item-197"><a href="/news-grants/grants/supporters" >Supporters</a></li></ul></li><li class="item-123"><a href="/news-grants/news" >News</a></li><li class="item-117 deeper parent"><a href="/news-grants/newsletter" >Newsletter</a><ul class="nav-child unstyled small"><li class="item-158"><a href="/news-grants/newsletter/2012" >2012</a></li><li class="item-191"><a href="/news-grants/newsletter/2011" >2011</a></li><li class="item-192"><a href="/news-grants/newsletter/2010" >2010</a></li><li class="item-193"><a href="/news-grants/newsletter/2009" >2009</a></li><li class="item-194"><a href="/news-grants/newsletter/2008" >2008</a></li><li class="item-195"><a href="/news-grants/newsletter/2007" >2007</a></li><li class="item-196"><a href="/news-grants/newsletter/2006" >2006</a></li><li class="item-190"><a href="/news-grants/newsletter/2005" >2005</a></li><li class="item-189"><a href="/news-grants/newsletter/2004" >2004</a></li><li class="item-207"><a href="/news-grants/newsletter/2014" >2014</a></li></ul></li></ul></li><li class="item-159 deeper parent"><a href="/contact-us" >Contact Us</a><ul class="nav-child unstyled small"><li class="item-116"><a href="/contact-us/directory" >Directory</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div> </div> <div class="row-fluid"> <div id="content" class="span12">  <div id="system-message-container"> </div> <div class="item-page home"> <p> <div class="moduletable slideshow span8">  <div id="fpssContainer112" class="fpss-container 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class="moduleItemTitle" href="/news-grants/news/item/238-new-appointments">New Appointments</a>     <div class="clr"></div> <div class="clr"></div>     <div class="clr"></div> </li> <li class="odd">   <a class="moduleItemTitle" href="/news-grants/news/item/237-timothy-duke-retires">Timothy Duke Retires</a>     <div class="clr"></div> <div class="clr"></div>     <div class="clr"></div> </li> <li class="even lastItem">   <a class="moduleItemTitle" href="/news-grants/news/item/236-job-advertisement-manuscript-cataloguer">Job Advertisement - Manuscript Cataloguer</a>     <div class="clr"></div> <div class="clr"></div>     <div class="clr"></div> </li> <li class="clearList"></li> </ul> </div> </p></div> </div> <div class="moduletable newsletter"> <h3>Newsletter</h3> <div class="custom newsletter" > <p>We produce a newsletter every three months, which is sent automatically and free to those who subscribe. </p> <p><a href="http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/news-grants/newsletter" title="College of Arms Newsletter">Read our latest newsletter</a></p> <p></p> <p> <div class="moduletable newsletter"> <div class="custom newsletter" > <p class="subscribe"><a href="http://eepurl.com/dvVONX" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" id="open-popup">Subscribe Free</a></p></div> </div> </p></div> </div> </div> <p class="clear"><span class="lead">The College of Arms is the official heraldic authority for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and much of the Commonwealth including Australia and New Zealand.</span></p> <p class="clear">As well as being responsible for the granting of new coats of arms, the College maintains registers of arms, pedigrees, genealogies, Royal Licences, changes of name, and flags. The heralds, besides having ceremonial duties, advise on all matters relating to the peerage and baronetage, precedence, honours and ceremonial as well as national and community symbols including flags.</p> <h2>Coats of Arms</h2> <p>Coats of arms belong to specific individuals and families and there is no such thing as a coat of arms for a family name. From their origins in the twelfth century to the present day arms have been borne by individuals, and by corporate bodies, as marks of identification. They have also been used to denote other characteristics, which have changed over the centuries as society and culture have evolved. New coats of arms have since the fifteenth century been <a href="https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/services/granting-arms">granted</a> both to individuals and corporate bodies by the senior heralds in Royal service, the Kings of Arms.</p> <h2>Enquiries</h2> <p>If you have an enquiry on a heraldic, genealogical or other relevant topic, you should in the first instance contact the <a href="https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/contact-us">Officer in Waiting</a>.</p> <p> </p> </div>  </div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="footer"> <div class="container"> <div class="search mod_search95"> <form action="/" method="post" class="form-inline" role="search"> <label for="mod-search-searchword95" class="element-invisible">Search ...</label> <input name="searchword" id="mod-search-searchword95" maxlength="200" class="inputbox search-query input-medium" type="search" size="10" placeholder="Search ..." /> <input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" /> <input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" /> <input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="101" /> </form> </div> <ul class="nav menu mod-list"> <li class="item-186"><a href="/privacy-policy" >Privacy Policy</a></li></ul> <p class="pull-right"><a href="#top" id="back-top">Back to Top</a></p> <p>© College of Arms 2024</p> <p class="pull-right credit">Website by <a href="https://reaper.com" target="_blank" title="Reaper Enterprises">Reaper Enterprises Ltd</a></p> </div> </div> <div id="outer" style="width:100%"><div id="cookieMessageContainer" style="margin-top:-10px;width:100%;background-color:#1D1D1D;"><table width="100%"><tr><td><div id="cookieMessageText" style="padding:15px 10px 0 15px;"><p style="color:#fff;">We use session cookies to improve your experience with our website. 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