Who issues coats of arms

Universities and some companies that had royal charters were also given coats of arms, which became the prototypes of the modern corporate logo. Throughout the centuries, the use of coats of arms was governed mainly by custom, though a few places, mainly England, did have governmental regulations regarding their use.

Today, the use of coats of arms is more closely regulated, as many of them have been trademarked. The owners of those trademarks, be they families or organizations, are the ones who have the legal right to say how their arms can be used. England and Scotland have heraldic authorities which grant and regulate the use of coats of arms.

Sometimes, these authorities grant new arms to new individuals, families, or organizations, even into the present day.

The family crest is part of the overall coat of arms. It is the three-dimensional object at the top of the arms… the top of something is often referred to as a crest, such as the crest of a wave on the ocean, or the crest of a mountain or building. The crest is an important identifier for what the person who originally received the arms did to receive it and has often been used on its own as a smaller family logo over the centuries, without the full arms beneath it.

As centuries passed, the original meaning of the crest was often forgotten, and it simply became an identifying symbol for a family of high rank or nobility. Most European countries adopted the use of coats of arms over the centuries in the Middle Ages. Today, nearly anyone can claim the use of those arms, except in cases where they are trademarked, as most European countries no longer regulate their use and some countries, like Italy, do not recognize them at all, leaving anyone free to adopt a coat of arms as their own.

In the United Kingdom, however, it is different. There are still laws there governing the use of coats of arms that must be followed by anyone in any part of the world who wishes to use them. The most important thing to remember about coats of arms in the United Kingdom is that there is no such thing as a coat of arms that is granted to a surname.

They are granted to individuals only. To legally use the arms, a person must be the person to whom the arms were originally granted or a direct male-line descendant in a legitimate line of descent…no illegitimate lines are eligible for use of the arms of that person. The College of Arms in the United Kingdom can make new grants of arms even today.

To be granted a new coat of arms for you or your family, you must submit a formal request to the College of Arms directly. This applies to individuals, corporations, and private organizations. Americans who can prove a direct legitimate descent from a subject of the British Crown during a period of British rule such as Americans with ancestors in America when it was still a British colony, pre-Revolutionary War can petition the College of Arms for an Honorary Arms that will be granted to one person.

That person then has the right to pass down the arms through the legitimate male line of their family. This rule of legitimate male-line descent is why some people with the same surname have the legal right to use a coat of arms in the UK, and others with the same surname do not. A real coat of arms is divided into several parts.

Each part tells you something about the individual, family, corporation, or organization to which it was granted. The parts of a coat of arms are:. This allows Kate's siblings to use the design. Kate will only be able to use the coat of arms until her wedding day on 29 April. After the marriage ceremony, her design will be combined with that of Prince William - a process known as "impaled arms". Theirs is made up of shield divided vertically into blue and red, with a gold chevron in the centre.

Mr Woodcock says this is a reference to Goldsmith, the maiden name of Kate's mother Carole Middleton. Additionally, the chevron includes three sprigs of oak - a reference both to Mr and Mrs Middeton's three children and the fact that the area around their Berkshire home includes many oak trees.

The legal document formally granting Mr Middleton his coat of arms is written on vellum parchment, decorated by a herald painter, with the text written by a scrivener.

He adds: "The significance in terms of social standing these days is virtually nil. Most wealthy people don't see why they should bother. These entries can include a considerable amount of genealogical information although the older entries usually have less detail. It is usual for people to have some knowledge of whether an ancestor had a coat of arms. There is a Public Register of Genealogies and Birthbrieves in Scotland which is held in the Court of the Lord Lyon which office also has a large collection of family trees, family histories and other genealogical material.

Coats of arms were originally used for military purposes and consisted of an actual coat bearing a distinctive design which was worn over a suit of armour. This enabled the knight to be recognised. The design was also displayed on his shield. On his head he wore a helmet and in time this was surmounted by a crest which identified the wearer from a distance and was used particularly during tournaments.

As the military use of coats of arms declined they were adopted for civilian purposes on seals and to identify property. Most personal coats of arms consist of a shield, helmet, crest and motto. Supporters, the figures or beasts standing on either side of the shield, are only granted to particular groups of people, including clan chiefs, peers, and senior knights in orders of chivalry.