A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon, surcoat, or tabard. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement which in its whole consists of: shield, supporters, crest, and motto. A coat of arms is traditionally unique to an individual person, family, state, organization or corporation.
An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions:
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.
The Bureau of Heraldry is the South African heraldic authority, established in Pretoria on 1 June 1963. It is headed by a State Herald and its functions are to register arms, badges, flags and seals, to keep a public register, to issue registration certificates and, since 1980, to advise the government on heraldic matters. Together with the Heraldry Council, it forms part of the National Archives and Records Service, which is currently under the authority of the Minister of Arts & Culture.
The Canadian Heraldic Authority is part of the Canadian honours system under the Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for the creation and granting of new coats of arms, flags, and badges for Canadian citizens, government agencies, municipal, civic and other corporate bodies. The authority also registers existing armorial bearings granted by other recognized heraldic authorities, approves military badges, flags, and other insignia of the Canadian Forces, and provides information on heraldic practices.
A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms.
A private officer of arms is one of the heralds and pursuivants appointed by great noble houses to handle all heraldic and genealogical questions.
Chief Herald of Canada is the title held by the head of the Canadian Heraldic Authority. The Chief Herald of Canada directs the operations of the Canadian Heraldic Authority and makes the grants of arms. There are exceptions to this, such as certain grants made directly by the Governor General. The position is currently held by Samy Khalid.
The Herald Chancellor is an officer at the Canadian Heraldic Authority. The office is always filled by the Secretary to the Governor General. The Herald Chancellor is responsible for the administration of the entire vice-regal office. In some ways, the position is analogous to the Earl Marshal in England, as it is the Herald Chancellor who issues the warrants permitting the Chief Herald of Canada to make grants of arms. The Herald Chancellor also signs each completed grant document, along with the Chief Herald.
Niagara Herald of Arms Extraordinary is the title of one of the officers of arms at the Canadian Heraldic Authority in Ottawa. Herald Extraordinary is an honorary position reserved for people who have made notable contributions to Canadian heraldry. Like the other heralds at the Authority, the name is derived from the Canadian river of the same name.
Claire Boudreau, is a Canadian historian, genealogist, and officer of arms. She has served as a herald in the Canadian Heraldic Authority since 17 March 1997 in the office of Saguenay Herald and later as Saint-Laurent Herald, to which office she succeeded on the retirement of Auguste Vachon, and then Deputy Chief Herald from 1 December 2005 until 16 June 2007, when she was made the second Chief Herald of Canada following the retirement of Robert Watt. She is also a nationally and internationally recognized scholar in heraldic studies. She is the author of many articles and publications. She has been the principal designer and administrator of the authority's pioneering online Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada, which was unveiled in July 2005. She has been an Academician of the Académie Internationale d'Héraldique since 2000. On May 20, 2020, Boudreau was appointed Margaree-Chéticamp herald emeritus and succeeded as Chief Herald of Canada by Samy Khalid.
Coppermine Herald of Arms is the title of one of the officers of arms at the Canadian Heraldic Authority in Ottawa. The office was created in 2003 and Coppermine Herald is the assistant artist of the Authority. Like the other heralds at the Authority, the name is derived from the Canadian river. The design of the badge of office of Coppermine Herald of Arms was assigned on 15 June 2005. The ulu in the badge is a traditional Inuit knife that has existed for over 4000 years. It honours the northern people and land. Its copper colour refers to the title Coppermine Herald. Since the creation of the office, it has been held by Catherine Fitzpatrick.
Dauphin Herald of Arms Extraordinary is the title of one of the officers of arms at the Canadian Heraldic Authority in Ottawa. Herald Extraordinary is an honorary position reserved for people who have made notable contributions to Canadian heraldry. Like the other heralds at the Authority, the name is derived from the Canadian river of the same name.
Cowichan Herald of Arms Extraordinary is the title of one of the officers of arms at the Canadian Heraldic Authority in Ottawa. Herald Extraordinary is an honorary position reserved for people who have made notable contributions to Canadian heraldry. Like the other heralds at the Authority, the name is derived from the Canadian river of the same name.
Rouge Herald of Arms Extraordinary is the title of one of the officers of arms at the Canadian Heraldic Authority in Ottawa. Herald Extraordinary is an honorary position reserved for people who have made notable contributions to Canadian heraldry. Like the other heralds at the Authority, the name is derived from the Canadian river of the same name.
Capilano Herald of Arms Extraordinary is the title of one of the officers of arms at the Canadian Heraldic Authority in Ottawa. Herald Extraordinary is an honorary position reserved for people who have made notable contributions to Canadian heraldry. Like the other heralds at the Authority, the name is derived from the Canadian river of the same name. The badge makes reference to the salmon run on the Capilano River and to the artistry of the Squamish First Nations people.
Albion Herald of Arms Extraordinary is the title of one of the officers of arms at the Canadian Heraldic Authority in Ottawa. Herald Extraordinary is an honorary position reserved for people who have made notable contributions to Canadian heraldry. Like the other heralds at the Authority, the name is derived from a Canadian River. Initially, there was some indication that the office would be given the title "Red Hill," but when informed that the Red Hill River is today in essence a sewer, the CHA decided to name the position "Albion," the river's name in a less polluted era.
Delhi Herald of Arms Extraordinary was a British officer of arms whose office was created in 1911 for the Delhi Durbar. Though an officer of the crown, Delhi Herald Extraordinary was not a member of the corporation of the College of Arms in London and his duties were more ceremonial than heraldic.
Canadian heraldry is the cultural tradition and style of coats of arms and other heraldic achievements in both modern and historic Canada. It includes national, provincial, and civic arms, noble and personal arms, ecclesiastical heraldry, heraldic displays as corporate logos, and Canadian heraldic descriptions.
A heraldic authority is defined as an office or institution which has been established by a reigning monarch or a government to deal with heraldry in the country concerned. It does not include private societies or enterprises which design and/or register coats of arms.
