William George Hunt TD FCA (born 8 December 1946) served as Windsor Herald of Arms in Ordinary at the College of Arms in London [1] from 1999 to 2017.
Hunt worked for many years as a City chartered accountant before being appointed as Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary in 1992. He was promoted as Windsor Herald in 1999. [2] In 2007 he succeeded Timothy Duke as Registrar of the College of Arms until 2014, [3] and has been a Member of Council of The Heraldry Society since 1997. He retired as Windsor Herald on 31 May 2017. [4]
Hunt was Clerk to HM Commission of Lieutenancy for the City of London (1990–2013) before being appointed to the Lieutenancy in 2012.
He was an elected Member of Common Council of the City of London Corporation (2004–2013) and is a liveryman and Past Master (2000–2001) of the Playing-Card Makers' Company.
He served in the Honourable Artillery Company retiring with the rank of Major in 2000. He was nominated as Genealogist of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem in 2010, [5] and appointed Commander of the Order of St John (CStJ) in 2011.
He married Michaela Wedel in 1998; the couple have two sons and live in London.
![]() |
|
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 Sovereign and are delegated authority to act on behalf of the Crown in all matters of heraldry, the granting of new coats of arms, genealogical research and the recording of pedigrees. The College is also the official body responsible for matters relating to the flying of flags on land, and it maintains the official registers of flags and other national symbols. Though a part of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, the College is self-financed, unsupported by any public funds.
Sir Albert William Woods was an English officer of arms, who served as Garter Principal King of Arms from 1869 to 1904. The Woods family has a strong tradition of service at the College of Arms. Albert Woods was the son of Sir William Woods, Garter King of Arms from 1838 until his death in 1842. Likewise, the grandson of Albert Woods was Sir Gerald Woods Wollaston, who also rose to the rank of Garter King of Arms and served there from 1930 until 1944.
Sir Peter Llewellyn Gwynn-Jones was a long-serving Officer of Arms at the College of Arms in London. He was Garter Principal King of Arms, the senior English officer of arms, from 1995 to 2010.
Windsor Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.
John Philip Brooke Brooke-Little was an English writer on heraldic subjects, and a long-serving herald at the College of Arms in London. In 1947, while still a student, Brooke-Little founded the Society of Heraldic Antiquaries, now known as the Heraldry Society and recognised as one of the leading learned societies in its field. He served as the society's chairman for 50 years and then as its president from 1997 until his death in 2006.
David Vines White is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Since 2021, he has served as Garter Principal King of Arms.
Sir Alexander Colin Cole was a long serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Eventually, he would rise to the rank of Garter Principal King of Arms, the highest heraldic office in England and Wales.
Sir Walter John George Verco was a long-serving officer of arms who served in many capacities at the College of Arms in London.
David Hubert Boothby Chesshyre was a British officer of arms.
Sir Thomas Woodcock FRHSC is a genealogist who served as Garter Principal King of Arms at the College of Arms from 2010 to 2021.
Sir Anthony Richard Wagner was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He served as Garter Principal King of Arms before retiring to the post of Clarenceux King of Arms. He was one of the most prolific authors on the subjects of heraldry and genealogy of the 20th century.
Sir Conrad Marshall John Fisher Swan was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Having been first appointed to work at the College in 1962, he rose to the office of Garter Principal King of Arms in 1992, a position he held until 1995. He was the first Canadian ever to be appointed to the College of Arms.
Sir Algar Henry Stafford Howard was a senior British Army officer and long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He served as the Garter Principal King of Arms from 1944 to 1950 before retiring. He was the third consecutive Fitzalan Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary to attain the highest rank at the College of Arms.
Sir George Rothe Bellew,, styled The Honourable after 1935, was a long-serving herald at the College of Arms in London. Educated at the University of Oxford, he was appointed Portcullis Pursuivant in 1922. Having been Somerset Herald for 24 years, he was promoted to the office of Garter Principal King of Arms in 1950, the highest heraldic office in England and Wales. He served in that capacity until his resignation in 1961. As Garter, Bellew oversaw the funeral of George VI, proclaimed the late King's daughter, Elizabeth II, as Queen and took a leading role in the organisation of her Coronation in 1953. After his retirement, Bellew was Secretary of the Order of the Garter and Knight Principal of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor. He lived for many years at Dower House in Old Windsor, Berkshire, but later moved to Farnham and died in 1993, aged 93.
John Riddell Bromhead Walker was a soldier and long-serving English officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.
Timothy Hugh Stewart Duke, FSA is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.
Rodney Onslow Dennys, was a British foreign service operative and long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. During World War II he served in the Intelligence Corps of the British Army.
Theobald David Mathew was an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.
Roger Alexander Lindsay of Craighall, Baron of Craighall, KStJ, FRHSC, FSA Scot was a Canadian accountant. He was a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and was also Rouge Herald of Arms Extraordinary at the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Stephen Martin Leake was a numismatist and long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.