Vickipedia

KING-AT-ARMS, or KING-OF-ARMS. The principal heraldic officer of any country. There are four kings-at-arms in England, named respectively Garter, Clarencieux, Norroy, and Bath, but the first three only are members of the College of Arms.

Garter principal king-of-arms was instituted by Henry V., 1417 A.D., for the service of the order of the Garter. His duties include the regulation of the arms of peers and the knights of the Bath. In the capacity of king-of-arms of the order of the Garter, he has apartments within the castle of Windsor, and a mantle of blue satin, with the arms of St. George on the left shoulder, besides a badge and sceptre. His official costume as principal king-of-arms of England is a surcoat of velvet, richly embroidered with the arms of the sovereign, a crown and a collar of SS-The insignia of the office are borne by Garter impaled with his paternal arms, the latter on the dexter side of the shield. These are argent, St. George’s cross, on the chief gules a ducal coronet encircled with a garter, between the lion of England on the dexter side and a fleur-de-lis on the sinister, all or.

Clarencieux and Norroy are provincial kings-of-arms, with jurisdiction to the south and north of the Trent respectively. They arrange and register alone or conjointly with Garter the arms of all below the rank of peerage. The official arms of Clarencieux are argent St. George’s cross, on a chief gules a lion of England ducally crowned or. Those of Norroy are argent St. George’s cross, on a chief per pale azure and gules a lion of England ducally crowned between a fleur-de-lis on the dexter side, and a key, wards in chief, on the sinister, all or. Both provincial kings have a crown collar and surcoat. The crown is of silver gilt.

The crown of a king-of-arms is of silver gilt, and consists of a circle inscribed with the words, Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam, supporting 16 oak leaves, each alternate leaf higher than the rest. Within the crown is a cap of crimson satin turned up with ermine, and surmounted by a tassal wrought of gold silk. Kings-of-arms were formerly entitled to wear their crowns on all occasions when the sovereign wore his; now they assume them only when peers put on their coronets. The installation of kings-at-arms anciently took place with great state, and always on a Sunday or festival-day, the ceremony being performed by the king, the earl-marshal, or some other person duly appointed by royal warant.

Bath King-of-arms, though not a member of the college, takes precedence next after Garter. His office was created in 1725 for the service of the order of the Bath. On the 14th January 1726, he was constituted Gloucester King-of-arms (an office originally created by Richard III., in whose reign it also became extinct), and principal herald of Wales. He was at the same time empowered, either alone, or jointly with Garter, to grant arms to persons residing within the Principality.

The chief heraldic officer for Scotland is called Lyon King-of-arms (q. v.), who since the Union has ranked next to Garter. His title is derived from the lion rampant in the Scottish royal insignia, and he holds his office immediately from the sovereign, and not as the English king-at-arms, from the Earl Marshal. His official costume includes a crimson velvet robe embroidered with the royal arms, a triple row of gold chains round the neck with an oval gold medal, with the royal arms on one side, and St. Andrew’s cross on the other; and a baton of gold enamelled green, powdered with the badges of the kingdom. His crown is of the same form with the Imperial crown of the kingdom, but not set with stones. Before the Revolution he was crowned by the sovereign, or his commissioner, on entry on office.

There is one king-of-arms in Ireland, named Ulster. In the 14th c., there existed a king-of-arms called Ireland, but the office seems to have become extinct, and Edward VI. created Ulster to supply the deficiency. His arms are argent, St. George’s cross, upon a chief gules a lion between a harp and a portcullis, ail or. The royal ordinance relative to the order of St. Patrick, issued 17th May, 1833, declares that in all ceremonials and assemblies, Ulster King-of-arms shall have place immediately after the Lyon.