A herald, or a herald of arms, is an

officer of arms An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions: * to control and initiate armorial matters; * to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state; * to conserve a ...

, ranking between pursuivant and

king of arms 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 ...

. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally

messenger ''MESSENGER'' was a NASA robotic space probe that orbited the planet Mercury between 2011 and 2015, studying Mercury's chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field. The name is a backronym for "Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochem ...

s sent by

monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

s or

noblemen Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...

to convey messages or

proclamation A proclamation (Lat. ''proclamare'', to make public by announcement) is an official declaration issued by a person of authority to make certain announcements known. Proclamations are currently used within the governing framework of some nations ...

s—in this sense being the predecessors of modern

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or interna ...

s. In the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

, French heralds challenged King Henry V to fight. During the

Battle of Agincourt The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 ( Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numeric ...

, the English herald and the French herald, Montjoie, watched the battle together from a nearby hill; both agreed that the English were the victors, and Montjoie provided King Henry V, who thus earned the right to name the battle, with the name of the nearby castle. Like other officers of arms, a herald would often wear a surcoat, called a tabard, decorated with the coat of arms of his master. It was possibly due to their role in managing the

tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

s of the

Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Ren ...

that heralds came to be associated with the regulation of the knights'

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in i ...

. Heralds have been employed by kings and large landowners, principally as messengers and ambassadors. Heralds were required to organise, announce and referee the contestants at a tournament.The Historical Atlas of Knights and Castles, Ian Barnes, 2007, pp.176–177. This practice of

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...

became increasingly important and further regulated over the years, and in several countries around the world it is still overseen by heralds. In the United Kingdom heralds are still called upon at times to read proclamations publicly; for which they still wear tabards emblazoned with the royal coat of arms. There are active official heralds today in several countries, including the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Canada, and the Republic of South Africa. In England and Scotland most heralds are full-time employees of the sovereign and are called "Heralds of Arms in Ordinary". Temporary appointments can be made of "Heralds of Arms Extraordinary". These are often appointed for a specific major state occasions, such as a

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of o ...

. The Canadian Heraldic Authority has created the position of "Herald of Arms Emeritus" with which to honor long-serving or distinguished heraldists. In Scotland, some

Scottish clan chief The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard c ...

s, the heads of great noble houses, still appoint private officers of arms to handle cases of heraldic or genealogical importance of clan members, although these are usually pursuivants. In addition, many

orders of chivalry An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order (distinction), order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic Military order (religious society), military orders of the ...

have heralds attached to them. These heralds may have some heraldic duties but are more often merely ceremonial in nature. Heralds which were primarily ceremonial in nature, especially after the decline of chivalry, were also appointed in various nations for specific events such as a coronation as additions to the pageantry of these occasions. In the Netherlands, heralds are appointed for the Dutch monarch's inauguration where they wore their tabards until 1948; these heralds proclaim the inauguration ceremony to have been completed to those inside and outside the Nieuwe Kerk.

English Heralds

English Heralds of Arms in Ordinary

* Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary * Chester Herald of Arms in Ordinary * Lancaster Herald of Arms in Ordinary * York Herald of Arms in Ordinary * Somerset Herald of Arms in Ordinary * Windsor Herald of Arms in Ordinary

English Heralds of Arms Extraordinary

* Arundel Herald of Arms Extraordinary * Beaumont Herald of Arms Extraordinary * Maltravers Herald of Arms Extraordinary * New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary * Norfolk Herald of Arms Extraordinary * Surrey Herald of Arms Extraordinary * Wales Herald of Arms Extraordinary

Scottish Heralds

Scottish Heralds of Arms in Ordinary

* Albany Herald of Arms in Ordinary * Marchmont Herald of Arms in Ordinary * Rothesay Herald of Arms in Ordinary * Snawdoun Herald of Arms in Ordinary

Scottish Heralds of Arms Extraordinary

* Angus Herald of Arms Extraordinary * Islay Herald of Arms in Extraordinary * Orkney Herald of Arms Extraordinary * Ross Herald of Arms Extraordinary

Canadian Heralds

Canadian Heralds of Arms In Ordinary

* Chief Herald of Canada * Assiniboine Herald of Arms in Ordinary * Athabaska Herald of Arms in Ordinary * Coppermine Herald of Arms in Ordinary * Fraser Herald of Arms in Ordinary * Miramichi Herald of Arms in Ordinary * Saguenay Herald of Arms in Ordinary * Saint-Laurent Herald of Arms in Ordinary

Canadian Heralds of Arms Extraordinary

* Albion Herald of Arms Extraordinary * Capilano Herald of Arms Extraordinary * Cowichan Herald of Arms Extraordinary * Dauphin Herald of Arms Extraordinary * Niagara Herald of Arms Extraordinary * Rouge Herald of Arms Extraordinary

Canadian Heralds of Arms Emeritus

* Outaouais Herald of Arms Emeritus *

Rideau Herald of Arms Emeritus Rideau (French for "curtain") may refer to: In or near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Geographical features *Rideau Canal * Rideau Falls *Rideau River * Rideau Trail Towns and places * Rideau Ferry, Ontario *Rideau Lakes, Ontario *Rideau Street * Ri ...

Indian Empire Herald of Arms Extraordinary

* Delhi Herald of Arms Extraordinary

Notes

References

External links

The Court of the Lord LyonThe College of ArmsThe Canadian Heraldic AuthorityThe Office of the Chief Herald of IrelandGenealogy & Heraldry Bill, 2006
Introduced in the Irish Senate to provide a sound legislative basis for Ireland's heraldic authority. {{Authority control Heraldry Legal professions