Claire Boudreau (1965 – November 17, 2020) was a Canadian

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

genealogist Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their Lineage (anthropology), lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family ...

, and

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 ...

, serving as

Chief Herald of Canada The Chief Herald of Canada is the director of the Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA) and is responsible for the authority's day-to-day operations. The chief herald typically handles petitions for arms and makes the grant of arms if the petition me ...

from June 26, 2007 to May 20, 2020.

Life and career

Boudreau served as a

herald 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. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen ...

in the

Canadian Heraldic Authority The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; ) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Monarchy of Canada, Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for the creation and gran ...

beginning on March 17, 1997, when she was appointed to the office of Saguenay Herald. She would be promoted to Saint-Laurent Herald in 2000, succeeding Auguste Vachon on his retirement. Boudreau was the principal designer and administrator of the authority's pioneering online

Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada The Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada contains the heraldic emblems that have been granted, registered, approved or confirmed by the Canadian Heraldic Authority since its inception on June 4, 1988. In 2005, the Canadian Heraldic ...

, which was unveiled in July 2005. Boudreau would later be appointed as the first Deputy Chief Herald of Canada on December 1, 2005, serving in this role until June 26, 2007, when she was made the second Chief Herald of Canada following the retirement of Robert Watt. In addition to her work as an officer of arms at the Canadian Heraldic Authority, Boudreau was also a nationally and internationally recognized scholar in heraldic studies and was the author of many articles and publications. On May 20, 2020, Boudreau retired and was succeeded as Chief Herald of Canada by Samy Khalid.''Governor General Announces the Appointment of a New Chief Herald of Canada'', Governor General of Canada. May 20, 2020.

.

Death

On November 18, 2020, it was announced that Boudreau died due to cancer at the age of 55.

Honours

Boudreau was made an Academician of the

Académie Internationale d'Héraldique An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the g ...

in 2000 and a fellow of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada in 2006. On May 20, 2020, Boudreau was appointed Margaree-Chéticamp herald emeritus on her retirement as Chief Herald of Canada.

Arms

Publications

*''L'héritage Symbolique des Hérauts d'Armes: Dictionnaire Encyclopédique de l'Enseignement du Blason Ancien (XIVe-XVIe siècle)'' (Le Léopard d'or, Paris, 2006).

References

External links

Coat of arms of Claire Boudreau
1965 births 2020 deaths Genealogists Canadian officers of arms Canadian Heraldic Authority Chief Heralds of Canada Fellows of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada {{Canada-historian-stub