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 delegated to other officers of similar rank.

Heraldic duties

In England, the authority to grant a

king's representative through the herald chancellor's direct remit. Scotland's only king of arms, the Lord Lyon

, exercises the royal prerogative by direct delegation from the Crown and like the Chief Herald of Ireland and the old Ulster King of Arms needs no warrant from any other office bearer.

In the

Kingdom of Spain, the power to certify coats of arms has been given to the Cronistas de Armas

(chroniclers of arms).

The English and Scottish kings of arms are the only officers of arms to have a distinctive

crown

of office, used for ceremonial purposes such as at

lèse majesté.^{[citation needed}

]

Kings of arms and heraldic authorities of the United Kingdom

royal arms of England

and holding a white staff of office

Kings of arms of England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Garter Principal King of Arms
Clarenceux King of Arms (England and Wales south of the Trent)
Norroy and Ulster King of Arms (England north of the Trent and Northern Ireland)

Scottish king of arms

Lord Lyon King of Arms

Orders of chivalry

Garter King of Arms is the herald of the Order of the Garter as is in Scotland Lord Lyon King of Arms the herald of the Order of the Thistle. The Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is the herald of the (now dormant) Order of St Patrick. Other British orders of chivalry have their own kings of arms: