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Garter Principal King of Arms

Ceremonial dress

Garter Principal King of Arms (also Garter King of Arms or simply Garter) is the senior king of arms and officer of arms of the College of Arms, the heraldic authority with jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland.[1] The position has existed since 1415.

Garter is responsible to the Earl Marshal for the running of the college. He is the principal adviser to the sovereign of the United Kingdom with respect to ceremonial and heraldry, with specific responsibility for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and, with the exception of Canada, for Commonwealth realms of which Charles III is the sovereign. He also serves as the king of arms of the Order of the Garter and his seal and signature appear on all grants of arms made by the college.

On the death of the British monarch it is Garter's duty to proclaim the new monarch. Initially, the Accession Council meets at St James's Palace in central London to declare the new monarch from the deceased monarch's line. Once the new monarch has made a sacred oath before the council, Garter King of Arms steps out into the Proclamation Gallery which overlooks Friary Court to proclaim the new monarch.[2][3]

The current Garter Principal King of Arms is David White.

History

Foundation

William Bruges, the first Garter King of Arms, held the office by 1417. The exact date of his appointment is not known and no record of it survives. John Anstis discovered a royal warrant under the Privy Seal dated 22 May in the fifth year of the reign of King Henry V (1417) wherein Bruges is called by his previous title, Guyenne King of Arms; the warrant orders that another be passed under the Great Seal of the Realm protecting Bruges while he travelled abroad with the king.[4] Anstis then outlines two further pieces of evidence: (1) an instrument of 1422 or 1423 by which Bruges settled pension arrangements with the knights in which it is stated that he was appointed Garter at a previous full chapter meeting, and (2) a decree by the Duke of Clarence dated either 3 or 13 September 1417 which mentions "Garretier Roy d'armes des Anghis"[5] As Henry V left for France on 27 July 1417, it can be deduced that Bruges must have been appointed in late July of that year.[6]

This was accepted until Hugh Stanford London published evidence which appeared to date Bruges' appointment two years earlier than Anstis suggested.[7] William Bruges' father, Richard, left a will dated 4 July 1415 and split into two parts: a testament dealing with his burial, charitable bequests and legacies to his wife, and a voluntas, which dealt with personal bequests. Although the testament (recorded in the London registry) makes no mention of anyone other than Richard's wife, the voluntas (copied in Archbishop Henry Chichele's registers) makes mention of his children. Reference is made to his son William, variously called "Gien", "Gyen" and "Gartere", and William's wife, called "Agnes Garter".[8] The other register entries around the voluntas date to 1418 and 1419, so E. F. Jacob, the editor of a printed version of the register, suggests that the references to Garter may be a later gloss.[9] But, Stanford London argued that later annotations would be consistent and refer to him as either Garter and Guyenne or simply Garter throughout, while Agnes would not have been called just Garter if it were a gloss. Instead, he suggests that Richard forgot to call his newly appointed son Garter at first and later included it alongside his old title in the will.[10]

Criticising this point, Peter Begent finds no reference to Bruges being called anything but Guyenne or the equivalent title of Aquitaine King of Arms in records between 1415 and 1417, which is problematic for Stanford London's position. He argues that it is entirely possible that, if not a gloss, the voluntas was edited after 1415 as Richard Bruges included more bequests to his family.[11]

Later history

The Garter Principal King of Arms was placed by King Henry V over all the whole body of heralds.[12]

He may be said to have two distinct capacities united in his person, one relative to the Order of the Garter, the other as head of the College of Arms, and on this account he not only takes an oath in a chapter of the Garter, before the Sovereign and Knights, but as king at arms another oath before the Earl Marshal, and therefore he is styled both principal officer of arms of the most noble order of the Garter and principal king of English arms.[12]

He has power to appoint a herald for his deputy: he must be a native of England and a gentleman bearing arms.[12] It was anciently held that he was to be neither a knight nor a clergyman; but there has been one instance of a Garter having been a foreigner; and since the reign of Henry VII many of them have received knighthood: one was created a knight of the Bath.[12] The office entitles him to the privilege of correcting errors or usurpations in all armorial bearings, to grant arms to such who deserve them, to present to the House of Lords a genealogy of every new peer, to assign his place in the chamber of parliament and to give him and the knights of the Bath supporters.[12]

Coat of arms

The official arms of the Garter Principal King of Arms were in use by around 1520. They are Argent a Cross Gules on a Chief Azure a crown enclosed in a Garter between a lion passant guardant and a fleur de lis all Or.

Funding

In addition to the official annual salary paid by the Crown of £49.07, HM Treasury pays Garter King of Arms for work undertaken for the Government.[13] As of 27 January 2021, the payments made to Thomas Woodcock, since his appointment as Garter totalled £651,515.[13] Additionally, since 2018, the Treasury has provided Garter with an expenses fund of £35,000 per annum to cover business expenses such as secretarial support, cleaning and postage.[13] As of 27 January 2021, Garter has received £74,579.02 to cover expenses.[13]

Holders of the office

Portraits

List

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Garter Principal King of Arms.

References

Notes

  1. ^ The start date is the date of the Patent instituting them as Garter except when it is given in italics. Appointees died in office unless otherwise stated.
  2. ^ Godfrey and Wagner date the foundation to shortly before 4 July 1415 and give a date of c. 30 June 1415, but this date is based on a description of him as Garter in a copy of his father's will. Ailes states that this could be a retrospective gloss because the register in which the will is found dates from c. 1420. He is known to have been Garter in September 1417 and Ailes suggests he was likely appointed that July.[14]

Citations

  1. ^ The Scottish counterpart is the Lord Lyon King of Arms.
  2. ^ Fodor's (13 August 2013). Fodor's London 2014. Fodor's Travel. ISBN 9780770432201.
  3. ^ Wilkinson, Philip (30 January 2007). The British Monarchy For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780470059319.
  4. ^ Anstis 1742, vol. 2, p. 321. Ailes 1998, p. 239 notes that the bill of privy seal is C81/1137 no. 28 at The National Archives (TNA) and the letters of protection are recorded in the Treaty Rolls under C76/100 membrane 15, also at TNA
  5. ^ Anstis 1742, vol. 2, p. 322 (note k for the quote)
  6. ^ Anstis 1742, vol. 2, p. 322
  7. ^ Begent 1995, p. 134
  8. ^ Begent 1995, p. 137
  9. ^ Begent, p. 137, citing Jacob 1937, pp. 188, note 4
  10. ^ Stanford London 1970, pp. 13–14
  11. ^ Begent 1995, pp. 136–138. Stanford London also highlights a later account of how Bruges as Garter hosted Emperor Sigismund in 1416; Begent argues that Bruges, a wealthy man, could have done so as the informal senior herald before his appointment as Garter.
  12. ^ a b c d e Noble (1804), p. 59
  13. ^ a b c d "HM Treasury Payments to Garter King of Arms Thomas Woodcock - a Freedom of Information request to Her Majesty's Treasury". WhatDoTheyKnow. 3 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d Ailes 2004a
  15. ^ a b Godfrey and Wagner 1963, p. 40
  16. ^ a b Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 40–41
  17. ^ a b c Ailes 2004c
  18. ^ a b c Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 41-43"
  19. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 41–43
  20. ^ a b c d Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 43–45
  21. ^ a b Yorke 2004b
  22. ^ a b Godfrey and Wagner 1963, p. 45
  23. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, p. 46
  24. ^ Yorke 2004a
  25. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 46–47
  26. ^ Adolph 2004a
  27. ^ Godfrey and Wagner, p. 47
  28. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 47–48
  29. ^ Adolph 2004b
  30. ^ Adolph 2004c
  31. ^ Godfrey and Wagner, pp. 48–49
  32. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 49–50
  33. ^ Davidson and Thrush 2010
  34. ^ Baron 2011
  35. ^ a b Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 50–51
  36. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 51–52, 53
  37. ^ Chesshyre 2011
  38. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, p. 53
  39. ^ Sherlock 2004
  40. ^ a b Graham Parry, "Dugdale, Sir William (1605–1686)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2009
  41. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 54–55
  42. ^ Godfrey and Wagner, p. 55
  43. ^ a b Woodcock 2008b
  44. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 55–56
  45. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 56–57
  46. ^ Handley 2008
  47. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 57–58
  48. ^ Ailes 2008
  49. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 58–59
  50. ^ Cheesman 2004
  51. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 59–60
  52. ^ Thompson and Marchand 2008
  53. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, p. 60
  54. ^ Thompson and Marchand 2004
  55. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, p. 61
  56. ^ Dickinson 2008
  57. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 61–62
  58. ^ White 2006
  59. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 63–65
  60. ^ Woodcock 2008a
  61. ^ a b Godfrey and Wagner 1963, p. 65
  62. ^ a b Godfrey and Wagner 1963, p. 66
  63. ^ Woodcock 2004c
  64. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 67-68
  65. ^ Woodcock 2004b
  66. ^ a b Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 68–69
  67. ^ a b Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 69–70
  68. ^ a b "Sir H. F. Burke", The Times, 22 August 1930, p. 12
  69. ^ a b c Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 70–71
  70. ^ Woodcock 2004a
  71. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, p. 69
  72. ^ a b c d e Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 71-72
  73. ^ a b c "Sir Gerald Woods Wollaston", The Times, 5 March 1957, p. 10
  74. ^ a b "Sir Algar Howard", The Times, 16 February 1970, p. 10
  75. ^ a b c d Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 72–73
  76. ^ "Howard, Sir Algar (Henry Stafford)", Who Was Who [online edition April 2014] (Oxford University Press)
  77. ^ a b c "Sir George Bellew", The Times, 9 February 1993
  78. ^ "Bellew, Hon. Sir George (Rothe)", Who Was Who [online edition April 2014] (Oxford University Press)
  79. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, p. 73
  80. ^ a b c Ailes 2004b
  81. ^ Thomas, Jr, Robert McG. (20 May 1995). "Sir Anthony Wagner, 86, Dies; Medievalist and Senior Herald". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  82. ^ Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 73–74
  83. ^ a b London Gazette, 5 October 1978 (issue number 47657), p. 11838
  84. ^ a b c "Cole, Sir (Alexander) Colin", Who Was Who [online edition April 2014] (Oxford University Press)
  85. ^ a b "Sir Colin Cole". The Telegraph. 21 February 2001. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  86. ^ a b London Gazette, 8 October 1992 (issue number 53071), p. 16835
  87. ^ "Swan, Sir Conrad (Marshall John Fisher)", Who's Who, 2015 [online edition April 2014] (Oxford University Press)
  88. ^ a b London Gazette, 11 October 1995 (issue number 54181), p. 13693
  89. ^ a b c "Sir Peter Gwynn-Jones". The Telegraph. 1 September 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  90. ^ a b "Gwynn-Jones, Sir Peter (Llywellyn)", Who Was Who, 2015 [online edition April 2014] (Oxford University Press)
  91. ^ a b London Gazette, 1 April 2010 (issue number 59385)
  92. ^ "Woodcock, Thomas", Who's Who, 2015 [online edition October 2014] (Oxford University Press)
  93. ^ "The Officers of Arms". College of Arms. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  94. ^ "No. 63408". The London Gazette. 5 July 2021. p. 77.

Bibliography

Further reading

External links