International Heraldry Day

  Today, June 10th is International Heraldry Day!

To mark this, here are some portraits of Scottish knights in the service of the King of Sweden:

Sir James Macmillan made a Knight of the Thistle

Huge congratulations to Sir James Macmillan on his appointment by the King to the Order of the Thistle. The photograph shows Sir James in the Armoury of Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, where The Sixteen has performed his music as part of their choral pilgrimage. 

 The Armoury organ was bought in 1609 as part of a consignment of luxury goods from the Dutch merchant John Haan. Its maker is unknown, but it is currently thought to be English. It was set up by Thomas Dallam at Hatfield in 1611 when it received its lavish decoration by the artist Rowland Buckett for £26 13s 4d. It was substantially rebuilt by Robert Gray in 1738.

The 1609 organ at Hatfield House
(Photo  PictureThisuk.org
"limited cc" (Creative Commons License))

The central coat of arms is that of Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury and his wife Elizabeth Brooke, the daughter of William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham by his second wife, Frances Newton.

The left coat is that of their daughter, Lady Francis Cecil (1593–1644) and her husband Henry Clifford, 5th Earl of Cumberland.

The coat of arms on the far right is their son, William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury and his wife Lady Catherine Howard (daughter of the 1st Earl of Suffolk) whom he married in 1608.

New Grant of Arms

  On Tuesday 26 May, the Lord Lyon was pleased to present Letters Patent to John Vernon Dent MBE, son of George Vernon Dent MBE, accompanied by his son, John David Vernon Dent MBE, they both enjoyed a tour of the Office and viewed the Public Register of all Arms and Bearings where the arms already reside. The artist is Adel Gaspar.

The blazon is: "Or on a bend Azure three lozenges Ermine in chief two swords in saltire points upwards Proper and in base a jackdaw Proper."

Dr Joseph Scott

 Dr Joseph Scott (1870-1939) was born in Campbeltown and went to Glasgow University, graduating in medicine in 1894. He was for a short time medical officer of health in Basra, and then moved to Tehran in the late 1890s to act as surgeon to the Royal Hospital and the British Legation. He made an important study of the Tehran cholera epidemic in the 1920s and was a great promoter of vaccination and revaccination. Decorated by the Shah, Scott was granted arms in 1920 including a clever emblazoning of the Persian flag.

Or on a bend Azure a mullet between two crescents of the First, in the sinister chief an Aescalapian Rod  Proper, on a chief parted per fess Vert and Gules a bar Argent.  

Only in England......

 Spotted in a newspaper.....

Maybe he told it to "button it."

New Grant of Arms

 The Lord Lyon has granted arms to Dr Tomás Rohan. The artist is Annette Reed. 

Gules a chevron Ermine between trhee lozenges Or,.

L.G.Fine on the Court of Chivalry 1954

 It is widely known that the English Court of Chivalry met for the first time in 200 years in 1954 to decide the case of The Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Citizens of the City of Manchester v. The Manchester Palace of Varieties Limited - where the City council was complaining about the theatre using its arms without permission. The case has been extensively covered by the Heraldry Society. (click for articles).

More information however is given very amusingly by L.G.Pine, Editor of Burke's Peerage at the time who attended the Court as an acerbic commentator. His first sally is against the spurious coat of arms ironically displayed in the Court itself:  

click to enlarge

He is also  very funny about the judge, Lord Goddard, who is clearly cross and impatient, doubtless wishing he had not agreed to the Earl Marshal's request to act as his surrogate in the case.  

Another Mark Dennis Hatchment

 Another fine hatchment from the brushes of the late Mark Dennis: painted for his friend, Sheriff David Bogie,who bookplate, also by Mark appears in our archive.

New Grant of Arms

 The Lord Lyon has granted arms to Major Paul Rorie TD. The artist was Gayle Page.

Blazon: Or a chevron Gules in chief two hands Proper each holding a cross crosslet fitche Azure and in base a bear rampant Sable langued Gules.

Supreme Court meets in Glasgow

 This evening,  the Lord Lyon was the guest of the Lord Provost of Glasgow at a dinner held in the City Chambers to mark the occasion of The UK Supreme Court sessions in Glasgow. The emblem of the Supreme Court was designed by Yvonne Holton when Herald Painter to the Lyon Court.

General Assembly 2026

  The Lord Lyon and Officers of Arms were in attendance on Her Grace the Lord High Commissioner this morning at the General Assembly Service at St Giles.

Lord High Commissioner's Concert

 On the 15th May, the Lord Lyon attended a piano recital by Ethan Loch hosted by Her Grace the Lord High Commissioner at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Rothesay Herald granted extension

 The Lord Lyon has been pleased today to vary His Commission appointing George Way of Plean as Rothesay Herald of Arms in Ordinary, extending the appointment by two years until George Way of Plean attains the age of seventy-two years in May 2028.