[ANSTHRLD] On the Rights of Heralds (in Ansteorra) (Was: Regalia)

[Etienne de St. Amaranth]

I am just now reading through the posts since my last on this topic.  My, 
my...  Take an evening off for some father-daughter time and the flood 
gates break.  The questions raised last night do touch directly upon the 
authority of the Principal Herald's office, and sometimes the authority of 
the Crown.  That is not a bad thing in this case as the goal herein is 
education.  With that in mind, this is a fairly long email.  I have changed 
the subject line to reflect this shift in the original starting question to 
now.

Master Francois' note is correct in that the use of the kingdom arms is 
during official business, not just court, for the royal herald.  It ties in 
really well with what Mistress Serena wrote.  The use of the arms, at any 
level, on a tabard should only be worn when conducting the business of the 
noble (or group) represented.  If you are not conducting business (and 
speaking for) them, then you should not be wearing the tabard.  If you are 
called into court as a person and you are wearing a group's or noble's 
arms, then those should be removed before presenting yourself.  Sometimes, 
due to the nature of the tabard, it may not be possible to do this without 
a long pause in court (such tabards should be reworked when this is 
discovered) and it may come across as disrespectful to make the court wait 
while you get undressed and you will have to judge this on a moments 
notice.  I have had one case where I had to present myself in the tabard 
because I could not remove it quickly and the Crown was waiting.  But, if 
possible (and you should try), you should divest yourself of the tabard 
when called in as an individual.

I'd like to reinforce part of what Mistress Serena said.  No herald should 
make known personal opinions, comments, policy, personal interpretations of 
kingdom law, or any other such items while wearing the tabard of your 
noble.  To do so implies that you are speaking for that noble (or group) 
and that is the opinion of whomever you represent.  Even without a tabard, 
each herald has to be careful to not make comments that could be inferred 
to be the opinions or pronouncements of they represented when they are not 
their opinions.  It is best if you can visually or verbally make it obvious 
that you are only speaking for yourself at that moment.  And even if you 
make it verbally obvious, it still should not be done while wearing the tabard.

Alden then asks a series of really good questions.  Several answers have 
been made, I'll throw my two-bits worth into the mix.
1. Where is the entitlement of who can wear the kingdom tabard 
defined?  Kingdom Law?
A1. In Ansteorra's Kingdom Law, Article II, Section 3.B. specifies that 
each Greater Officer counsels the Crown on matters pertaining to their 
respective offices.  Article II, Section 5.B. states "The Star Principal 
Herald shall have the responsibility and authority to oversee all matters 
heraldic within the Kingdom of Ansteorra."  So, absent a written specified 
law that would be my role to interpret upon consent and advisement of the 
Crown.

2. When functioning in an official capacity, are the kingdom officers 
(greater and lesser) of the College of Heralds not heralds of Ansteorra?
2b. If they are, why could they not wear the kingdom arms while doing so?
2c. If not, what should they wear?
Mistress Serena made a really good point about who we are representing when 
we perform different actions.  Ansteorran Heralds are heralds of Ansteorra; 
as a college, that is the noble/royalty to whom we ultimately answer (in 
the period context, then there is that whole corporate thing already 
discussed).  If a herald is performing in a capacity that directly 
represents the person or authority of the Crown, they should consider 
wearing a tabard of the kingdom arms but should never presume to do so; 
they should absolutely verify the wearing with the Crown before donning it 
willy-nilly.  If they are serving an internal function of the college under 
the mandate to support heraldry, and are a warranted deputy by the 
principal herald, there is a chain of connection but it is indirect and by 
inference.  I (see my successor for another interpretation) do not support 
that any Ansteorran herald should wear the kingdom arms when performing any 
heraldic duty, ad infinitum.  The excessive use of the kingdom arms would 
dilute the impact those arms have when presented.

When acting on behalf of the College of Heralds, the badge of the heralds 
should be sufficient.  When acting directly on behalf of our Crown, the 
arms of the kingdom are paramount, proper, and desirable.

A point I only half started to make in my previous email (which apparently 
raised some of these questions) is that the Principal Herald is in a 
slightly different spot than the rest of the college.  All heraldic 
activities in Ansteorra are the responsibilty of my office, answerable to 
my Crown and the Laurel King of Arms.  To actually perform all such duties 
personally would be impossible today.  So, I am authorized by kingdom law 
to appoint such deputies (warranted staff) as I see necessary to see that 
my office fulfills its obligations.  I am "...when directed by the Crown, 
the voice of the Crown."  I am "...at all times to oversee all matters 
heraldic within the Kingdom of Ansteorra."  When acting as Their voice, I 
should be wearing the kingdom arms.  When overseeing all matters heraldic, 
I am still performing my duty to the Crown and might wear the kingdom arms 
if I deem it appropriate or necessary (though I am very careful about that 
and what it represents to the average populace member).  My deputies, even 
the lesser officers of state who have sworn the oath at Coronation, hold 
positions created by the Principal Herald's office so the duties can get 
done, rather than direct warrants/authority by the Crown.  The Crown signs 
the warrant roster to authorize the positions the Principal Herald appoints 
but (with the exception of the Golden Staff Herald and the Sable Scroll 
Pursuivant) the Crown typically doesn't mandate positions directly.

The Principal Herald, in a tabard or out of one, is at all times the herald 
of the Crown and Kingdom of Ansteorra and must be careful to not speak some 
thing or perform some action which reflects badly upon the Crown and 
kingdom.  In some respects, due to "all matters heraldic", I can never 
really "set aside the tabard" without activating an ER deputy.  Other 
heralds can.

3. Baronial heralds are the heralds of a B&B and could wear the arms of the 
Barony, but what about the non-baronial groups?
This raises an aside question.  Who is the noble of a shire?  The Crown is 
the direct noble/royalty of any group they have not delegated 
responsibility for (ie - put a Baron/Baroness over in fief).  So, in their 
capacity as Lord and Lady over the Shire of Adlersruhe (as an example), the 
arms of Adlersruhe are arms of our Crown in respect to a specific 
armigerous aspect.  In that respect, the arms of a shire are also auxillary 
arms of the King and Queen.

By extension, this means that a Canton's arms are auxillary arms of the 
Baron/Baroness and could be worn by a canton herald in the same respect or 
worn by the baronial herald when the Baron/Baroness are holding court in 
their canton lands.  For that matter, when the Crown is in one of their 
shires holding court in THEIR shire, the court herald could wear the arms 
of the shire while speaking for the Crown.  But the baronial arms outrank 
the canton, and the royal arms outrank the shire so precedence is correctly 
given to the highest ranking arms of the noble/royalty (though the lesser 
rank could correctly be worn).

Baronial heralds wear the baronial arms (in a direct model off of the 
kingdom heralds) when acting directly for or speaking for or conducting 
business for the Baron/Baroness.  A shire herald would wear the arms of the 
shire when acting as the voice of the shire (by extension, voice of the 
Crown as well as the populace).

Herald on the March:
Alden then mentions having seen processions of heralds all wearing the 
royal arms.  If two heralds are heralding for the Crown, both can wear the 
arms of the Crown; there does not have to be a lead herald/junior herald 
tabard designation (though the pursuivant thing could be applied).  If the 
Crown desired a procession with multiple heralds, then they (as heralds of 
the Crown) can and should all wear the royal arms.  Such a procession would 
be fairly neat to see if appropriate to the situation (and it doesn't 
extend court unduly).  Most of the British processionals I have seen 
modernly (funeral of the Queen Mother for example) had about 8 or 10 
heralds all wearing the royal arms.  Granted, at least four of those were 
Kings of Arms and they were all titled heralds with Crown warrants but it 
was done.

So, What should heralds wear?
If acting as a herald, but not directly on a task, duty, role, etc. for 
their titular noble, the badge of the college in some form is appropriate.
If acting as a herald with tasks, duties, roles, etc. for their titular 
noble, the arms of their titular noble as a tabard would be preferred.

Ivo notes that the Garter reports to the Earl Marshal:
That is an organzational assignment.  The Garter King of Arms does not wear 
the arms of the Earl Marshal but of the Crown and is the Crown's herald 
(whomever is delegated day-to-day supervision).

Does a consulting herald represent the submitter or the CoH?
Both.  Unlike a court where you have a plantiff and defender, the 
consulting herald has both roles, to prosecute the submission according to 
the rules and to try and prepare a good defense for the item they consulted 
on for submission.  Sometimes you have to submit something because the 
submitter will not listen and it is something you cannot cenceivably defend 
and only a judgement (ruling) from kingdom or Laurel will suffice.  But you 
have to represent both unless you tag team with another herald during 
consulting to bounce counter-points off of each other.  Master Robin's 
point about the name tag was an excellent example.

Miscellany from this thread:
The Principal Herald of Artemisia would have been near the back of a 
procession of Principal Heralds as the Principal Herald of a younger 
kingdom.  In Ansteorra, this is similar to our March of Precedence wherein 
the landed barons/baronesses (if not holding greater rank) are lined up in 
the order that the groups were elevated to be baronies.  Alasdair caught 
that one.

Sorry for the long email,
Etienne
Star Principal Herald