Cronista Rey de Armas

The Cronista Rey de Armas (Spanish for 'Chronicler King of Arms') in the Kingdoms of Spain was a civil servant who had the authority to grant armorial bearings.

Eventually, the task of settling these disputes was passed on to officers called heralds who were originally responsible for setting up tournaments and carrying messages between nobles.

[1] During the reign of Charles V, the Cronista Rey de Armas (Chronicler King of Arms) and other heraldic officers were not always native to kingdoms within the Iberian Peninsula.

The imperial court included officials from various realms, such as Castile, Aragon, Burgundy, Flanders, Austria, and the Holy Roman Empire.

[5][2] While these appointments were not hereditary, at least fifteen Spanish families produced more than one herald each in the past 500 years (compared to about the same number for England, Scotland and Ireland collectively).

The corps was considered part of the royal household and was generally responsible to the Master of the King's Stable, an important position in the Middle Ages.