King 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 England, the authority to grant a coat of arms is subject to the formal approval of the Earl Marshal in the form of a warrant.

In jurisdictions such as the Republic of Ireland the authority to grant armorial bearings has been delegated to a chief herald that serves the same purpose as the traditional king of arms.

At the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the kings of arms used a crown trimmed with sixteen acanthus leaves alternating in height, and inscribed with the words Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam ('Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy great mercy'; Psalm 51).

The Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is the herald of the (now dormant) Order of St Patrick.

King during the solemn funeral of Albert VI of Austria
Louis d'Ursel was the King of Arms of Flanders
Banners of the arms of office of the three current English kings of arms. Visible are the banners of Norroy and Ulster King of Arms , Clarenceux King of Arms , and Garter Principal King of Arms .
Crown of an English king of arms
Thomas Hawley, Clarenceux King of Arms, wearing a tabard bearing the royal arms of England and holding a white staff of office
Kings of Arms appear in a painting where Grand Inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada in 1492 asks the Catholic Monarchs to issue the edict for expulsion of the Jews from Spain