Earl Marshal of Hutt River Principality. Please contact us if we may be of assistance.
History Heralds have traditionally provided valuable service to Kings, Princes and other Sovereign Persons and the Principality of Hutt River is no exception. The Royal College of Heraldry (RCH) was established soon after the successful secession of 1970 and functions today under PHR law-- viz.The Peerage and Dignities Act. |
| Duties The traditional responsibilities of the RCH are
conducted under the warrant of the Earl Marshal and include advising
the Sovereign and Cabinet on matters related to heraldry; designing
and executing arms and other heraldic devices for the State and
Sovereign. With the advent of the new millennium, a proposal for
the RCH to offer certain services to citizens and dignitaries of
PHR as well as the public, at large, was approved. These are:
1) To review existing private or corporate arms submitted and, if suitable, to officially register such arms and provide applicants with a document of registration 2)
To devise and draw new arms on the British model, for worthy petitioners;
to issue 3) To maintain an official registry of the acts taken under 1) and 2) 4)
To liaise with official and private heraldic bodies world- wide
to the benefit of PHR |
| Authority,
Implementation The Office of The Chief Herald conducts many of the functions of The Royal College of Heraldry under authority delegated by the Earl Marshal. The RCH has authority to draw up and set forth regulations and fees governing all approved functions of the College, to issue Patents of Arms under The Royal Seal and to establish and maintain an Official Registry for patents and other documents. The Earl Marshal, assisted by the Chief Herald, represent the Principality in all matters heraldic and the Patents issued under the authority of the Earl Marshal have the full force and effect of PHR law. The
Chief Herald serves for an indefinite term and he may be domiciled
in any country. He is authorized to engage the services of qualified
independent Heraldic Artists to assist in the performance of his
duties. The current Chief Herald of The Royal College of Heraldry
resides in Australia. |
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In
addition to the work performed by the RCH for the Crown and the
Government, HRH Prince Leonard has approved certain services to
the public at large. Applicants need not be a citizen of PHR to
benefit from these if otherwise qualified. |
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Definition--Registration
is the acceptance of armorial bearings, and their recording in an
official registry following verification of compliance with basic
norms established by the RCH. |
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Qualification--Acceptable
evidence of the provenance of the arms is required. This includes
proof of direct linear descent or gift by patent from the original
armiger to the present owner, or, evidence that the arms are an
original design drawn for the present owner. The design must conform
to accepted PHR heraldic standards based on UK models, or the applicant
will be advised of changes needed and must modify and resubmit,
accordingly. The College cannot register arms originating from a
reference work which only shows arms attributed to a surname, with
no proven link to the petitioner or his line of descent. The blazon
(traditional written description) submitted must conform to the
law of heraldry. If no blazon is submitted or the blazon is deemed
to be incorrect by the RCH or incomplete, the applicant will be
given the option of withdrawing the application or commissioning
a proper blazon, subject to payment of a lawful surcharge |
Procedure--The
applicant submits the materials required for review. These include
a clear copy of the arms, preferably in color and a complete written
description (blazon). The latter is especially important if the
image submitted is black line or half tone rather than color. Digital
images are acceptable, as are reflective copies. All available information
as to the provenance of the arms should also be included. The College
cannot conduct private heraldic or genealogical research nor can
materials be returned.
The materials are carefully reviewed by the College. The applicant may be contacted by RCH personnel and should provide all possible assistance. If the arms submitted substantially conform to the norms, The Chief Herald will authorize the official registration and the issuance of a certificate attesting thereto. The
handsome, illuminated parchment Certificate of Registration features
the arms of HRH, the Earl Marshal and the RCH and is signed and
sealed by the Earl Marshal. The blazon is included on the certificate,
and a reproduction of the petitioner’s arms may be included
on the document, if the image quality permits. |
| Basic
Registration Fee: US $400. Blazon fee (when required) US $20 |
| Procedure--A $50. non-refundable handling fee is submitted with materials. The balance is due when petitioner is notified that the certificate is ready. The entire fee may be pre-paid under the same terms. In the event of prepayment and the College determines that petitioner’s arms cannot be registered, payment will be refunded, less the handling fee. Fees are non-refundable after registration has begun. |
Definition--By
this process, new arms are devised by The RCH for petitioners deemed
eligible, ownership is conveyed by Letters Patent document , by
warrant of the Earl Marshal and the new armorial bearings are registered
by the College. |
Qualification--The
petitioner submits a written request for the creation of personal,
corporate or institutional arms. The letter must provide evidence
of the suitability of the petitioner to become an armiger, e.g.
a recent CV and / or personal endorsements attesting to character,
repute, accomplishments, etc. Petitioners are subject to screening
or background investigation at the discretion of the College. Peers,
Dignitaries and Military Officers of the Principality are exempt
from the evidentiary requirement, but not from other procedures
and fees. A non-refundable petition and evaluation fee must accompany the petition. |
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Procedure--Officials of the
RCH confer with petitioner to receive personal input in advance
of design. A number of rough, preliminary sketches are submitted
for review. Upon acceptance of the design direction, the balance
of the fee is payable--after which the design work proceeds. The
petitioner accepts the right of the RCH to adjust designs to conform
to the laws of heraldry as interpreted by the College.
The arms are painted, taking into consideration the petitioner’s comments. The finished rendering of the achievement of arms is provided in a size and form suitable for framing. The Blazon is finalized and the painted arms are incorporated into a Letters Patent document that officially conveys the grant of arms to the petitioner and his descendants. The patent document is issued under warrant from the Earl Marshal, bears the Abridged arms of the Sovereign, the Earl Marshal, the College and is signed and sealed by the EM. A numbered copy of the certificate incorporating the blazon and depicting the arms is deposited in the registry of the College. The original patent document is the proof of registry. Inquiries from competent heraldic authorities as to the provenance of arms granted by these regulations will be promptly and thoroughly answered by the Office of the Earl Marshal. There are two basic options for rendering of arms, 1) all digital and 2) a combination of digital and hand painting. In the latter case, the large library painting is painted by hand in traditional manner, while digital art is used on the Patent Document. In addition to the basic achievement-- shield, mantling, helm, crest and motto--other elements may be elected as part of the total package. These are listed on the fee schedules and costs are in addition to the base fee. |
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Option
1) All Digital |
Option
2) Combination |
Procedure:
A non-refundable $50 handling fee is submitted at time of application.
The balance is payable at the time petitioner approves and countersigns
the written proposal of the College. Once the college has commenced
work on the design, the fees are non-refundable. Contact
the RCH by e-mail here. |
All
fees are quoted and payable in US Dollars. Please contact the Office
of the Chief Herald (in Australia) or the Office of the Earl Marshal
(elsewhere) by e-mail for mailing address and remittance instructions.
No telephone calls can be accepted. |
Contrary
to popular belief, it is not necessary to be knighted or to hold
a noble title in order to bear arms. Generally, in countries without
official heraldic regulations, any gentleman or lady of good character
may, by tradition, bear and display a coat of arms. This practice
is known as “assuming arms”. The RCH of Hutt River Principality
both registers qualified arms and assists with design of new arms
and offers these services to overseas citizens of PHR as well as
to others. Those who accept the sovereignty of Prince Leonard will
regard their arms as having been legally “granted”.
Others will view the activities of the RCH as a private registry.
Persons residing in countries with official heraldic regulatory
bodies should check with the appropriate authority prior to proceeding.
The Principality of Hutt River does not offer knighthoods or titles
of nobility for purchase. These honors are the sole prerogative
of the Sovereign Prince and are given as rewards for services rendered
to the Sovereign or the Country or to recognize individuals anywhere
for meritorious achievement. The chivalric tradition of the Principality
encourages members invested in one of the three orders to obtain
armorial bearings but this is not mandatory. |