Lord Lyon King of Arms

The Lord Lyon is responsible for overseeing state ceremonial in Scotland, for the granting of new arms to persons or organisations, and for confirming proven pedigrees and claims to existing arms as well as recognising clan chiefs after due diligence. The Lyon Register (officially the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland), on which the Lord Lyon records all Scotland's coats of arms, dates from 1672. The Lord Lyon formerly also registered and recorded clan tartans, only upon request from the clan chief, but this function has been taken over by the Scottish Register of Tartans. As Lyon Court is a government department, fees paid for granting coats of arms are paid to the Treasury. The misuse of arms is a criminal offence in Scotland, and treated as tax evasion. Prosecutions are brought before Lyon Court, Lord Lyon being the sole judge. Appeals from the Lyon Court can be made to the Court of Session in Edinburgh. There is no appeal if the Lord Lyon refuses to grant a coat of arms, as this is not a judicial function, but an exercise of his ministerial function, although an appeal by way of judicial review may succeed if it can be shown that the Lord Lyon acted unreasonably. == Equivalents ==

The Lord Lyon has several English equivalents: • Being responsible for Scottish state ceremonies he parallels the Earl Marshal in England. • The Lord Lyon is the heraldic authority for Scotland, much as the English Kings of Arms are responsible for granting arms in England. England has three "Kings of Arms", or high heraldic officers (Lord Lyon is Scotland's only one): Garter Principal, Clarenceux (responsible for southern England), and Norroy and Ulster (responsible for northern England and Northern Ireland). Unlike the English Kings of Arms, who cannot grant arms without a warrant from the (English) Earl Marshal, Lyon does not need permission, but grants by his own power. • Whilst in England the Court of Chivalry (which last met in 1954) is a civil court, in Scotland the Lyon Court meets often and has criminal jurisdiction. Lord Lyon is empowered to have assumed coats of arms, and whatever they are affixed to, destroyed. As an example, when Leith Town Hall, now used as a police station, was renovated during the 1990s, several of the coats of arms decorating the Council Chamber were found to be attributed to the wrong person. The police were given special permission to retain the display, on condition that the tourist guides pointed out the historical anomalies. The Lord Lyon is also one of the few individuals in Scotland officially permitted to fly the "Lion Rampant", the Royal Banner of Scotland. == Etymology ==

The name of office — Lord Lyon — is attributed in reference to the heraldic lion of the Kingdom of Scotland worn on the Lord Lyon's tabard, and has its oldest appearance in written English or Scots in 1381, with one earlier 1377 reference existing in Latin, from the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. ==Symbols of office==

A new collar of state was made in 1998 – a chain with 40 gold links, replacing the item that went missing after the Battle of Culloden. In 2003 a new crown was made for the Lord Lyon, modelled on the Scottish royal crown among the Honours of Scotland. This crown has removable arches (like one of the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's crowns) which are removed at coronations to avoid any hint of lèse majesté. In Scotland, Sir Walter Scott notes that the inauguration of the Lord Lyon closely mirrored the royal coronation itself, with the sole distinction being that wine, rather than oil, was poured over the candidate's head. The appointment of Sir David Lindsay illustrates just how highly the office was regarded: King James VI crowned him using Scotland's ancient crown — predating the adoption of the closed crown by Scottish monarchs — and even permitted him to wear it at the royal table. This was an extraordinary privilege, particularly given James VI's well-known reverence for the concept of royal prerogative and sovereignty. Such an honor makes sense only when the Lord Lyon is understood not merely as a royal official, but as a living embodiment of the king's own authority. ==Holders of the office==

Lord Lyon Kings of Arms was Lord Lyon from 1542 to 1554. A poet and diplomat during Renaissance Scotland. , was Lord Lyon from 1630 to 1654. Noted scholar, annalist and antiquary. In 1654 he was deprived of his office by Oliver Cromwell. of the Lord Lyon King of Arms, created in 1673, depicting the arms of the Lord Lyon. , was Lord Lyon from 1727 to 1754. Despite receiving the Lyon office as a political reward, he nevertheless undertook his duties seriously. , was Lord Lyon from 1804 to 1866. Treated the office as a sinecure and left his duties to the Lyon Depute. was Lord Lyon from 1890 to 1926. Lawyer and scholar, he wrote many books concerning Scotland's heritage. was Lord Lyon from 1929 to 1945. Grant (left), and the Duke of York (centre) proceeding to St Giles' Cathedral in 1933. was Lord Lyon from 1945 to 1969, wearing the tabard of the Royal arms of the United Kingdom (with the Scottish royal arms taking precedence) and holding the staff of the Lyon's office. has been Lord Lyon since 2014, wearing his wig and judicial robes as Lord Lyon. Lyon Deputes ==Coat of arms==

• Lyon King of Arms Act 1592 • Lyon King of Arms Act 1669 • Lyon King of Arms Act 1672 • Lyon King of Arms Act 1867 • The Superannuation (Lyon King of Arms and Lyon Clerk) Order 1979 == External links ==