Wales Herald Extraordinary
Encyclopedia
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
) is a current English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
officer of arms extraordinary
Officer of arms
An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions:*to control and initiate armorial matters*to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state...
. Wales is a royal herald
Herald
A herald, or, more correctly, a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is often applied erroneously to all officers of arms....
, but is not a member of the chapter of the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, but who process with the other heralds on ceremonial occasions. The Wales Herald also forms part of the procession when The Queen officially opens a session of the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff Bay.
There was a Wales Herald in the late fourteenth century, but the office was shortlived. It was re-established in 1963 as an officer of arms extraordinary. The first appointee was Francis Jones
Francis Jones (Welsh historian)
Major Francis Jones CVO, TD, DL, FSA, MA, KStJ , was an author, archivist, historian and officer of arms.-Early and private life:...
.
The badge dates from 1967 and depicts a treasured medieval Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
possession, the Croes Naid
Cross of Neith
The Cross of Neith was a sacred relic believed to be a fragment of the True Cross which had been kept at Aberconwy by the kings and princes of Gwynedd, members of the Aberffraw dynasty who established the Principality of Wales. They believed it afforded them and their people divine protection...
--a cross heavily gilded and jewelled and said to contain a fragment of the True Cross
True Cross
The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.According to post-Nicene historians, Socrates Scholasticus and others, the Empress Helena The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a...
of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
Christ. The badge is blazoned Issuant from an open Royal Crown of the 13th century Or a representation of a Croes Naid also Or jewelled proper.
The current Wales Herald of Arms Extraordinary is Thomas Lloyd, O.B.E., D.L., F.S.A.,.
he having replaced Michael Powell Siddons in 2010.
Office holders
- Francis JonesFrancis Jones (Welsh historian)Major Francis Jones CVO, TD, DL, FSA, MA, KStJ , was an author, archivist, historian and officer of arms.-Early and private life:...
CVORoyal Victorian OrderThe Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, TDTerritorial DecorationThe Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
, DLDeputy LieutenantIn the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
, FSASociety of Antiquaries of LondonThe Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
, MAMaster of Arts (postgraduate)A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, KStJ, 1963 to 1993 - Michael SiddonsMichael SiddonsDr Michael Powell Siddons was Wales Herald of Arms Extraordinary. He was appointed in November 1994, following the death of Francis Jones and retired 30 June 2010. In addition to the publications listed below, he has authored numerous articles on heraldic and genealogical subjects...
, November 1994 to 30 June 2010 - Thomas Lloyd OBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DLDeputy LieutenantIn the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
, FSASociety of Antiquaries of LondonThe Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
, 30 June 2010 - present