Lord Lyon King of Arms

The Lord Lyon King of Arms is the owner of a high government office in Scotland. He is one of the Great Officers of State for Scotland. Until the end of 2013 was David Sellar Lord Lyon King of Arms. In January 2014 Dr. Joseph J. Morrow was appointed as his successor.

History

The Office is attested since the early 14th century but may be older. The various tasks were then fixed by Act of Parliament over the years.

Tasks

The duties of the Lord Lyon King of Arms are still diverse.

He is the King of Arms of Scotland and thus has important powers in the field of heraldry. So only he has the power to give a new coat of arms. His counterpart for England in this function is the Garter Principal King of Arms.

His office, the Court of the Lord Lyon, performs the role of Arms for Scotland, such as the College of Arms for the rest of the country.

Furthermore, the Court has judicial functions. The Lord Lyon is him also where he is the sole judge. This court, in part, similar to the English Court of Chivalry, is responsible for civil and criminal jurisdiction in the field of heraldry and fully integrated into the Scottish court organization. Unlike the English counterpart, the court shall enter together relatively often. It is the oldest court in the world in this field, which meets regularly still. This feature allows the Lord Lyon must always be a trained lawyer.

He is also responsible for the implementation of state ceremonies in Scotland. In that respect, its protocol functions to those of the Earl Marshal. At its annual tasks in this function include the opening of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Finally, the Lord Lyon King of Arms and acts as secretary of the Thistle Order. In this capacity, he is present at the services of the Order and in particular with the introduction of new members.

Occurrence

On official occasions the Lord Lyon wearing a tabard. Virtue of office he is authorized as one of the very few people in Scotland to lead the Royal Standard of Scotland.