Garter Principal King of Arms
Garter Principal King of Arms (also Garter King of Arms or simply Garter) is the senior king of arms and officer of arms of the College of Arms, the heraldic authority with jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland. (The Scottish counterpart is the Lord Lyon King of Arms.) The position has existed since 1415.
The arms of office of the Garter Principal King of Arms | |
| Heraldic tradition | Gallo-British |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | England, Wales and Northern Ireland |
| Governing body | College of Arms |
| Chief officer | David Vines White, Garter Principal King of Arms |
Garter is responsible to the Earl Marshal for the running of the college. He is the principal adviser to the sovereign of the United Kingdom with respect to ceremonial and heraldry, with specific responsibility for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and, with the exception of Canada, for Commonwealth realms of which Charles III is the sovereign. He also serves as the king of arms of the Order of the Garter and his seal and signature appear on all grants of arms made by the college.
On the death of the British monarch it is Garter's duty to proclaim the new monarch. Initially, the Accession Council meets at St James's Palace in central London to declare the new monarch from the deceased monarch's line. Once the new monarch has made a sacred oath before the council, Garter King of Arms steps out into the Proclamation Gallery which overlooks Friary Court to proclaim the new monarch.
The current Garter Principal King of Arms is David White.