Heralds are officers of arms who emerged in the medieval period and still exist today. In the United Kingdom, they are now to be found at the College of Arms on Queen Victoria Street. This has been their home since 1555, and the current building was erected after the last one was destroyed in the Great Fire of London.
The emergence of heralds
In their earliest days, heralds would deliver proclamations and act as messengers on behalf of monarchs or by high ranking noblemen. They were essentially the forerunner of the diplomats active all around the world today. Heralds carried a white rod to denote their diplomatic immunity: they were not to be attacked in war nor the subject of reprisals on account of the messages they carried. Diplomatic immunity was at the core of their activities moving between parties, particularly in times of war to keep channels of negotiation open.
Over time, this involvement in diplomacy led to heralds becoming experts in heraldry. They came to know the badges, standards and coats of arms used by royalty and nobility in order to help them do their jobs. This in turn opened up another avenue of activity for them. Heralds became experts in genealogy. Understanding heraldry evolved into a knowledge of family histories and achievements, not least because these often played into the coats of arms used by noblemen as heralds needed to understand what they meant.
