A Proclamation comes to Inverclyde
Following the death of Her Majesty, the 'Lord Lyon, KIng of Arms', proclaimed her successor as part of an ancient ceremony at the Mercat Cross of Edinburgh.
A Traditional News Service
The previous day, 'Garter, King of Arms' enacted the original Proclamation in London.
Before modern modes of transport and communication, important information such as the death and accession of a new monarch was notified throughout the nations by riders or heralds on horseback.
A Country-wide Network
A four stage system developed which prevails today mainly for ceremonial reasons. Two of these stages were televised but it is likely that some residents of Inverclyde were unaware of the latter stages. (recent dates and times)
National: Proclamation in London, recently enacted by 'Garter King of Arms’ at St James’s Palace (10th September at 11:00).
Home Nations: for Scotland, this was at Edinburgh’s Mercat Cross and enacted by the 'Lord Lyon, King of Arms' (11th September at noon).
Regional: for the traditional Renfrewshire, at Paisley’s Renfrewshire House. Led by the Sherriff Principal, with the Lord Lieutenant for the County and the Provost of Inverclyde present at the ceremony (at 12:30).
Local: Clyde Square, Greenock was the point of the Inverclyde announcement led by the Provost (at 13:30).
King of Arms
The current Lord Lyon, King of Arms is the Right Honourable Dr Joseph John Morrow, CBE, QC, LLD, DL, FRSE, and is the head of the Court of the Lord Lyon which sits in Edinburgh.
In addition to their recently viewed ceremonial duties as heralds, the Court has responsibility for some aspects of genealogy such as the granting of Arms and Bearings - often referred to as crests - the inheritance of titles, and particularly in Scotland, confirmation of the next Clan Chieftan.
Although dressed in similar looking ceremonial tabards to the Scottish Court officials, the role of 'Garter, King of Arms' is restricted to implementing the Royal will in heraldry. By contrast, the Lord Lyon has always had a delegated royal authority to unilaterally adjudicate in all Scottish heraldic matters. As a legal professional, he or she can legally prosecute and fine - of yore even imprison - unentitled users of others’ heraldry, or creators of bogus heraldry for which he may employ a hammerman to smash or otherwise remove it!
So far as is known, Dr Morrow will not be so accompanied during his forthcoming talk at the Tontine when his subject will be 'Celebrating 350 years of the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland.'