Modern Period
Today, the term armiger is well-defined only within jurisdictions, such as Canada, Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom, where heraldry is regulated by the state or a heraldic body, such as the College of Arms, the Court of the Lord Lyon or the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland. A person can be so entitled either by proven (and typically agnatic) descent from a person with a right to bear a coat of arms, or by virtue of a grant of arms to himself. Sharing the family name of an armiger is insufficient.
Anyone may use any coat of arms in jurisdictions that lack regulated heraldry, such as the United States. In the Netherlands, titles of nobility are regulated by law but heraldry is not. In Sweden the nobility has had, since 1762, the prerogative to use an open helmet, while others use a closed helmet.
Read more about this topic: Armiger
Famous quotes containing the words modern and/or period:
“The way in which modern German poetry follows theories reminds me of pupils who, scolded by their teacher for their insubordination, justify themselves by saying that they invented new rules of propriety according to which they are quite well- behaved.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)
“To give an accurate and exhaustive account of that period would need a far less brilliant pen than mine.”
—Max Beerbohm (1872–1956)