The Council of Heraldry and Vexillology (French: Conseil d’héraldique et de vexillologie) is the Heraldic authority for the French-speaking Community of Belgium. It is the institution that advises the Government of the French-speaking Community on all matters concerning civic, personal, and familial arms and flags. Grants of arms from the Council are published in the Belgian official journal.
Purpose This institution was created in 1985 through a decree by the French Community of Belgium. Its first purpose was to give the French Community its arms, to recognise the arms, seals and flags of cities and municipalities (communes) issued from fusions and to publish from its work, an armorial of the French Community of Belgium.
After this armorial was published in 2002,Lieve Viaene-Awouters and Ernest Warlop, t. 1 : Communes wallonnes A-L, Brussels, Dexia, 2002 and Lieve Viaene-Awouters and Ernest Warlop, t. 2 : Communes wallonnes M-Z, Communes bruxelloises, Communes germanophones, Brussels, Dexia, 2002 the council was charged in 2010 to give to the government opinions and advice regarding anything concerning arms of physical persons, families and family associations and their registry.This new mission was intended in a decree from 2004 but the execution decree was only published in 2010. This mission was previously the role of the Royal Belgian Genealogical and Heraldic Office.
Other Heraldic authorities in Belgium The Flemish Heraldic Council has a similar purpose in the Flemish Community and the Council of Nobility (est. 1844) grants arms to the nobility in all of Belgium.
Publications
Personal armorials
Armoiries de personnes physiques et d’association familiale en Communauté française. 2012-2013, Jean-Paul Springael, 2014, 221 pages.
Municipal armorials
Armoiries communales en Belgique. Communes wallonnes, bruxelloises et germanophones, Philippe de Bounam de Ryckholt, Christophe de Fossa, Albert Derbaix, Jean-Marie Duvosquel, Roger Harmignies, Christiane Pantens, Pierre Philippart de Foy, and Andrée Scufflaire; illustrations by Luc Onclin et Rudy Demotte. - Brussels : Dexia Banque, 2002. - 2 volumes. -
Composition of the Council Composition of the Council of Heraldry and VexillologyAdrien DupontExpertAlbert DerbaixExpertJean-Paul SpringaelExpertBertrand Maus de RolleyRepresentative from ORUACédric PauwelsExpert, jurist, and heraldic artist.François-Xavier GeubelExpert and presidentJean NystRepresentative from CDHLouis-Donat CastermanRepresentative from MRMichel LupantRepresentative from ECOLO
See also
Belgian heraldry Royal Belgian Genealogical and Heraldic Office Burgher arms
Other heraldic authorities
Belgium Council of Nobility Flemish Heraldic Council
Rest of the world College of Arms (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) Lord Lyon (Scotland) Chief Herald of Ireland Canadian Heraldic Authority Bureau of Heraldry (South Africa)
References
External links
Council of Heraldry and Vexillology of the French Community of Belgium Royal Association Genealogical and Heraldic Office of Belgium