Windsor Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.

It has been suggested that the office was instituted specifically for the Order of the Garter in 1348, or that it predates the Order and was in use as early as 1338. However, it is more likely that it dates from 1364, when a pursuivant of Edward III, on bringing the king news of the victory at Auray, was rewarded by promotion to the rank of herald with the title Windsor. Thereafter there is little mention of the office before 1419, when Windsor Herald was sent to the Duke of Brittany. Since that time, the office has been maintained. The badge of office is the sunburst badge of Edward III (Edward of Windsor) royally crowned.

The best-known Windsor Herald was the 17th-century antiquarian, Elias Ashmole. The office is vacant.

Holders of the office Arms Name Date of appointmentRefAndrew (surname unknown)(Edward III)Stephen (surname unknown)(1366)Thomas More(Henry VI)Robert Ashwell(Henry VI)John Ferrant(Edward IV)John Ballard(Edward IV)Thomas Holme1461–1468John More1468–1486 Richard Slacke1486–1502Thomas Benolte1504–1510Francis Dyes1510–1524Thomas Wall1524–1529Charles Wriothesley1529–1565Richard Turpin1565–1583Nicholas Dethick1583–1597Thomas Lant1597–1602Richard St George1602–1604Samuel Thompson1617–1624Augustine Vincent1624–1626John Bradshaw1626–1633Edward Norgate1633–1650Elias Ashmole1660–1675John Dugdale1676–1686Henry Ball1686–1687Thomas Holdford1687–1690Peers Mauduit1690–1726James Whorwood1726–1736John Kettell1736–1746Richard Mawson1746–1746Thomas Thornborough1746–1757Henry Hill1757–1774George Harrison1774–1784Francis Townsend1784–1819Francis Martin1819–1839Robert Laurie1839–1849George Rogers-Harrison1849–1880Sir William Weldon1880–1894William Lindsay1894–1919Sir Algar Howard1919–1931Alfred Butler1931–1946Richard Graham-Vivian1947–1966Sir Colin Cole1966–1978Theobald Mathew1978–1997William George Hunt1999–2017John Allen-Petrie2019–2026Vacant2026–present

See also Heraldry Officer of arms

References Citations

Bibliography The College of Arms, Queen Victoria Street : being the sixteenth and final monograph of the London Survey Committee, Walter H. Godfrey, assisted by Sir Anthony Wagner, with a complete list of the officers of arms, prepared by H. Stanford London, (London, 1963) A History of the College of Arms &c, Mark Noble, (London, 1804)

External links The College of Arms CUHGS Officer of Arms Index