A NEW AUTHORITY IN A LAND OF OLD HERALDRY: THE FLEMISH HERALDIC COUNCIL
Summary of a Presentation by Dr. Luc Duerloo
Member of the Council and Professor at the University of Antwerp
Dr. Luc Duerloo, a member of the Flemish Heraldic Council and professor of history at the University of
Antwerp in Belgium, gave a presentation on the Flemish heraldic authority at the New York Genealogical
& Biographical Society (the G&B) on Wednesday 2 March 2011. The event was co-sponsored by the
College of Arms Foundation and the G&B’s Committee on Heraldry.
Although the Council is itself relatively new, Belgium and Flanders have a long and strong tradition of
heraldry. The Counts of Flanders bore arms (Or a lion rampant sable) as early as 1163. In 1430 the
Dukes of Burgundy, then the sovereigns of the region, instituted the Order of the Golden Fleece and
attached heralds to it, the senior of which was known as “Toison d’Or” (“Golden Fleece”).
Above right: the largest shield depicts the arms of the Counts of Flanders, first recorded in 1163.
Above left: the collar of the senior Burgundian herald, known as Toison d’Or, is preserved in Vienna.
A Heraldic Chamber was established and operated in Brussels until it was abolished in 1794 as a
consequence of the French Revolution, when what is modern-day Belgium was annexed by the French
Republic. Displays of heraldry were banned until 1815, when the territory became part of the Kingdom
of the Netherlands known as the Low Countries. In 1830 a new Belgian kingdom was created. The new
monarchy instituted a nobility of rank with no legal privileges and a Council of the Nobility was
established in 1844 to assist the king in supervising nobiliary matters: issuing letters patent and coats of
arms. The Council was in charge of local heraldry as well until 1977. The Council is a unit of the Protocol
Department of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Above: Heralds’ tabards.
Right: designs for heralds’ batons.
There are only two ways to become noble in Belgium: Dr. Duerloo said that either one is raised to the
nobility or else one’s nobility is recognized. Only 1.5% of the population of the kingdom is qualified as
noble. The Council is in charge of issuing letters patent of nobility. Letters patent always include a coat
of arms. This is different from the United Kingdom where the conferral of a peerage has long been
separate from the granting of arms. Dr. Duerloo noted that around 12 individuals are ennobled annually
in Belgium today, almost always with the rank of chevalier (knight) or baron.
As an aside, Dr. Duerloo noted that appointments to higher degrees are extremely rare. In recent years
only two Belgians have been made a vicomte (viscount): Ilya Prigogine, who won a Nobel Prize, in 1989;
and the astronaut Frank De Winne in 2006. He also noted that the highest title King Beaudoin, the
current king’s predecessor, granted was that of count.
Two examples of recent
Belgian grants of noble
arms. Left: Arms of Baron
Karel Boone, Chairman
and Managing Director of
Lotus Bakeries. Right:
Arms of Chevalier
(Knight) Marcel Neels,
also known by his nom de
plume, Marc Sleen.
They are allusive and
simple.
In 1977 there was a reorganization of the national government. A federal system was established
designed to give a political voice to the three language communities (Dutch, French and German) and
the three economic regions (Flemish/Northern, Walloon/Southern and Brussels, the capital).
Henceforth cultural matters were to be determined by the communities.
The Flemish community established a Vlaamse Heraldische Raad, or Flemish Heraldic Council, in 1984 as
the successor to the Subcommittee for Heraldry or Subcommissie Heraldiek, established in 1978. Its
prime task was to supervise the granting of a coat of arms and a flag to each of the 308 communes in
the Flemish Region. Prof. Duerloo noted that no government decree is valid without a proper seal, thus
the need for properly granted municipal coats of arms. Following the reorganization of the Belgian
communes, the council's field of action was extended to provincial arms and flags in 1994.
Since 2000 the Council has likewise advised the Flemish Government on grants of arms to Flemish
individuals and corporations.
Dr. Duerloo showed examples of the grants made to communes. He noted that some, such as Bruges,
were ancient and had long used arms, while others were modern amalgamations of older, smaller
towns. In cases where arms had long existed, they were re-granted with only slight modifications, such
as in the case of Bruges. In other cases, where several old towns or communes were combined, the
Council had to exercise tact and diplomacy to satisfy officials from the merged entities that they were
each heraldically represented in the new design.
Starting in 1977 the Council reinterpreted ancient municipal arms, sometimes correcting them. Above left: an
old depiction of the arms of Bruges. There is a small letter “b” hidden within large crown-crest, which also used
as a badge in the middle ages. Above right: the new arms of Bruges. Note that the “b” is now clearly visible due
to the much-reduced crown. Right: the flag of the City of Bruges.
Above left: the new arms of the municipality of Ravels (comprising the towns of Poppel and Weelde). Saint
Michael slays the dragon with a lance. The supporters are Saints Servaas with crozier and key and Valentine
holding a heart and a sword. Above right: the new flag of Ravels - the three piles barry or allude to the three
regions and reflect the principal tinctures of or and azure. Below left: the arms of Poppel. Below right: the
municipal arms of Weelde. Note that Saint Michael now slays the dragon with a sword.
Above: In addition to towns and municipalities, the Flemish Heraldic Council was also charged with granting arms
to provinces. One example is the Province of Antwerp, which incorporates the City of Antwerp and the regions of
Mechelen and Turnout. Above left: arms of the Province of Antwerp incorporating the city Antwerp (white castle
on red field); Mechelen and Turnhout. Above right: the flag of the Province of Antwerp. It can be seen as three
bends – argent/azure (for Turnout), or/gules (for Mechelen) and gules/argent (for Antwerp). Bottom left: arms
of Mechelen. Bottom right: arms of Turnhout. The Turnhout stag is subtly alluded to by the antlers forming a
compartment in the provincial arms; while the shield is just visible in the base.
The method of delivering letters patent is for the recipients to gather in a ceremony and for the letters
to be read publicly by Council officials. Around 12 to 20 are produced annually.
Left: Grantees
of Flemish
letters patent
pose with
their arms
after the
annual
presentation
ceremony.
Letters patent
are read out
at an
assembly by
an official.
Note the
herald woith
tabard and
baton of
office.
Dr. Duerloo showed examples of personal arms either recognized or granted, and corporate arms.
Below are two versions of “old” (100+ years) arms that were recognized to a family named Haus
(“house”). The arms on a shield with helmet and crest are for men; women’s arms are depicted on an
oval, and never with a helmet and crest. Instead women’s arms are always adorned with a wreath. Dr.
Duerloo said that every wreath is a unique composition – particular flowers are chosen that are
associated with the grantee(s).
Arms of Haus on a shield (for use by men) and on an oval (for use by women).
Upper left: Arms of Van de Pol, granted to a retired administrator of the Belgian Congo who sought to protect
the rhinoceros – thus a “tusk” pile argent. Upper center: Arms of Beirens, who is a US citizen of Flemish descent.
Upper right: Arms of De Jong, with a moon in its first quarter (a “young” moon) both in chief on the shield and in
the crest. Bottom left: Arms of Daens, the grantee is a lawyer who ventured into the law courts like Daniel the
lion’s den. Bottom right: Ramachers (meaning “wheelwright”) has a wheel/helm as the principal charge to
signify his transportation business and his passion for sailing.
Prof. Duerloo’s presentation was made even more enjoyable by his serious yet humorous style. At the
conclusion, everyone was excited by what they had heard about the Flemish Heraldic Council. A
reception followed the presentation and the speaker fielded many more questions.
Right: the arms of the Flemish Heraldic Council