Titles of nobility

[Martin Goldstraw]

I have no wish to embarrass the individual concerned so I shall mention no names but we often receive applications to register arms from, to put it bluntly, fantasists with so called titles and today is no exception.

Today's applicant would have us believe that he is a Duke no less. However as his title originates from the notorious H R H the Prince Douglas of St Michel de Clermont of the Principality St Michel de Clermont [in real life Mr Douglas Henderson of British Columbia] we will not be recording this particular gentleman in the register.

It is a pity that some people spend a great deal of money on bogus titles and, in this case, the gentleman also obtained a registration of arms from a well known heraldic body (not an heraldic authority but a pseudo authority) with, no doubt, a quality piece of art work along with it. I am quite sure that he would have received more respect and recognition if he had simply assumed his armorial bearings as an ordinary person (in the real world).