Academy of Heraldry

The Imperial and Royal Academy of Heraldry, also known as the Academy of Heraldry, is a imperial and royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over Karnia-Ruthenia. The heralds are appointed by the Emperor-King and are delegated authority to act on behalf of the Crown in all matters of heraldry, the granting of new coats of arms and genealogical research. The Academy is also the official body responsible for matters relating to the flying of flags on land, and it maintains the official registers of flags and other national symbols. It is the sucessor body of the Ruthenian Academy of Heraldry, founded on 23 February 2015.

Founded by the Imperial Decree n. 066-2017 in 2017 by Emperor-King Oscar I. Within the Empire, it is the only authority and has had its home in the Grancasa since its foundation. The Academy also undertakes and consults on the planning of many ceremonial occasions such as the coronation, state funerals and other events.

Foundation
Emperor-King Oscar I's interest in heraldry was indicated since the foundations of the Kingdom of Ruthenia on 2014 and after the union with the Duchy of Libertia, he founded in Guilherme, Duke of Libertia a precious ally able to supervise the heralds and made plans for the reform of their organisation. Soon after, Oscar I created Guilherme, Duke of Libertia as King of Arms.

Reform
After a short period when Prince Alexander Karapavlovic led the Ruthenian Academy of Heraldry, the academy's progress stalled, which was a key factor for the Duke of Libertia's reappointment to the post - another factor was the abandonment and subsequent extinction of the princely title of the second King of Arms.

Even after the Karno-Ruthenian Compromise of 2016 and the foundation of Karnia-Ruthenia, the Ruthenian Academy of Heraldry was the highest authority on national heraldry, although its attributions have not been delimited until the decree that transformed the Ruthenian Academy of Heraldry in the Imperial and Royal Academy of Heraldry on 11 January 2017 as an independent corporate body overseen by the Hofpfalzgraf, the senior rank of an officer of arms in Karnia-Ruthenia.

With the new decree, the Academy was given new responsibilities when the Academy was officially made responsible for the granting of new coats of arms and genealogical research.

Ceremonial
The Academy is a part of the Imperial and Royal Household of the Karno-Ruthenian Monarchy, as such they serve the monarch by accompanying him on various state occasions. These occasions are centred on the institution of the monarchy as the symbol of the state, and the expression of majesty and power through public pomp and ceremony. The organisation and planning of all State ceremonies falls within the prerogative of the Hofpfalzgraf, the Academy's chief. As a result, the heralds have a role to perform within every significant ceremony.

Granting and proving descent of arms
The granting of coat of arms within the Empire is the sole prerogative of the monarch. However, the monarch has delegated this power to one authority on his behalf; the Hofpfalzgraf, with jurisdiction over the Empire. The most common way of gaining the right to bear a coat of arms is by a grant from the Crown, by succeeding to an office or by marriage.

When a new grant of arms is to be made, it is granted through a letters patent. The Crown delegates all of this authority to the Hofpfalzgraf, however before any letters can be issued they must have a warrant from the Emperor-King agreeing to the granting of arms.

Once granted, a coat of arms becomes the hereditary and inheritable property of the owner and his descendants. However, this can only be so if the inheritor is a legitimate descendent of the person originally granted with the arms. To establish the right to arms by descent, one must be able to prove that an ancestor had his arms recorded in the registers of the Academy. If there is a possibility of such an inheritance, one must first make contact with the Academy, who could then advise on the course of action.

Genealogical records
Due to the inheritable nature of coats of arms the Academy have also been involved in generalogy since its foundation and regularly conduct genealogical research. As the Academy is also the official repository of genealogical materials such as family trees, the Academy's records dates back over centuries.

Hofpfalzgraf
The Hofpfalzgraf is the Head of the Academy of Heraldry and the office has existed since 2015 with the name of King of Arms. The Hofpfalzgraf has authority over all matters of heraldry, but also over the flying of flags within the Empire. There are no formal qualifications for a Hofpfalzgraf, but certain specialist knowledge and discipline are required.