Grants of Arms to Commercial Companies: The College of Arms has published a booklet on the subject of corporate grants of arms. An online version of it may be seen here. Enquiries about grants to companies should be addressed to the Officer in Waiting in the first instance.
Commercial firms have been granted coats of arms by the College of Arms for centuries. The first such grant in the College’s ‘modern’ (post-1673) grant records was by Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms to the firm of Peter de Clux, William Sherard and Paul Clowdesley and Partners, makers of alamodes, renforcé, and lute strings, on 14 March 1692 [Coll. Arms Grants 4/112]. The arms are seen right, with the blazon being:
Arms: Argent on a Cheveron Azure between two Butterflies countervolant in Chief Sable and a Mulbery Tree proper on a Mount in base Vert both charged with several Silkworms Or, three Cocoons or Silkworms Eggs of the last.
Crest: A Justice proper Crined Or, about the head a Glory, in the Right hand a Sword hilt and pomel gold, blade proper, in the left a pair of Scales Or.
A more recent grant was that on 20 January 1975 to the British Airways Board. Arms, crest and a badge were granted by Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms, and supporters by Garter King of Arms. [Coll. Arms Grants 137/62]. The blazon was as follows:
Arms: Argent between a Chief and a Bendlet sinister couped Gules a Gyron issuing from the dexter the point in sinister chief Azure.
Crest: Rising from an Astral Crown Or a Sun irradiated proper.
Supporters: On the dexter a Pegasus Argent crined unguled and winged Or gorged with an Astral Crown Azure and holding in the mouth a Sprig of Olive fructed proper and on the sinister a Lion guardant winged at the shoulders Or gorged with an Astral Crown Azure the whole upon a Compartment of a Grassy Mound proper dimidiating Water barry wavy Azure and Argent.
Badge (not illustrated): Within a Chaplet of Oak proper an Astral Crown Or.
On 20 October 1984 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II issued a Royal Licence transferring these arms to British Airways p.l.c and on 15 November 1984 the Earl Marshal issued a warrant ordering the Kings of Arms to exemplify the arms [Coll. Arms I.84/194]. On 18 December 1985 the three Kings of Arms issued Letters Patent exemplifying the arms in favour of British Airways p.l.c [Coll. Arms Grants 149/30].