Council of Heraldry and Vexillology

Not to be confused with Royal Belgian Genealogical and Heraldic Office.
Council of Heraldry and Vexillology
Conseil d’héraldique et de vexillologie
PredecessorGenealogical and Heraldic Office of Belgium
Formation1985
TypeHeraldic authority
PurposeSupervising the granting and recording of arms and flags
Region served
French Community of Belgium
Official language
French
President
François-Xavier GEUBEL
Parent organization
Government of the French Community of Belgium
WebsiteCouncil of Heraldry and Vexillology

The Council of Heraldry and Vexillology (French: Conseil d’héraldique et de vexillologie) is the Heraldic authority for the French-speaking Community of Belgium. It is the institution that advises the Government of the French-speaking Community on all matters concerning civic, personal, and familial arms and flags. Grants of arms from the Council are published in the Belgian official journal.

Purpose

This institution was created in 1985 through a decree by the French Community of Belgium.[2][3] Its first purpose was to give the French Community its arms, to recognise the arms, seals and flags of cities and municipalities (communes)[4] issued from fusions[5] and to publish from its work, an armorial of the French Community of Belgium.

After this armorial was published in 2002,[6] the council was charged in 2010 to give to the government opinions and advice regarding anything concerning arms of physical persons, families and family associations and their registry.[7][8] This mission was previously the role of the Royal Belgian Genealogical and Heraldic Office.[9]

  • Heraldry
  • Coat of arms of Walloon Brabant, incorporating the arms of the historical Duchy of Brabant and Wallonia's rooster. Granted on 2 January 1995 by the Council.
    Coat of arms of Walloon Brabant, incorporating the arms of the historical Duchy of Brabant and Wallonia's rooster. Granted on 2 January 1995 by the Council.
  • Coat of arms of the city of Mouscron, recognised on 18 December 1991 by the Council.[3]
    Coat of arms of the city of Mouscron, recognised on 18 December 1991 by the Council.[3]
  • The coat of arms of the municipality of Uccle.
    The coat of arms of the municipality of Uccle.
  • The arms of the Dewandre family were registered by the Council on 12 January 2013[10][11]
    The arms of the Dewandre family were registered by the Council on 12 January 2013[10][11]

Other Heraldic authorities in Belgium

The Flemish Heraldic Council has a similar purpose in the Flemish Community and the Council of Nobility (est. 1844) grants arms to the nobility in all of Belgium.[9]

Publications

Personal armorials

  • Armoiries de personnes physiques et d’association familiale en Communauté française. 2012-2013, Jean-Paul Springael, 2014, 221 pages. ISBN 978-2-930624-09-9

Municipal armorials

  • Armoiries communales en Belgique. Communes wallonnes, bruxelloises et germanophones, Philippe de Bounam de Ryckholt, Christophe de Fossa, Albert Derbaix, Jean-Marie Duvosquel, Roger Harmignies, Christiane Pantens, Pierre Philippart de Foy, and Andrée Scufflaire; illustrations by Luc Onclin et Rudy Demotte. - Brussels : Dexia Banque, 2002. - 2 volumes. - ISBN 2-87193-294-8  

Composition of the Council

Composition of the Council of Heraldry and Vexillology[12]
Adrien Dupont Expert
Albert Derbaix Expert
Jean-Paul Springael Expert
Bertrand Maus de Rolley Representative from ORUA
Cédric Pauwels Expert, jurist, and heraldic artist.
François-Xavier Geubel Expert and president
Jean Nyst Representative from CDH
Louis-Donat Casterman Representative from MR
Michel Lupant Representative from ECOLO

See also

Other heraldic authorities

Belgium

Rest of the world

References

  1. ^ Vadémécum à l’usage des requérants PDF with application process
  2. ^ "Décret instituant le Conseil d'Héraldique et de Vexillologie de la Communauté française de Belgique et fixant le drapeau, le sceau et les armoiries des villes et des communes — Parlement de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles / Communauté française". www.pfwb.be (in French). Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  3. ^ a b "Armoiries — Ville de Mouscron". www.mouscron.be (in French). Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  4. ^ Libre.be, La (2007-10-17). "Waterloo a son drapeau". www.lalibre.be (in French). Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  5. ^ "LES MIROIRS DE L'IDENTITE COMMUNALE MODE D'EMPLOI ILS SONT SEPT A VEILLER SUR NOS ARMOIRIES". Le Soir (in French). Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  6. ^ Lieve Viaene-Awouters and Ernest Warlop, t. 1 : Communes wallonnes A-L, Brussels, Dexia, 2002 and Lieve Viaene-Awouters and Ernest Warlop, t. 2 : Communes wallonnes M-Z, Communes bruxelloises, Communes germanophones, Brussels, Dexia, 2002
  7. ^ This new mission was intended in a decree from 2004 but the execution decree was only published in 2010.
  8. ^ Libre.be, La (2003-10-16). "Des armoiries pour 150 euros". www.lalibre.be (in French). Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  9. ^ a b "Héraldique en Belgique | Association Royale Office Généalogique et Héraldique de Belgique". oghb.be. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  10. ^ Jean-Paul Springael, Armoiries de personnes physiques et d'association familiale en communauté française, edited by the management of the Patrimoine culturel, 2012-2013, pp. 78-79
  11. ^ The Belgian official journal, 26 August 2013, p. 56337, no 69.
  12. ^ "Conseil d'Héraldique". www.patrimoineculturel.cfwb.be (in French). 2011-03-30. Retrieved 2019-12-13.