Heraldry has evolved over many centuries, and for the purposes of academic argument it takes is origins in England from the time of the Norman Conquest. The Bayeux tapestry shows Norman knights and lords with shields that have pro-heraldic devices, but they were not hereditary, neither did they exhibit consistent usage and design.Heraldry has never been fixed in its usage and application, and while certain guiding principles have emerged, there are plenty of examples of where those principles are bent to suit particular situations. Moreover the principles that apply to one heraldic domain, such as England, may differ in another such as Portugal, Germany or France.The position of women is one such example of how heraldic practice both differs among different realms, and has evolved over time. A particular example that illustrates the point is the ruling by the Kings of Arms of 7 April 1995 that, among other changes, permitted a married woman to display her paternal arms on a shield or banner; this ruling was subsequently clarified by another in 2002. The ruling also touched on the display of arms by unmarried women, widows, divorcees and peeresses of any marital status.The law of arms applied no such ruling to men, whose marital status is irrelevant so far as the law of arms is concerned. A man's arms show no indication as to whether he is married, unmarried, divorced or a widower. Under no circumstance does he use his wife's arms out of courtesy, and where he choses to display his arms impaled with those of his wife, his arms always take the position of honour (left hand side when looking at the arms face on).One is left with the impression that a woman remains either a potential, current or former possession of a man where heraldic display is concerned. Her offspring may quarter the arms of their father with any paternal arms borne by the mother , but only once she is dead!As the law of arms stands in England today, a woman may not transmit her own arms to her offspring unless she contracts a marriage with an armigerous man, neither may she be granted a crest, but she should indicate her marital status in the manner explained in the ruling of April 1995.Equality of Arms believes these practices to be discriminatory and indefensible in the 21st century. We encourage you to write to your MP and the Kings of Arms to bring the law of arms into the age of equality.