Our blog has previously explored how women are discriminated against in both heraldic law and practice in the UK. The law of arms was written by men for men and, in the UK at least, is regulated by men (all the Kings of Arms are men at the time of writing). Most petitioners for arms are men, and while it is difficult to ascertain what percentage of petitioners are women, our analysis suggests it is no more than 10-15% at best.

The law of arms treats women, no matter how eminent, as second class subjects of the Crown, this injustice must end.

Women have become Prime Minister, First Minister, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Bishop of London, Speaker of the House of Commons, Speaker of the House of Lords and many other high offices in all walks of life in the UK. All these women, and countless others (a university degree is often cited as the minimum requirement) are eligible to petition for a grant of arms. Yet none of these women may pass their arms to their children, unless they …