Pride Bottoms

Its an unfortunate fact the plate tectonics hasn’t left as much habitable land for humans south of the equator than it has north of it. Consequently, the southernmost Prides (that are not part of Polar Pride) actually take place nearer to the equator than the cities of Copenhagen (55° 40' N), Moscow (55° 45' N), and Edinburgh (55° 57' N).

As I’ve said in the last two days, Polar Pride has been difficult to include because of its non-public nature. I’m tempted to include Polar Pride as a multi-location regional Pride. It can easily be regarded as a regional Pride but it needs to be more accessible to the general public. Hopefully, my quandary will have been resolved in time for my article to celebrate the next Polar Pride on 18th November.

With reference to the illustration given a couple of days ago regarding the tilt of the Earth. When its winter in the north, its summer in the south, and dates of Prides in the southern hemisphere reflects this. This might be blindingly obvious to you, but believe it or not there are still people who don’t understand this.

So, here are the top 5 southernmost Prides as of June 2026 in reverse order. Their locations are shown on the map.

5) MARCHA DEL ORGULLO, RIO GALLEGOS, Argentina – 51° 37' S

Orgullo (Spanish for “Pride”) is the term used throughout the Spanish-speaking world. Rio Gallegos is the capital city of Santa Cruz, Argentina’s southernmost continental province (see also numbers 3 and 1), and is the furthest south of any Pride on the whole American continental landmass.

The first Pride in Rio Gallegos was the Marcha de Orgullo (Pride March) held in November 2017. There had been many Prides in Argentina before this, since at least 1992, and Rio Gallegos was one of a few cities across Argentina that were forming their first Pride events in 2017, joining others in protesting against the growing number of transgender murders and increasing homophobic attacks.

All of Argentina’s provinces now have provincial Prides with marches and events held throughout each province. Rio Gallegos is the central location for Orgullo Santa Cruz. They are held throughout November and often have another smaller march in June.

4) FALKLANDS PRIDE, STANLEY, Falkland Islands – 51° 41' S

The Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory, meaning its 3,662 inhabitants (according to the 2021 census) are British citizens.

The first official Pride in the Falklands was on 23rd June 2013 in Stanley, the capital town. There was an unofficial Pride in 2012 organised by local radio DJ Scott Betts at the last minute. Luckily, he had plenty of time to organise the next one with the help of the Falkland Islands government and local community.

This year’s Falklands Pride took place on 10th June and included its first US Pride Month reception at Government House, but there was no Pride march this year.

3) MARCHA DEL ORGULLO, RIO GRANDE, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina – 53° 47' S

Rio Grande is a city on the island of Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost of Argentina’s provinces. Its Marcha del Orgullo is organised as part of the provincial Pride celebrations by Orgullo TDF (Tierra del Fuego Pride). See also number 1 on this list.

2) SOUTH GEORGIA PRIDE, KING EDWARD POINT, South Georgia Island – 54° 17' 

South Georgia, like the Falklands, is a British Overseas Territory. Its Pride march is undoubtedly the smallest.

The southern summer population on South Georgia (December to March) rarely rises above 30. That’s because it has no permanent population, consisting of scientists, naturalists, naval and military personnel and the occasional civil servant. However, as an Overseas Territory, it has its own form of government headed by a Commissioner with international diplomatic status (and his/her own flag). The Commissioner is always also the Governor of the Falkland Islands.

Also, South Georgia has roads. So what, I hear you say. Well, try having a Pride march without one. Even though it can’t claim to have the shortest Pride march (that record is still officially held by Paekākāriki Pride, New Zealand), it can easily claim the record as having the fewest participants. At the island’s first Pride In December 2019 there were only 20 marchers. Being a remote island with a small population, there is the high possibility that South Georgia could have a Pride without any lgbt people attending.

South Georgia is one of the remotest islands on Earth, and holds the record for the remotest Pride from other land. The nearest land, and the nearest Pride, is in the Falklands about 1,400 km (870 miles) away.

1) MARCHA DE ORGULLO, USHUAIA, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina – 54° 48' S

And the prize for hosting the southernmost Pride on Earth goes to the southernmost city on the planet, and the capital city of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia. The city has earned the popular name of “The End of the World”, a name used a lot in the publicity for its Pride march and events every November.

Just like the Marcha del Ogullo in Rio Grande (number 3 above), Ushuaia’s Pride is the central location of the provincial Pride and also organised by the Orgullo TDF.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Here are some more Prides which didn’t quite make the lists but are still notable and have some special significance.

SOUTHLAND/MURIHIKU PRIDE, INVERCARGILL, New Zealand – 46° 24' 

The southernmost Pride outside Argentina and the South Atlantic takes place on South Island, New Zealand, in its most southern city, Invercargill. It has two official names, one in English and the other in Maori, which both mean the same thing. The next Southland/Murihiku Pride will be held throughout March 2027.

MARCHA DEL ORGULLO, EL CALAFATE, Argentina – 50° 20'  S

If you don’t agree with my inclusion of South Georgia Pride (and I won’t object if you do) then number 5 on the southernmost list would go to the city of El Calafate in Santa Cruz province, Argentina. Its Pride celebrations are part of the provincial Orgullo Santa Cruz.

McMURDO STATION, ROSS DEPENDENCY, Antarctica – 77° 50' S.

Until the creation of Polar Pride in 2020 the furthest south that a Pride was held was on this US scientific base in June 2018. Because it was not publicly advertised and restricted to the base’s employees (its inhospitable, remote location not helping) I didn’t include it in the southernmost list above. It has since become part of Polar Pride and when I’ve amended my criteria points to make all Prides in the polar regions eligible it will definitely count as one of the southernmost Prides.

ARCTIC PRIDE, ROVANIEMI, Finland - 66° 30' N

There are several places in the Nordic countries that use the name Arctic Pride, none of them connected to each other. The first in Rovaniemi took place from 22-24 February 2013. The reason I’ve given it an honourable mention is because the city is famous for something else. Rovaniemi is the home of Santa Claus (or Joulupukki to be more accurate, the two characters are not the same and have totally different back-stories, but most people don’t understand this). Why does this matter? A couple of years ago I wrote how this home of “Santa Claus” was created though the direct influence of one lgbt person. I hope to write something about Roveniemi Pride and “Santa Claus” in this year’s Advent series in December.

TROMSØ ARCTIC PRIDE, TROMSØ, Norway – 66° 39'N

This is perhaps the most well-known Arctic Pride in the Nordic countries. From its earliest days it has marketed itself as the most northern Pride on Earth, and still does even though I’ve shown in these last couple of days that it isn’t been since 2010. That’s even before the first Tromsø Arctic Pride took place in November 2014. It actually just missed being in the top 5 northern Prides, being number 6. This year’s Tromsø Arctic Pride takes place from 12 to 15 November with the march on the 14th.

INUVIK PRIDE, INUVIK, Northwest Territories, Canada – 68° 21' N

The North American continent has not yet had a Pride above 69° north. So far the northernmost North American Pride had taken place in Inuvik, a town in the far north of the Northwest Territories of Canada. The first took place there on 21 April 2018.

NORILSK PRIDE, NORILSK, Russia – 69° 20' N

With Russia having the most land above the Arctic Circle it might be of interest to know what could have been its most northern Pride had it not introduced its anti-gay laws. The record goes, not surprisingly perhaps, to the world’s most northern, most polluted, and coldest city, Norilsk, in the Krasnoyearsk krai (a sort of province). It lies on the northern edge of the Central Siberian Plateau. Permission to hold the first Norilsk Pride was rejected in January 2018. This may have made it the remotest Pride held on a continental landmass (i.e. with no sea or ocean in between). The nearest other Pride would have been in another Russian city, Salekhard (66° 32' N) Salekhard 968 km (601 miles) away, whose first Pride for January 2017 was also banned. Otherwise, the nearest Pride that has actually taken place would be Moscow Pride 2,870 km away.

And there you have it. Over the past two days I’ve listed what I believe are the 10 Tops and Bottoms of Prides with a handful of extras thrown in. Don’t forget that the information given in both lists is correct on the date of publication as far as I have researched, and that any one of them could easily be replaced before next June. And also don’t forget that I’ll be writing about Polar Pride on 18th November.

Pride Tops

Now that you’ve digested yesterday’s Pride criteria points let’s get down to the nitty gritty and see which Prides are held nearer to the North Pole than any others.

I should point out that there is also an annual Polar Pride. This is held by people working in research bases in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. It’s not really a public celebration, but neither is it a commercial one. However, Polar Pride feels very much like a regional Pride, and it is an important celebration of lgbt inclusion in sciences. I have had difficulty placing it comfortably in any of my criteria points. I will cover it in more detail on the next Polar Pride on 18th November when I hope to have come to a solution.

The map above shows the locations of the following 5 Prides. Bear in mind that they are not measured in distances from the bottom of the map, but in distances between the North Pole and the Arctic Circle.

I’m sure you know what the Arctic Circle is, but it might help if I explain what it is in case you’re not sure.

Its all due to the tilt of the Earth as is spins. The tilt never changes – the Earth does not always point towards the Sun. The illustration below explains it best. The Arctic Circle is an imaginary line that is a little over 66° north of the equator. You can see that above the Arctic Circle the Sun shines 24 hours a day in the summer because all of that area of the Earth is tilted towards it. That’s why the area is called the Land of the Midnight Sun. And in the northern hemisphere winter you don’t see the Sun at all because it’s tilted away.

Let’s get on with listing the top 5 northern Prides. If you ever lower yourself and consult Google’s AI (which unfortunately I had to do to ensure I looked at all sources available), none of these locations will be mentioned. Hopefully, after I publish this, AI will finally get it right. As I’ve said since AI was invented, Artificial Intelligence is for people who have none of their own or too last to do any research. So, let’s discover the truth about the top 5 northernmost Prides in reverse order.

5) BARENTS PRIDE, KIRKENES, Norway – 69° 43' N

There can’t be many places where a city’s Pride is always held in a totally different country. Barents Pride may be the only one.

The inaugural Barents Pride, held in Finland near the Russian border, was in 2018. Even though it doesn’t comply with the criteria that Prides arranged due to a specific event after 2000 would not be considered, it’s included because of its continuity and current compliance with at least 3 other points.

Barents Pride was formed in response to the homophobic laws being introduced into Russia from 2010 onwards. The Russian lgbt community was sparked into action, but the anti-gay laws meant that protest was illegal and all participants could be arrested. This included the lgbt community in the Russian city of Murmansk (68° 58' N).

All was not lost, because across the border in the Finnish city of Kirkenes just over146 km (90 miles) away activists were organising protests that were legal. Activists from both cities joined together to create the first Barents Pride in Kirkenes, named after the Barents Sea which is the part of the Arctic Ocean that forms their joint coastline.

Of course, the Murmansk activists cannot make themselves known publicly for fear of arrest, so they tend not to advertise their presence at Barents Pride except to the Kirkenes lgbt community. Lgbt attendees from other Russian cities have also attended.

This year’s Barents Pride continues to serve as Kirkenes Pride and unofficial Murmasnk Pride and will take place in late September.

4) SÁPMI PRIDE, UTSJOKI, Finland – 69° 54' N

Europe is home to several multi-national Prides (I will cover these in more detail next year). The northernmost of these is Sápmi Pride, held in the northern regions of Norway, Sweden and Finland in the region called Samiland, the general area popularly known as Lapland. This area is the home to the ethnic people called the Sámi.

Sápmi Pride began in 2014 in Sweden and is held in a different location every year in one of the three above-mentioned countries. Sadly it cannot be held in the Sámi region of Russia because of the country’s anti-gay laws.

In 2020 Sápmi Pride was due to be held in Utsjoki, Finland, the furthest north that it been held. I’m sure you’ll know why it was cancelled (covid, of course). However, like the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Sápmi Pride in Utsjoki was just postponed for a year and was held in 2021 between 5 and 8 August.

This year’s Sápmi Pride also takes place in Finland in Inari (68° 54' N) on 8 August.

3) ALTA PRIDE, Norway – 69° 58' N

Alta was the first location north of the Arctic Circle to have a Pride. The current Alta Pride committee is apparently unaware of that their first Pride was held in 2010.

The first Alta Pride that is currently recognised by the committee took place from 25 to 28 August 2022, though there were a variety of lgbt events taking place the year before. The reason why I know about the 2010 Pride is because I made notes of media reports of it in my archives when it happened.

It has been common throughout history for younger generations to assume they are the first to do or think of anything important or new, like organising Pride. There may not have been any research done, or no contact with older generations who experienced such events. Although their intensions may be praised, younger generations have to learn that many people who were born before them are still alive and much can be learned from these older generations. Just because youngsters have left school, college or university it doesn’t mean they know everything. Sadly, they think they do, and it happens too often and youngsters are spreading a distorted view of history (“presentism” is mainly to blame, but my rant can wait for another day!).

I have to credit Alta with what history and what contemporary media reported, copied into my archives at the time, and say that the first Alta Pride was in 2010. This year’s Alta Pride will be from 20-23 August.

2) HAMMERFEST PRIDE, Norway – 70° 96' N.

The northernmost Pride on continental Europe. This is not a stand-along event like most Prides but is part of annual cultural festival held in the town of Hammerfest called Hammerfestendagen (Hammerfest Days). The festival usually lasts for a couple weeks and Hammerfest Pride is just one event among many. This year’s Hammerfestendagen is from 13-19 July.

Even though Hammerfest Pride is not a stand-along event it does have its own independent organising committee, programme of events and march. This year, their Pride march will take place on 16 July.

And the current record for being the location of the northernmost Pride on the entire planet goes to…

1) LONGYEARBYEN PRIDE, Svalbard, Norway – 78° 13' N.

Possibly also the remotest Pride in the northern hemisphere, furthest from any other human habitation. Longyearbyen is the main town on the Norwegian island of Svalbard almost 800 km (nearly 500 miles) from the northernmost point of continental Europe. It has a population of around 2,500.

The first Longyearbyen Pride was held on 17 August 2019 and was organised by Svalbard native Lene Leanette Dyngeland (b.1967). It has been held every year since including 2020. Svalbard is such a remote island that there was little chance of covid ever reaching it. This year’s Longyearbyen Pride will be on the last weekend in August.

The nearest other Pride to Longyearbyen is the above-mentioned Hammerfest Pride 870 km (540 miles) away.

So congratulations to the inhabitants of Svalbard and Longyearbyen. It is very unlikely that their record will ever be broken unless one of the very few towns in the northern part of Svalbard has its own Pride. The only other settlements further north are in Greenland, Canada and homophobic Russia, and it doesn’t look like any of them with be hosting a Pride any time soon. Don’t forget what I said above about Polar Pride. Some of their events may take place further north, but they are not really public in the strictest sense. More about that in November.

Tomorrow we’ll go as for away from Longyearbyar as possible when it comes to celebrating Pride and look at which five are the southernmost and nearest to the South Pole, as well as some honourable mentions.

Pride Tops and Bottoms

As the USA comes to the end of its Pride Month let’s look at some of the locations around the world that have held notable Pride events.

A couple of years ago I made lists of some of the first Prides and highest Prides. Since then there have been many hundreds of new Prides. Over the next three days I’ll give specific lists of the northernmost and southernmost Prides – the top and bottom of Pride, you could say.

There’s no universal definition of a Pride. The list below is purely my own choice of defining criteria compiled to help me to decide which Prides I could consider. It’s not intended as a universally accepted list.

I wanted to keep the list as simple as possible, but the more I thought about it the more points I came up with. I have considered as many variations of Pride that I can to ensure that no Pride is left out. However, there are some Prides which I think should not be included, and these are explained in the list.

In regions where homosexuality is illegal and Prides have been known to take place in secret in the past, they do not need to comply with any of the following criteria.

I realise that a lot of these points will be unnecessarily detailed, but they helped to organise my mind even if they confuse yours. So sorry if you think this list is a mess. Ideally, I think a Pride should try to include at least three points between 1 and 10.

1) It does not need to have the word “Pride” in its name. The event should ideally include the word Pride (or its equivalent in non-English languages) in its promotional material or make it clear that it can be referred to as a Pride.

2) The Pride must promote lgbt diversity, inclusion, acceptance and respect as its main objective. Protests can occur and be used as the central themes, but other issues must be included in the official programme. The organising committee should avoid making exclusions to any event based on politics, religion, or opposing views as much as possible, except when public safety to attendees, spectators, the public, or protestors could be at risk. The Pride must be non-violent.

3) Continuity over the years is not essential, though events can be regarded retrospectively as Pride by later Pride committees. See also point 5.

4) A Pride should be held only once in any calendar year (see points 9 and 10 for possible exceptions). Promotional and fund-raising events for Pride will not be considered.

6) The Pride must be advertised publicly giving its name, dates or full range of dates, and principal venues or focal point (e.g. for the march).

6) It should have an organising committee of three members or more, preferably volunteers. Historic inaugural Prides may not have had three committee members, and these will be considered if they complied with other points.

7) There should be a central public focal point accessible to all participants, whether in the open air or an indoor venue (excluding private residences). It may need to restrict the number of attendees due to limitations of space or safety requirements. For larger Prides there can be other content such as entertainment, food and drink venues, and a market which includes charity and community stalls. A festival of a variety of artistic events can also be organised or sanctioned by the Pride committee.

8) Any march or parade must be through public areas and open to all, free of charge, and non-violent, consisting of local lgbt communities and groups, and participants of diverse identities, political beliefs and opinions. This includes any planned march that is banned or cancelled. Exclusions should be avoided, except when public safety to attendees, spectators, the public, or protestors could be at risk.

9) A Pride can celebrate a specific identity (e.g. Transgender Pride, Black Pride, Leather Pride, etc.), but must welcome those who do not identify as members of that group as well as the public. These should take place on a different date or venue to any other Pride held in the same location, unless when held as a single joint event by their separate organising committees.

10) An official national, regional, provincial, or state Pride can take place simultaneously in difference cities, towns and locations. Each Pride must be officially publicised as being part of the regional Pride. Each location will be treated separately for the purpose of determining the geographical range of the regional Pride. Other Prides held on the same date but not connected to the regional Pride will be considered separately.

Finally, if the next point applies to any event that calls itself a Pride, it will not be considered for the time being (any exceptions are given).

11) The Pride event should not be organised for profit by an independent commercial business or company (e.g. Disney Gay days). Some Winter Prides held at ski resorts will only be considered if the Pride has not been organised by the ski resort itself. Pride events held by organisations, companies, charities, and businesses for their employees will not be considered, but they can be represented at Pride events. They can take part in the march, or have a market stall, but they must not be there to sell any of their products. There presence must only be to support the lgbt community (free handouts are usually welcome). Alternative Prides, held in direct competition to established Prides, will also not be considered for the time being.

These points cover most of what I think a Pride can be. They are not official and subject to constant revision, so if you know of a Pride that doesn’t meet at least three of points 1-10 but which obviously qualifies, make a comment below and I will amend the list after I’ve collected evidence of its eligibility should anyone question its inclusion in the future.

That’s enough of the boring bits. Tomorrow I’ll tell you what you really want to know, beginning with the TOP 5 northern Prides. The day after that I’ll list the BOTTOM 5 southern Prides.

Until then, the map below shows you the latitudes marked with a red line showing where those 10 listed Prides are located.

Heraldic Alphabet 2026

Happy International Heraldry Day, and welcome to my annual batch of 24 lgbt+ coats of arms.

I won’t give an introduction to explain all the rules, terms and formats this time. Last year’s list, and previous ones, may give any information you need. Several things do need to be emphasised:-

1) Arms with a black surround are of people who have passed away in the past 18 months;

2) A diamond next to a letter indicates the arms are of an unmarried or divorced woman, used specifically in English heraldry;

3) Not everyone is aware they may be entitled to a coat of arms.

A) Max Adrian (1903-1973) – real name Guy Bor, Irish actor. Family arms. The Bors originate in the Netherlands and these arms appears on the tomb of Cornelis Bor (d.1561) of Dordrecht. His son moved to Ireland in the 1620s and gained Irish citizenship. His grandson registered these arms with the College of Arms in London on 17th February 1718. They were transferred to the Dublin Record Office on Irish independence. Max’s ancestor Humphrey Bor of Dublin adopted these arms though he had no direct link to Cornelis. The arms are still used by Humphrey’s descendants. The star indicates that Max descends from Humphrey’s third son.

B) Andreas Bruce (1808-1885) – intersex Swedish aristocrat. Family arms. The Swedish Bruce family are of Scottish origin and lairds of Lymlyn, Fifeshire. They bore the red and yellow Bruce arms to which they added a white cross. They moved to Sweden in the 1600s, and in 1668 were given Swedish nationality and created non-titled nobility. Andreas descends from them.

C) Dr. Tonya Chaffee – Professor of Paediatrics, University of California San Francisco. Family arms. The Chaffees originate in Exeter, Devon, England. These arms have been used by the family since the 1570s. One member of the family, Thomas Chaffee, migrated to New England in the 1630s. He used these arms on a seal on legal documents. Dr. Chaffee is one of Thomas’s direct descendants.

D) Maria Dulebianka (1861-1919) – Polish artist and women’s suffrage campaigner. “Clan” arms. Maria’s family coat of arms was adopted by ancient association rather than blood descent and are part of a “herb” (clan). The Dulebianka’s are believed to belong to the Alabanda herb whose arms are illustrated here. The design dates back to emblems used by an Italian bishop who was appointed to what is now Poland in 993 AD. The crescent was added before 1584 when the full design was included in a book on the arms of Polish knights.

E) Michael Ebling (b.1967) – Mayor of Mainz, Germany 2012-22. Arms of office. This is the coat of arms of the city of Mainz. There are several theories about how and when the design originated, ranging from being the emblem of St. Martin, the patron saint of the city, to that of a 10th century archbishop whose father was a wheelwright.

F) Sir John Finch (1625-1682) – English Ambassador to Constantinople 1672. Personal arms. The male line ancestors of the Finches were the FitzHerberts in the 12th century. Their arms of three lions were used by them from the 14th century. After the marriage to the Finch heiress, this branch of the FitzHerberts used both surnames for several centuries. Vincent FitzHerbert/Finch is recorded as the first to use the black and white arms. By the 16th century the family used the Finch name alone though retained the Fitzherbert arms. The crescent indicates that Sir John was the second son of his father.

G) Julian Gibbs (1932-2021) – English financial adviser. Family arms. Older brother of Christopher Gibbs (see Heraldic Alphabet 2025). Like his bother, Julian inherited a couple of cadency marks which would make the shield look cluttered, so they are omitted. Both were sons of a second son – Julian the 3rd son, and Christopher the 5th.

H) Hon. Esmond Harmsworth (1967-2025) – English literary agent. Personal arms as the 2nd son (indicated by the crescent) of the 2nd Viscount Rothermere. Esmond’s grandfather, the 1st Viscount, was a prominent newspaper mogul and pioneer of tabloid journalism. These arms were granted in 1904 when the 1st Viscount was created a baronet (hereditary knight). Although the meaning behind the design is not recorded we can make some guesses. The rolls of paper may represent newspapers, but also legal documents (as they are tied in red tape) because the 1st Viscount’s father was a barrister. The bees are often used in English heraldry to represent industry, reflecting the Harmsworth dynasty’s dominance in early 20th century British press journalist.

J) Sir Barry Jackson (1879-1961) – English entrepreneur, founder of Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Personal arms. Sir Barry’s father, George, was granted these arms on 10 February 1917 by the College of Arms. The meaning for the design is unknown, but I guess the jackdaw is a pun on the family name.

K) John Maynard Keynes, Baron Keynes (1883-1946) – English economist. Personal arms. Granted by the College of Arms in May 1944. The design is a modified version of the arms used by the Keynes family of Winkleigh Keynes, Devon, since the 12th century. John had no known descent from this family so wasn’t allowed to use their arms, but because of the similarity in name he was entitled to modify them. He just added two fleurs-de-lys.

L1) James Lees-Milne (1908-1997) – English author and historian. Marital arms for the duration of this marriage to Alvilde (see L2). They both had same-sex affairs before and during their marriage. The main shield quarters the arms of Lees (the red and white arms) with the Milne arms (yellow and back). The white object in the Milne arms represents the iron brackets around the hole in a mill wheel and is a pun on their name. The Milnes also built and ran several mills. In 1890 the last of the Milnes died childless and left his fortune to his nephew, James Lees-Milne’s grandfather, on condition that he added the Milne arms and name to his own. The Royal Licence which confirmed this is dated 31 May 1890. The small shield is that of Alvilde’s family and is placed there because she was an heiress.

L2) Mrs. Alvilde Lees-Milne (1909-1994) – English landscape garden designer. Marital arms for the duration of her marriage to the 3rd Viscount Chaplin. Alvilde was the only child and heir of Sir Tom Bridges, Governor of South Australia. As the heraldic heir she could place her arms on top of her husband’s. The main shield shows the arms of Viscount Chaplin, which had been used since his ancestor became Lord Mayor of London in 1672. Alvilde was married to the Viscount when she met James Lees-Milne. They divorced and she married James.

M) May Morris (1862-1938) – English designer. Personal arms. May was one of the daughters and coheirs of Victorian artist and designer William Morris. Like Alvilde Lees-Milne (L2 above) that meant she could have placed her arms on a little shield on top of their husband’s (if he had a coat of arms), but before her childless marriage her arms were placed on a diamond lozenge. The arms were granted by the College of Arms to May’s grandfather on 15th April 1843. May spent her last years living with her romantic companion Mary Lobb.

N) Ilmari Nurminen (b.1991) – Mayor of Tampere, Finland, since 2025. Arms of office. The arms were officially approved by the city council of Tampere on 30th March 1960. They are a simplified version of the city’s previous coat of arms. The “T” represents the city’s name and also a blacksmith’s hammer symbolising industry. The caduceus (wing staff with snakes wrapped around it) symbolises commerce. The thick wavy like represents the river Tammerkoski which flows though Tampere.

O) Mark Ogilvie-Grant (1905-1969) – Scottish diplomat. Hypothetical arms (arms of the Earls of Seafield, Mark being a great-grandson of the 6th Earl). Scottish arms are not automatically inherited and must be registered with appropriate differences with the Lord Lyon King of Arms in order for them to be legal. In about 1437, an Ogilvie (whose arms are the red lion) married a Sinclair heiress (the black cross). In 1811 the Grants (three gold crowns) inherited the Seafield title and adopted the Ogilvie name and arms. The arms illustrated would have formed the basic design had Mark chosen to register any arms with Lord Lyon.

P) David Hume Pinsent (1891-1918) – RAF test pilot. Posthumous personal arms. David’s uncle was created a baronet (hereditary knight) in 1938 and was probably granted arms at the same time. As is customary, the arms could be used by descendants of the baronet’s father (i.e. David’s grandfather). Unfortunately, David was killed in an air accident a decade earlier. I show his arms as they would have been in 1938 had he lived. As the eldest son and heir of his father, David would have placed a label (the yellow device) to his arms to indicate this. The birds, by the way, are chaffinches, a much-loved bird in Europe.

R) John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester (1647-1690) – English courtier poet, and blatant Libertine. Personal arms. Lord Rochester’s family arms (Wilmot) is the main white shield with the eagle’s heads and shells. His wife, Elizabeth Malet, was an heiress and, like Alvilde Lees-Milne (above L2) could place her family arms on a smaller shield on top of her husband’s. The Malets have used their coat of arms since the 1300s.

S1) Lytton Strachey (1880-1932) – English writer. Personal arms. The Strachey arms (red cross and little eagles) was granted to William Strachey of Saffron Walden, Essex, on 4 July 1587. His great-grandson and heir married the daughter and coheir of George Hodges of Somerset, thus enabling their descendants, including Lytton, to bear both arms in quarters. The Hodges have used their arms (yellow and black) since before 1610. Lytton was his father’s 4th son so could add a martlet (bird without feet) to his arms as a cadency mark.

S2) Tori Settle (née Hon. Victoria Leach) (b.1966) – British psychotherapist; Gay Games and EuroGames dance sport champion (with wife Yvonne Settle). Marital arms. Since 2014 female same-sex married couples in England and Wales have been entitled to place their arms on a shield. The main shield shows the arms Tori inherits from her father, Baron Leach of Fairford (a life peer, a non hereditary title). Tori’s wife Yvonne has no known family arms, so a plain lozenge is placed on her wife’s.

T) Christopher Tunnard (1910-1979) – Canadian landscape architect, garden designer and city planner. Personal arms. These arms were granted to Christopher’s great-great-grandfather, also called Christopher, by the College of Arms in 1810. The landscape gardener was the eldest son of another Christopher, who was a second son, which is indicated by the crescent.

U) Michael Unett (b.1997) – Mayor of Alsager, Cheshire, England, 2021-2, 2025-6. Arms of office. Michael is an elected mayor (by fellow council members) rather than appointed by length of service as a councillor. These are the arms of the Alsager town council which feature of the mayoral chain of office.

V) Most Rev. Cherry Vann (b.1958) – 15th Archbishop of (the Anglican Church in) Wales since 2025. Arms of office. Bishop Vann appeared in my 2020 Heraldic Alphabet when she was Bishop of Monmouth. By being promoted to archbishop this means that of the 3 Anglican archbishops in the England (Canterbury, York, and Wales) only York is male and Vann is a lesbian. These arms are of the archdiocese of Wales, granted by the College of Arms on 9 December 1954, replacing an earlier design that had been used unofficially since about 1939.

W) Thomas Cuthbert Worsley (1907-1977) – English writer, theatre critic, and schoolmaster. Family arms. The Worsleys are said to be descended from an 11th century Norman baron called Elias de Workesley. Thomas is descended from several generations of younger sons from Thomas Worsley (1686-1750), which would clutter up his arms with so many different cadency marks that it would look as much of a jumble as the Progress Pride flag.

Y) Harriot Yorke (1842-1930) – partner of Octavia Hill, co-founder of the National Trust. Family arms. Harriot was a great-great-grand-daughter of the 1st Earl of Hardwicke. I’m not sure how long the Yorke’s have had this coat of arms, but the Earl quartered it with the arms of his mother, an heiress of the Gibbon family. He could not have done this before 1727 when his mother died.