EARL MARSHAL

The Earl Marshal is a Great Officer of State with an important role in the organisation of coronations and other State ceremonies.

He is a very senior figure, taking precedence after the Lord Great Chamberlain before all peers of his own degree other than Royal dukes.

After the death of the Sovereign, he is responsible for arrangements for the funeral and the accession and coronation of the new monarch.

The Earl Marshal and the Lord Great Chamberlain also officiate at the State Opening of Parliament.

Since the sixteenth century, the Earl Marshal has also had authority over the kings of arms, heralds and pursuivants at the College of Arms, the body concerned with heraldry. The Earl Marshal's warrant has to be obtained before a grant of arms can be made. His day-to-day work involves supervising the work of the College of Arms.

The office of Earl Marshal is an hereditary position occupied by the Duke of Norfolk. The current Earl Marshal is Edward William Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk.

The post originates from the office of Marshal, one of the King's chief military officers during the Middle Ages. At that time he also became responsible for coronations and other State ceremonies. In the middle of the fourteenth century, the Marshal became one of the two joint judges of the Court of Chivalry.

In 1386 the title changed from Marshal to Earl Marshal, which has been used ever since.

Many of the Marshals from the twelfth century onwards were related to each other, but the office was not originally hereditary.

The role only became hereditary in 1672, when Henry Howard, who succeeded to the dukedom of Norfolk in 1677, was appointed hereditary Earl Marshal. Since then the office has descended to the present 18th Duke of Norfolk.