"Heralds still have important duties as officers of the Crown, and apart from these duties are very active in Heraldic affairs. Interest in Heraldric matters is steadily increasing and there are now more matters needing their attention than ever before. Their work falls into three categories:

• Confirming arms: There are still people eager to have confirmed to them arms that they have always used, but for which they have to prove a right of descent. The Heralds are glad to help in this work which involves a lot of patient genealogical research since, despite the reccords of centuries, a mass of detais still needs to be recorded.
• Granting arms: Any worthy person may apply for a grant of arms and the Heralds will be pleased to steer the applicant safely through the problems. The steps are roughly these. It is necessary, first of all, to check that an aspirant armiger is not entitled to an existing Coat of Arms. If he is not, it is then necessary to consider with him a possible design and to check that it is not already held by someone. Once this is established and the design is approved by all parties it can be granted to the applicant as the sole right of him and his legal descendants. As well as private individuals, many commercial undertakings and corporate institutions apply for grants of arms.
• Devising Arms: The Heralds of Great Britain have jurisdiction only over subjects of the crown. Although many people of British origin who are citizens of other countries wish to register Coats of Arms or varieties of arms belonging to their families to show their ancient lineage, the Heralds cannot grant arms to them. They can, however, following the proper searches, 'devise' arms that could be used and register them in their records so that they will not be issued to others.

"The Heralds take great care to ensure that any arms, crests, supporters, mottos, badges or standards are unique to the grantees. This is the point of the exercise. Heraldry exists to identify individuals. There is no such thing as 'Arms of a Name'. The notion that such a thing exists is a deliberate misconception perpetrated by those who would exploit the ignorant for base profit. Knowledge fo the outlines of Heraldry protects people from being persuaded to buy a shield of arms with their name on it, on the false understanding that it might be theirs."