Ellsworth King of Arms
| The Honorable Ellsworth King of Arms | |
|---|---|
| Knight Commander in the Order of the Snowflake
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| In Office | March 2015 - Present |
| Preceded by | Duke of Moulton-Berlin |
| Spouse | N/A |
| Issue | None |
| Father | ? |
| Mother | ? |
The Ellsworth King of Arms, the Honorable Michael Richards, is the Chief Herald of Westarctica and a member of the Royal Council. He also heads the Westarctican College of Arms.
Creation of office
Although the office of Chief Herald had existed since 2004, the nation had been without an official herald since the 2010 coup that overthrew Grand Duke Jon-Lawrence. In 2015, Michael Richards, the proprietor of Assume Arms, approached Grand Duke Travis and offered his services creating Letters Patent and possibly coats of arms for the Hereditary Nobles.
The Grand Duke reviewed some of Michael's work and accepted his offer to become Westarctica's new Chief Herald.
Name of office
The name of the position, Ellsworth King of Arms, was chosen in the spirit of the great heralds of the United Kingdom, each of whom carries a regional name attached to their job (i.e. Lord Lyon King of Arms, Clarenceux King of Arms, Norroy and Ulster King of Arms). Ellsworth was selected as an homage to Ellsworth Land on the far eastern border of Westarctica.
Activities
Sir Michael was responsible for creating the Greater Arms of Westarctica in early 2015, and these arms adorn all the Letters Patent for new peers of Westarctica. Since beginning his tenure, Sir Michael has created Letters Patent for over 100 of Westarctica's peers.
In March 2019, Grand Duke Travis discussed the possibility of granting Sir Michael the office of Keeper of the Seal, and charging him with the responsibility of holding and using the Seal of Westarctica.
Honors
On 30 April 2018, Michael was invested as a Knight Commander in the Order of the Snowflake in recognition of his longstanding devotion to Westarctica as well as his services to the Crown and the Hereditary Nobles. His investiture ceremony was performed by the Duke of Waesche with the traditional dubbing of knighthood.