Sadiq Khan seeks royal approval to revive the GLC’s coat of arms for the GLA’s 25th Anniversary

The Greater London Authority (GLA) could soon have its own Coat of Arms if a petition to The King to let them adopt the armorial from the old GLC is approved. The coat of arms was first granted to the Greater London Council (GLC) in October 1966 and was once a familiar sight across London.

The coat of arms represents London (the barry wavy base) and the Middlesex (the Saxon crown) County Councils, and for people of a certain age, will be something that was once a regular sight representing London’s local government.

In fact, they were everywhere you might not have expected. In 1986, when the government passed the law that would abolish the GLC, it was revealed that it was costing the Fire Brigade something like £100,000 to replace the buttons on their uniforms as they wouldn’t be allowed to use the GLC’s coat of arms after it was abolished.

Back to today, and heraldry is an ancient and at times confusing system, so the GLA has to submit a petition to His Majesty the King, via the College of Arms for the transfer to be approved. In practice, the College of Arms, based in the City of London makes the decision on behalf of the King, and barring something remarkably odd happening, it would likely be approved.

The idea of transferring the GLC’s original heraldic coat of arms to the GLA is not new, as it was first proposed by Tom Copley AM and Tony Arbour AM in February 2020 to mark the GLA’s 20th anniversary.

Although not carried out then, it’s been a slow-burning issue that reappeared recently to mark the GLA’s Silver Anniversary. The Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has now approved the plan, and the £5,035 cost of the paperwork will be met from the London Assembly component budget for 2024-25.

Incidentally, the Chair of the London Assembly wears the ceremonial badge of office previously worn by the Chairman of the Greater London Council, so in a small way, the GLA already uses the GLC’s coat of arms.

The formal petition is expected to be submitted next month, and the approval will probably be granted in about six months. Subject to nothing odd happening, the GLA will mark its 25th anniversary with the coat of arms originally granted to the GLC.

If they’re extremely quick and the petition is approved in early July, that will happen to be the 60th anniversary of the design proposed by Sit Anthony Wagner, Garter Principal King of Arms, being approved by the GLC.

So, it’s a double anniversary.