FORT BELVOIR, Va. - Lord Lyon David Sellar, King of Arms of the Lyon Court and an Officer of State in Scotland, made a special visit to Fort Belvoir's Institute of Heraldry Sept. 8.
Since being appointed Lord Lyon in 2008, Sellar said he's found many English equivalents in his position. He is responsible for state ceremonies and is the heraldic authority for Scotland. That means he can issue new grant of arms requests and serve as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon - the oldest heraldic court in the world still in daily operation.
Accompanied by his wife, Sue, the couple toured the institute's offices and took in many of the different military and federal insignias created there. The institute located to Belvoir in 1993 as part of a round of Base Realignment and Closure actions. It is responsible for designing insignias like badges, shoulder sleeves, awards, ribbons, flags and nameplates for numerous federal agencies and all branches of the military.
Because illustrators create these designs using the Scottish form of heraldry, institute director Charles Mugno said Sellar's visit was particularly exciting for everyone who worked there.
"He's someone with a real appreciation for what we do here," Mugno said. "It means a lot to us to have him here today. He and his wife are welcome back anytime."
After his tour downstairs, an afternoon of show-and-tell continued in a conference room upstairs where Sellar gave a presentation to about 25 people with the institute. He showed pictures of different insignia and crests used by the Scottish Army, as well as badges worn by its Royal Regiment. He also showed pictures of insignia designed especially for patron saints and different Scottish royal families.
"There are a lot of similarities, particularly when it comes to the detail you see in each piece of work. That's always fascinating to me," Sellar said when comparing U.S. and Scottish styles. "There are also some differences. Where Scotland has crests or insignias for specific families and individuals, the U.S. does more for organizations, as a whole. I find it all quite interesting."
The visit was Sellar's first to the U.S. He and his wife journeyed across the Atlantic to take part in a Gaelic competition in music that weekend in Ligonier, Pa. Though, both said they will never forget their visit to the Institute of Heraldry.
"This was a wonderful experience for me and my wife. Everyone was so nice and welcoming to us both," Sellar said after his visit. "It was very informative and I had a lot of fun. The work they do here is incredible."
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