The King has commanded that the Greater London Authority (GLA) shall be allowed to use the coat of arms that once belonged to its predecessor, the GLC.

The coat of arms, once a familiar sight in London, was first granted to the Greater London Council (GLC) in October 1966, but when the GLC was abolished, the armorial was put into abeyance.

Most municipal authorities have a coat of arms, but when the GLA was created in 2000, it didn’t apply for one.

Coats of Arms in most of the UK (except Scotland) are granted and managed by the College of Arms, under powers delegated to it by the Crown.

Following suggestions in 2020 from the now Deputy Mayor for Housing, Tom Copley, that the GLA should apply to use the GLC’s coat of arms, it’s been a low-burning issue. However, it was revived earlier this year when the Mayor of London authorised a petition to His Majesty the King for permission to use the coat of arms.

The GLA submitted the necessary petition to the College in February, and we’ve been waiting for their decision. Although in practice, it’s the College that makes the decisions, as it acts on behalf of the Crown, any major decision has to be announced by the King.

And just in time for the GLA’s 25th anniversary, the decision was published as a state notice in the official London Gazette on 2nd December 2025.

The King, he says yes!

Warrants Under the Royal Sign Manual

His Majesty The KING has been graciously pleased by Warrant under His Royal Signet and Sign Manual bearing date 13 November 2025 to give and grant His Royal Licence and Authority that the Greater London Authority may bear and use the Arms granted and assigned on 1 September 1965 unto the Greater London Council and the Badge granted and assigned on 5 October 1966 unto the said Council the said Armorial Ensigns being first duly exemplified according to the Laws of Arms and recorded in His Majesty’s College of Arms: otherwise the said Royal Licence and Permission to be void and of none effect.

And to signify His Royal Will and Pleasure that the said Royal Concession and Declaration be recorded in His Majesty’s College of Arms.

So over the next few months, you can expect to see the Coat of Arms slowly appearing on lanyards and the like as they wear out and need to be replaced. I have a strong suspicion which member of the GLA will be at the front of the queue, probably wearing GLC socks.

A spokesperson for the Greater London Authority (GLA) said: “The GLA welcomes the King’s decision to allow it to use the Greater London Council coat of arms.

“This transfer is an important moment as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the GLA, recognising the important history of devolved Government in the capital.”

As use of the coat of arms is a controlled matter, if anyone were thinking of slapping it on some souvenirs to sell, they would need permission from the GLA to do so. If they went ahead without permission, then the GLA could appeal to the High Court of Chivalry to have the miscreant stopped from doing so.

Which, for lovers of the weird pomp and ceremony that the UK does so very well, having Sir Sadiq Khan appearing in the Chivalric Court as a witness for the prosecution would be like all their Christmases come at once.