Heraldic Achievement Rejected for Having Too Many Lions

A petition for a grant of arms has been returned by the College of Arms after heralds determined that the proposed design contained an 'unsustainable density of lions' that rendered it both visually overwhelming and heraldically redundant. The petitioner, Berkshire businessman Malcolm Gules, submitted a design featuring a lion rampant in the first quarter, a lion passant guardant in the second, a lion sejant erect in the third, a demi-lion in the fourth, a lion's head erased as the crest, and two lions rampant as supporters — for a total of seven lions on a single achievement. 'Mr. Gules appears to be very enthusiastic about lions,' wrote the reviewing herald in his assessment. 'However, an achievement of arms is not a safari. There must be some principle of variety, or at minimum, a different animal.' The rejection letter, couched in the elaborate courtesy for which the College is known, suggested Gules consider 'perhaps an eagle, a griffin, or even a modest roundel' to provide visual relief. Gules was reportedly disappointed. 'The lion is the king of beasts,' he told the Heraldist's Headline. 'I wanted my arms to communicate strength, courage, and authority. No one looks at a roundel and thinks power.' When asked about the rule of tincture and other compositional considerations, Gules acknowledged he had 'focused primarily on the lion question' and had given less thought to the overall balance of the design. He has resubmitted with a revised proposal containing only four lions and what the College has described as 'a begrudging eagle.' The petition is pending review. The College of Arms spokesperson noted that lions remain the most requested charge in English heraldry, accounting for approximately thirty percent of all new grants. 'We like lions,' the spokesperson said. 'We just don't need seven of them on one shield.'