A coat of arms for the IOA

Those attending the IOA’s 50th Anniversary Dinner at Vintners’ Hall in November 2024 would have seen the official grant of the armorial bearings recently granted to the Institute by the College of Arms.

By Chris Turner

The grant of arms was the final step in completing the petition to His Majesty the King for the Institute’s Royal Charter. The design of the arms was a collaborative effort involving Alistair Somerville, IOA Immediate Past President, along with Council members Angela Lamacraft, Reena Mahtani and Chris Turner. Together, they worked to reflect the essence of the Institute and its membership, ensuring that each element of the design carried meaning. Naturally, the design had to be unique and comply with heraldic rules, including the stipulation that no combination of elements previously used in any coat of arms since the middle ages could be repeated. We were grateful for the advice and guidance provided by William Hunt of the College of Arms in obeying these very stringent rules. The animals selected (the bat, the dogs and the heraldic dolphin) are closely associated with sound and acoustics.

Starting from the top:

The heraldic badge, shown in the middle of the grant of arms, is a tuning fork which is traditionally awarded for long service to the Institute, with the traditional sound radiation on either side.

Images within this border hold significance to the Insitute, beginning with the wildlife.

The armorial bearings have been granted to the Institute in perpetuity regardless of whether the petition for a Royal Charter is successful. However, they will be transferred to the Chartered body should the petition be successful. The original grant of arms is on display in the Office in Milton Keynes, and a high-resolution photograph will be available for members to view at meetings and conferences.

Charter update
On Thursday, 27 March 2025, the IOA President, David Waddington, formally signed and sealed the of fi cial petition to His Majesty for the grant of a Royal Charter. The petition was hand delivered to the Privy Council Office on Wednesday, 2 April and is now under review by the Clerks to the Privy Council.