A few weeks ago I commented that it was slightly odd for David Vines White, Garter King of Arms, to be made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order at seemingly the halfway point of his tenure. Now it emerges that it wasn’t the midpoint after all.

White in Elizabeth II’s funeral procession, photographed by James Boyce (CC-BY-2.0)

Today the College of Arms website put out a short notice stating that Sir David had retired. This was a little out of the blue, for he is only 64 and the retirement age for heralds is 70. He served exactly five years, whereas all his predecessors in his own lifetime served at least ten (apart from Sir Conrad Swan, who retired after only three years due to a cancer diagnosis). His term, though brief, was obviously highly eventful as it featured Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee followed swiftly by her death and state funeral, then the coronation of Charles III.

Even more surprising is the choice of his successor: I would have thought that one of the other Kings of Arms (Robert Noel, 63, Clarenceux; Clive Cheeseman, 58, Norry; both appointed in 2024) would be the obvious candidates, or perhaps Peter O’Donoghue (55, York Herald since 2012). Instead the job has gone to James van Someren Peill, about whom almost nothing is known. His Wikipedia page is little more than a stub, and it appears that his career at the College is very brief: He was appointed Bluemantle Pursuivant in 2024, then Richmond Herald just five weeks ago. Prior to that he worked as an auctioneer of antique furniture.

I don’t know if a free-licence photograph of him yet exists, nor is his own coat of arms known. There have been examples in the depths of history when Garters have been appointed from outside the College with no prior experience, being appointed to and promoted through the lower ranks in a very short time (sometimes as little as one day) to nominally fulfil the requirement of having been a Herald and Pursuivant before being a King. The story behind Peill’s sudden rise and White’s early departure could be a fascinating one to read, if it ever emerges.