Mark Dennis RIP
Tributes have been flowing in to our dear friend and former herald, Mark Dennis (1951-2025) who died suddenly on Friday and whose artistry and generosity touched so many lives all over the world. His exuberant work was so profligate that it will take a long time to assemble even a representative fraction of his work. Mark eschewed commissions but did a lot of work privately for his friends - much of which we have never seen so I would be good if people who have examples of Mark's work would kindly send photographs or scans to the Lyon Office.
First of all, here is Mark's painting of his own arms as Ormond Pursuivant and later Ross Herald Extraordinary.
Mark painted two portraits of friends. Here is his 2023 portrait of Lyon Morrow:
and his 2025 portrait of Rothesay Herald, Sheriff George Way of Plean, bearing the Elizabeth Sword which Mark designed:
Here is Mark with HM The King, Lyon and the Elizabeth Sword itself:
The BBC has an item on the sword where Mark talks about it HERE.
Mark's refashioning of Scottish ceremonial dates from at least 1998 when he designed and organized the payment for a new Collar of State of for the Lord Lyon, later followed by a leonine crown, both items being worn by Lyon at the Coronation.
At the same event in November 2025 when Mark unveiled his portrait of Rothesay Herald, he also, with typical Mark wit and skill, presented Kintyre Pursuivant with a snuff mull engraved with Kintyre's badge making it the Mull of Kintyre:
Mark painted a fine achievement for the King and Queen when they were Duke and Duchess of Rothesay - the achievement included Her Majesty's father's arms, recorded in the Lyon Register in 1980.
He painted the royal arms many times - here he paints the royal arms first of all as used in Scotland and then in England:
Mark designed the pre-Union version of the royal arms of Scotland for the Scottish Parliament building:
He painted many coats of arms for friends - as these are all in private collections it would be good if the recipients would share them with us. Here are two splendid examples: the first is the coat of arms of Fra' Ian Scott, lately Grand Prior of England of the Sovereign Military Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, who was granted supporters and a new crest by the Lord Lyon in 2023:
Mark also painted the marital arms of Major-General Alastair Bruce, Governor of Edinburgh Castle, and Stephen Knott:
He revived, almost single-handed, the ancient practice of funeral hatchments..Firsr of all Royalty:
HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother - note the pleurants supporters:
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh:
He also painted many hatchments for non-royal friends:
Alan Watson
David Lumsden of Cushnie, Gairoch Pursuivant
Sir Hamish Forbes
Sir Malcolm Innes of Edingight, Lord Lyon 1981-2001
Peter Drummond-Murray of Mastrick
Romilly Squire
Charles Burnett, late Ross Herald
David Sellar, Lord Lyon 2008-2014
Many people have been brought to a love of heraldry by Mark's sumptously-illustrated book for the Heraldry Society of Scotland, Scottish Heraldry - an Invitation:
Moving on now to bookplates. Here is the bookplate Mark created for The Hon. Adam Bruce, Marchmont Herald:
And here the bookplate of George Way of Plean:
One of Mark's hobbies was providing artistic and heraldic advice to the Kate Kennedy Society Procession in St Andrews. For the Heraldry Exhibitinn in the Trades Hall, Glasgow, in 2017 Mark assembled a scene (under the Cordiner's flag) from the Proxession, including a magnificent banner of the arms of the Marquess of Montrose,
Mark created a poster called Tournament Mêlée for Historic Environment Scotland:
Next the assumed arms of Robert Burns, done in eighteenth century style:
The year-long series of events in 2022 marking the 350th anniversary of the Lyon Register were branded by another of MArls subtle creations:
More recently, Mark designed the badge for the Lord Lyon Society:
Then we have the crest he created for the 100th birthday of Lord Elgin:
As well as his Kate Kennedy Procession materials, Mark created a tabard or houce des armes for historical re-enactment:
Mark also created the tabard, sported here by George Way of Plean, of Sir Alexander Erskine of Cambo:
Mark created the ingenious arms the granted by Lyon for the Kate Kennedy Society. Here is the lovely version by Annette Read until I track down Mark's original:
The arms of The Countess of Mar:
Mark was also limner to the Venerable Order of St John, in whcih capacity he painted these stallplates for the Chapter House:
The arms of Viscount Younger of Leckie:
The Congress Badge for the St Andrews Heraldry Congress 2006:
Mark was Secretary General of the Congress.
To mark the 200th anniversary of the Royal Scottish Society for the Arts, Mark painted anew version of the Society's arms:
The arms of the late John Duncan of Sketraw:
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