Updated 13/12/2025
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 prolific 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 it 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 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-handedly, the ancient practice of funeral hatchments..First of all Royalty:
HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother - note the pleurants supporters:
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
H.M.Queen Elizabeth:
He painted many hatchments for non-royal friends:
Alan Watson
David Lumsden of Cushnie, Garioch Pursuivant
Sir Hamish Forbes of Newe and Edinglassie
Sir Malcolm Innes of Edingight, Lord Lyon 1981-2001
Peter Drummond-Murray of Mastrick
Frederick B.Casely
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 now 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 Exhibition in the Trades Hall, Glasgow, in 2017 Mark assembled a scene (under the Cordiners flag) from the Procession, 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 18th century style
The year-long series of events in 2022 marking the 350th anniversary of the Lyon Register was branded by another of Mark's 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 ELggin:
As well as his Kate Kennedy Procession materials, Mark created a tabard or houce des armes for historical re-enactment, worn here by Stanley Bird:
Mark also created the tabard, sported here by George Way of Plean, of Sir Alexander Erskine of Cambo:
Mark created the ingenious arms then 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 which capacity he painted these stallplates for the Chapter House:
The arms of Viscount Younger of Leckie:
The arms of Viscount Younger of Leckie:
The 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 a new version of the Society's arms:
The arms of John Duncan of Sketraw:
Mark's friend and long-time collaborator on many of his artistic projects, Kevin Greig, has kindly supplied some more material:
As a generous "thank-you" gift to the Officers of Arms who took part in Operation Unicorn, the funeral of the Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Lyon commissioned from Mark a drawing which was then executed in silver by Archie Stirling as brooches for the ladies and cufflinks for the men:
Here is another of Mark's lovely unicorns
Then we have the fine tie Mark designed for the Heraldry Society of Scotland:
Two more splendid works from the Bruce family collection. First of all the glorious achievement of Andrew Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin and 15th Earl of Kincardine which Mark painted in honour of Lord Elgin's 90th birthday in 2014: characteristic Dennis touches include the initials of Lady Elgin tattooed on one savage and the anchor of the Boys' Brigade on the other, who is also bearing Lord Elgin's Norwegian Order of Merit. The five sprigs on the compartment represent Lord and Lady Elgin's five children, including The Hon.Adam Bruce, Marchmont Herald whose arms follow.
When visiting friends, Mark thought nothing of dashing off a lively sketch. Here is the famous Wyrm Crest, recorded in both England and Scotland, of Mrs Anne Dawes Edgar:
Another bookplate has come in from Mark's dear friend, Dr Adrian Ailes.
fMark painted the arms of Admiral Collingwood for an article by the late Peter Drummond Murray for the Heraldry Society of Scotland.
For the same article. Mark painted the arms of Vice-Admiral Norwich Duff
And Captain Eliab Harvey:
Captain Robert Moorsom:
Captain John Pilfold
Rear Admiral the Earl of Northesk
Viscount Bridport
Admiral Lord Nelson:
And now Baronetess Dunbar of Hempriggs - one of only four baronet titles heritable in the female line:
The 12th Earl of Northesk:
The Kate Kennedy Club banner for James VII in the style of the period:
Here is the bookplate, provided by Gordon Casely, of the late Sheriff David Bogie:
Mark had very strong views on lions rampant. Here is the lovely drawing he made for children (or anybody) to colour in for the "Heraldry for the Self-Isolator" course posted in daily instalments during the first 2020 lock-down:
One of Mark's joys was the Annual Procession of the Kate Kennedy Club in St Andrews. He sent this photograph in 2019 with the description: "Here you can see some of the scrum as 140 or so people clamber into clobber ranging from full high Gothic plate armour to Tudor gowns to tweedy period golfing kit - all eminent folk associated with the town and uni starting from St Andrew, First-called, himself."
