So, confusingly, white exists in two ways. It does have its own existence as a constituent colour of ermine and of vair, and it exists as the colour of a label on the arms of Britain's princes. But white is also an acceptable substitute for silver on flags and in paintings. Accordingly, in view of its acceptability as a substitute for Argent, new armorial illustrations in the Baronage magazine will from September onwards use white instead of the pale silver-blue that has so discontented our artists. We shall review this decision in March.
Some charges feature military subjects such as scaling ladders, arrows or other weapons.
A complete heraldric bestiary evolved with fantastic creatures based on mythology and the herald's imagination. Some arms are blazoned counter-charged, as in the case of Geoffrey Chaucer, whose coat of arms is described as Per Pale Argent and Gules a Bend Counterchaged.