The Single Eagle Feather

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Just a quick question about something that sort of popped in my head the other day. First let me say that although I think coats of arms and what not are really neat, I have absolutely no plans on attaining one myself. So this question is strictly academic in nature. If someone attained a coat of arms through legit means, that is to say, the Lord Lyon or some other sanctioned body. And now you can wear the single eagle feather on your bonnet, can you only wear the feather behind the the badge that is related to your new coat of arms?

No, you may wear a real feather behind your clan badge if you so choose.

That is to say, if you were wearing a Forbes clan badge, or which ever clan badge, before you had a coat of arms, can you now wear the eagle feather behind your clan badge as well? Just curious if that was considered okay or if once you had your own coat of arms you no longer wore the clan badge. Hope that is not too confusing, it all makes sense in my own head I promise.

An armiger has two options when it comes to the badge worn on his bonnet. He may wear his own badge, with or without an attached metal feather, or he may wear an ordinary clan badge. What he should not do is affix a small metal feather to the clan badge, although he may, when appropriate, wear an actual feather behind either the clan badge or his personal crest badge.