| Royal arms of England | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Versions | |
 Banner of arms, which served as royal banner | |
| Armiger | Monarchs of England |
| Adopted | Late 12th century |
| Shield | Gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or armed and langued azure |
| Supporters | Various |
| Motto | Dieu et mon droit |
| Order | Order of the Garter |
| Use |
|
Thecoat of arms of England is thecoat of arms historically used asarms of dominion by the monarchs of theKingdom of England, and now used to symboliseEngland generally.[1] The arms were adoptedc.1200 by thePlantagenet kings and continued to be used by successive English and British monarchs; they are currentlyquartered with the arms of Scotland and Ireland in thecoat of arms of the United Kingdom.[2][3][4] Historically they were also quartered with the arms ofFrance, representing theEnglish claim to the French throne, andHanover.
The arms continue to be used in heraldry to represent England, for example in thearms of Canada, although they rarely appear in isolation in royal or government contexts.[5] They have also been adapted by English sporting bodies, forming the basis of the coat of arms of theFootball Association, the logo of theEngland and Wales Cricket Board,England Hockey andEngland Boxing.[6][7]
.svg)
The arms have a red background, on which are three gold lions with blue claws and tongues. The lions are depicted stridingdexter (heraldic right), with their right front paw raised and their heads turned to face the viewer. Theblazon, or formal heraldic description, isGules, three lionspassant guardant in paleOr armed and languedAzure. Thelions passant guardant were historically referred to asleopards, but this refers to their pose rather than species.[8]
During the existence of the Kingdom of England the arms were usually depicted as part of a full heraldicachievement, the appearance of which has varied over the centuries.[9]
The first example of a crest on the royal arms was onEdward III's thirdgreat seal, which shows a helm above the arms, on which is a crowned gold lion standing upon achapeau.[10] The design has varied little since, and took on its present form in the reign ofHenry VIII.[10]
The chapeau was eventually replaced by a crown, the design of which has varied over time. It was usually shown as an open circlet adorned with fleurs-de-lys or stylised leaves until the reign ofHenry VI, when the design was altered to includecrosses formy. The crown gained a single arch in reign ofEdward IV, and a double arch underHenry VII. Since the late 17th century the crown has consisted of a jewelled circlet with alternating crosses formy and fleurs-de-lys, and two arches with amonde surmounted by a cross formy at their intersection.[10] The shape of the arches of the crown has been represented differently at different times, and can help to date a depiction of the crest.[10]
The helm on which the crest was borne was originally a simple steel design, sometimes with gold embellishments. In the reign ofElizabeth I this was changed to a gold helm with a barred visor, facing the viewer, a design which is restricted to royal arms.[11] At the same time the decorative mantling, which was originally red cloth lined with ermine, was altered to cloth of gold lined with ermine.[11]
Animalsupporters first appeared in English heraldry in the 15th century. They were not regarded as an integral part of arms, and were frequently changed. The supporters of many medieval monarchs wereinvented during theTudor period but are still used to represent them, for instance atSt. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.[12][13] The supporters became more consistent under the Tudors, and by the reign ofElizabeth I were usually a redWelsh dragon and a gold lion.[9] After theUnion of the Crowns theStuart monarchs swapped the dragon for a Scottish unicorn, and thelion and unicorn have remained the supporters of the royal arms since.[9]
The English royal arms were often shown encircled by the Order of the Garter, England's highest order of chivalry, a blue circlet bearing the order'sOld French mottoHoni soit qui mal y pense ("Shame be to him who thinks evil of it").[11] Amotto has also been shown on a scroll under the arms since at least the reign ofHenry IV, who usedSovereyne ('Sovereign').[11] The current motto,Dieu et mon droit ("God and my right"), was first adopted byHenry V, but did not become standardised until 1714.[11]
.jpg)
Some of the earliest Royal Emblems depicting lions were first used by the Saxons (Lions were adopted inGermanic tradition around the5th century[14]) and Danes[15] and re-interpreted in aChristian context in the western kingdoms ofGaul andNorthern Italy (around the 6th and 7th centuries), as well as by the Normans.[4][16][17] Later, during the reign of the Plantagenets (specifically around the end of the 12th century), a formal and consistentEnglish heraldry system emerged.
Theblazon of the arms of Plantagenet is:Gules, threelions passant guardant in pale or armed and langued azure,[18][19] signifying three identical goldlions (also known asleopards) with blue tongues and claws, walking past but facing the observer, arranged in a column on a red background. Although the tinctureazure of tongue and claws is not cited in many blazons, they are historically a distinguishing feature of the arms of England. This coat, designed in theHigh Middle Ages, has been variously combined with those of the Kings of France, Scotland, a symbol of Ireland, theHouse of Nassau and theKingdom of Hanover, according to dynastic and other political changes occurring in England, but has not altered since it took a fixed form in the reign ofRichard I of England (1189–1199), the second Plantagenet king.
The earliest surviving representation of anescutcheon, or shield, displaying three lions is that on theGreat Seal of King Richard I (1189–1199), which initially displayed one or two lions rampant, but in 1198 was permanently altered to depict three lions passant, perhaps representing Richard I's principal three positions as King of the English,Duke of Normandy, andDuke of Aquitaine.[19][4][16][17]
Much later antiquarians would retrospectively inventattributed arms for earlier kings, but their reigns pre-dated the systematisation of hereditaryEnglish heraldry that only occurred in the second half of the 12th century.[4] Lions may have been used as a badge by members of theNorman dynasty: a late-12th century chronicler reports that in 1128,Henry I of England knighted his son-in-law,Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, and gave him a gold lion badge. The memorial enamel created to decorate Geoffrey's tomb depicts a blue coat of arms bearing gold lions. His youngest son,William FitzEmpress, used an equestrianseal showing a coat with a single lion rampant,[20] while the eldest son,Henry II (1133–1189) used a lion as his emblem, and based on the arms used by his sons and other relatives, he may have used a coat of arms with a single lion or two lions, though no direct testimony of this has been found.[21] His children experimented with different combinations of lions on their arms. Richard I (1189–1199) used a single lion rampant, or perhaps two lions affrontés, on his firstGreat Seal of England,[19] but later used three lions passant in his 1198 Great Seal. The arms bear a striking resemblance to the family arms of theHohenstaufen Emperors adopted at nearly the same time, which Richard would have been acquainted with from his travels, and would show his personal alliance with them.[22][23] Richard's brotherJohn had used a seal during the reigns of his father and elder brother that showed two lions passant,[20][21] but his adoption of his brother's three-lion arms on his succession established this as the lasting design of the royal arms of England.[19][21]
In 1340, following the extinction of theHouse of Capet, Edward IIIclaimed the French throne. In addition to initiating theHundred Years' War, Edward III expressed his claim in heraldic form by quartering the royal arms of England with thearms of France. This quartering continued until 1801, with intervals in 1360–1369 and 1420–1422.[19]
Following the death ofElizabeth I in 1603, the throne of England was inherited by the ScottishHouse of Stuart, resulting in theUnion of the Crowns: the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland were united in apersonal union underJames VI and I.[24] As a consequence, the royal arms of England and Scotland were combined in the king's new personal arms. Nevertheless, although referencing the personal union with Scotland and Ireland, the royal arms of England remained distinct from theroyal arms of Scotland, until the two realms were joined in apolitical union in 1707, leading to a unifiedroyal coat of arms of the United Kingdom.[3]
On 1 May 1707 the kingdoms of England and Scotland were merged to form that of Great Britain; to symbolise this their arms were impaled in the first and fourth quarters of the royal arms. French throne continued, albeit passively, until it was mooted by theFrench Revolution and the formation of theFrench First Republic in 1792.[19] TheActs of Union 1800 united theKingdom of Great Britain with theKingdom of Ireland to form theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Under KingGeorge III of the United Kingdom, a proclamation of 1 January 1801 set theroyal style and titles and modified the royal arms, removing the French quarter and putting the arms of England, Scotland and Ireland on the same structural level, with the dynastic arms of Hanover moved to aninescutcheon.[19]
| Kingdom of England (Under personal union with the Kingdom of Scotland from 1603 to 1707) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escutcheon | Period | Description | ||
 | 1189–1198 | The arms of Richard I are only known from two armorial seals, and hence the tinctures can not be determined. His First Great Seal showed one lion on half of the shield. It is debated whether this was meant to representtwo lions combatant or a single lion, and if the latter, whether the direction in which the lion is facing is relevant or simply an artistic liberty. A simplelion rampant is most likely.[25] | ||
| 1198–1340 1360–1369 | The arms on the second Great Seal of Richard I, used by his successors until 1340:Gules, three lionspassant guardant in pale or.[19][4] | ||
.svg) | 1340–1360 1369–1395 1399–1406 | Edward III adopted thearms of FranceAzure semé of fleurs de lys or (powdering offleurs-de-lis on a blue field) – representing hisclaim to the French throne - and quartered the royal arms of England. | ||
.svg) | 1395–1399 | Richard II adopted theattributed arms of KingEdward the Confessor andimpaling the royal arms of England, denoting a mystical union.[9] | ||
.svg) | 1406–1554 | Henry IV abandoned theattributed arms of KingEdward the Confessor, and reduced the fleurs-de-lis to three, in imitation ofCharles V of France.[4][9] | ||
.svg) | 1554–1558 | Mary I andPhilip impaled their arms. Philip's arms were: A. arms quarterlyCastile andLeon, B. per paleAragon and Aragon-Sicily, the whole enté en pointGranada; in base quarterlyAustria,Burgundy ancient,Burgundy modern andBrabant, with an escutcheon (in thenombril point) per paleFlanders andTyrol.[4][9] Although Queen Mary I's father,King Henry VIII, assumed the title ofKing of Ireland and this was further conferred upon King Philip, the arms were not altered to feature theKingdom of Ireland.
| ||
| 1558–1603 |  Wikimedia Commons has media related toCoats of arms of Queen Elizabeth I of England. | ||
.svg) | 1603–1649 1660–1689 | Wikimedia Commons has media related toCoats of arms of King James I of England and VI of Scotland. Wikimedia Commons has media related toCoats of arms of King James II of England and VII of Scotland. | ||
.svg) | 1689–1694 | Wikimedia Commons has media related toCoats of arms of Queen Mary II of England and Scotland. | ||
.svg) | 1694–1702 | Wikimedia Commons has media related toCoats of arms of King William III of England and II of Scotland. | ||
| 1702–1707 | Wikimedia Commons has media related toCoats of arms of Queen Anne of Great Britain. | ||
When the royal arms take the form of anheraldic flag, it is variously known as theRoyal Banner of England,[27] theBanner of the Royal Arms,[28] theBanner of the King (Queen) of England,[29][30] or by themisnomer theRoyal Standard of England.[note 1] This royal banner differs from England'snational flag, theSt George's Cross, in that it does not represent any particular area or land, but rather symbolises the sovereignty vested in the rulers thereof.[18]
The royal banner of England is the Englishbanner of arms and so has always borne the royal arms of England—the personal arms of England's reigning monarch. When displayed in war or battle, this banner signalled that the sovereign was present in person.[31] Because the royal banner depicted the royal arms of England, its design and composition changed throughout the Middle Ages.[31] It is variously known as the royal banner of England, the banner of the royal arms,[28] the banner of the king of England, or by themisnomer of the royal standard of England;Arthur Charles Fox-Davies explains that it is "a misnomer to term the banner of the royal arms the Royal Standard", because "the term standard properly refers to the long tapering flag used in battle, by which an overlord mustered his retainers in battle".[28] The archaeologist and antiquarianCharles Boutell also makes this distinction.[31]
As the arms of England have been superseded by the arms of the United Kingdom the former are rarely seen alone in contemporary contexts. One exception is theDuchy of Lancaster, the monarch's private estate, which uses the arms of England differenced by a 'label of France', i.e. a blue label of three points with three fleurs-de-lys in each. These arms originated withEdmund Crouchback, the second son ofHenry III, whose descendants were created dukes of Lancaster. The duchymerged with the Crown whenHenry Bolingbroke became king in 1399.
The arms also make a standalone appearance at coronations, when banners of the individual quarterings of the royal arms are processed through Westminster Abbey.[32]
Several English towns display adapted versions of the arms of England, often derived from seals which showed the full arms.[33] The most common alterations are to change the tinctures (colours); Dorset County Council, for example, uses a silver field and red lions, and Hereford a red field with silver lions.[33] Several such arms are associated with theCinque Ports, a confederation of historic ports in southeast England whose arms are those of Englanddimidiated with three ships' hulls on a blue field.[34]
The arms of Berkshire County Council bore arms with two golden lions, referencing the attributed arms of the Norman kings and their early influence upon the county.[33]
A single gold lion, on a red chief, appears on the coats of arms ofCanterbury andChichester. Outside of England, it also appears on the coats of arms of the Canadian provinces ofNew Brunswick andPrince Edward Island, reflecting their heritage.
The arms of England are used by several institutions, often founded by or with a link to the monarchy. Westminster Abbey, for example, includes the fifteenth century version of the arms in its own achievement. AtOxford University,Oriel College uses the royal arms with a border to symbolise that it was founded byEdward II, while atCambridge University the arms ofChrist's College,St John's College, andSt Edmund's College include the arms as they were founded by descendants of the royal family.
Several families are entitled to use the English arms, usuallydifferenced in some way. This most often occurred through descent from a member of the royal family (e.g. thedukes of Norfolk, descended fromThomas of Brotherton, fifth son ofEdward I), or from an illegitimate child of the monarch being granted a version of the royal arms (e.g. thedukes of Richmond, descended fromCharles Lennox, illegitimate son ofCharles II).
.svg)
The English arms, and the three lions passant alone, have become one of thenational symbols of England.[1] The three lions have been extensively used in sport, and currently feature in the coats of arms ofThe Football Association, theEngland and Wales Cricket Board, and in the logo ofEngland Boxing.[6][35][36][37] In 1997 and 2002 theRoyal Mint issued aone pound coin featuring three lions passant to represent England.[38] The arms have also featured onRoyal Mail postage stamps, such as a 2001 issue to celebrateSt George's Day which featured the three lions on second-class stamps.[39]
![A British one pound (£1) coin, issued in 1997, featuring three lions passant, representing England[38]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aBritish_one_pound_coin_1997_Lions_Passant.jpg)
![The arms worn by England cricket team, the national football team removed the original crown to distinguish it from the cricket team in 1949.[40]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aEngland_Cricket_Cap_Insignia.svg)
The archaeologist and antiquarianCharles Boutell also makes this distinction.[31]It is amisnomer to term the banner of the Royal Arms the Royal Standard. The term standard properly refers to the long tapering flag used in battle, by which an overlord mustered his retainers in battle.[28]
significant pre-figuration of medieval heraldry
.svg)
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Royal heraldry in the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | .svg) | |
| England | ||
| Scotland | ||
| Wales | ||