Heraldry inWales has a tradition distinct from that ofEnglish andScottishheraldry. There is evidence that heraldry was already being used in Wales by the middle of the thirteenth century; for instance, in Gwynedd, two sons ofLlywelyn the Great are recorded as having bornecoats of arms in this period.[1] Following the integration of Wales intoEngland in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the Welsh heraldic tradition became merged into that of England.
.png)
Before theconquest of Gwynedd byEdward I, Wales was ruled by a number of Kings and Princes whose dominions shifted and sometimes merged following the vagaries of war, marriage and inheritance. All these Kings and Princes were ascribed personal coats of arms, often retrospectively if they lived before the dawn of heraldry, and these were borne by their descendants in Wales. The two principal Welsh kingdoms were those ofGwynedd, in the north, andDeheubarth in the south. Of these, the most successful, and the last, finally, to fall, was that of Gwynedd, and the arms now borne by the Princes of Wales as an escutcheon are the historic arms of the dynasty of Gwynedd as borne by the last native Princes of Wales, includingLlywelyn the Great andLlywelyn ap Gruffudd.
The arms associated with formerKingdom of Powys are a red lion rampant on a gold field. They were used by the House of Mathrafal when Powys was an independent kingdom and later by the Earls of Powis (de la Pole andde Cherleton families) up until the late Middle Ages and can now be found on various civic coats of arms.
The arms associated with the principal dynasty of south Wales (Deheubarth) are, on the other hand, a gold lion rampant on a red field within an indented (sometimes engrailed) gold border. Although never included in the English Royal Arms, they continue to be borne by families descended from the dynasty of Deheubarth: most notably by the Talbot family (Earl of Shrewsbury, etc.) which married an heiress of the dynasty in the 14th century.
| Arms/Standard | Kingdom/ Principality | Details |
|---|---|---|
 | Kingdom of Gwynedd | Contemporary coat of arms ofLlywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Gwynedd.[3][4] Used by the Princes of Wales since 1911, and by theCaernarvonshire County Council until 1974.[4] Quarterly Or and Gules, four lions passant guardant counter charged, armed and langued Azur. |
 | Kingdom of Powys & later theKingdom of Powys Wenwynwyn | Traditional coat of arms ofPrince Gwenwynwyn of Powys.[5]Or, a lion Gules armed and langed Azure. |
 | Kingdom of Powys Fadog | Traditional arms ofMadog ap Gruffydd Maelor of Powys Fadog.[6]Argent, a lion Sable armed and langed Gules. |
 | Kingdom of Deheubarth | Traditional arms of KingRhys ap Tewdwr Mawr ofDeheubarth[7] and later used by the Talbot dynasty.Gules a Lion rampant Or, a border engrailed of the last. |
 | Kingdom of Morgannwg | Attributed arms of KingIestyn ap Gwrgant of Morgannwg.[8]Gules, three Chevronels Argent. |
 | Kingdom of Ceredigion | Attributed arms of the mythical King Gwaethfoed Fawr, Prince ofCantref Gwaelod,[9] later used by the family of Pryse of Gogerddan, Ceredigion,[9] and the Cardiganshire County Council.[10] Sable, Lion rampant regardant Or. |
 | Kingdom of Dyfed | Attributed arms of the historically-dubious[11] Prince Gwynfardd of Nanhyfer, Dyfed, a claimed ancestor of several aristocratic families in the area.[11] Later used on the arms of the Dyfed County Council.[12] Azures, Lion rampant between four Roses Or. |
 | Kingdom of Gwent | Attributed arms of the Kingdom of Gwent, which merged with its neighbourGlywysing to form theKingdom of Morgannwg. Later used by the Monmouthshire County Council.[13] Per pale Azure and Sable three Fleurs-de-Lis Or. |
 | Rhwng Gwy a Hafren | Attributed arms ofElystan Glodrydd, the reported ancestor of many families in the district of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren ("between theWye and theSevern"), and founder of one of the "Five Royal Tribes of Wales".[14] Later used by the Radnorshire County Council.[15] Gules, a Lion rampant reguardant Or. |
| Arms/Standard | Kingdom/ Principality | Details |
|---|---|---|
 | Principality of Wales | Thered lions on a goldbanner was first used inWales byOwain Lawgoch thepretender Prince of Wales in France during the 14th century, and also byOwain Glyndŵr, thede factoPrince of Wales in the 15th century.[16][17][18] |
 | Principality of Wales | Gold dragon of Wales flag raised by Glyndwr during the Welsh War of Independence in the early 15th century.[19][20] |
| Arms/Standard | User | Details |
|---|---|---|
 | Cadwgan ap Bleddyn,Mathrafal Prince of Powys. | Attributed arms of Prince Cadwgan, later used by theLords of Nannau as the family memorial.[21] |
 | Nefydd Hardd of Nant Conwy | Attributed arms of Nefydd Hardd, Lord of Nant Conwy and one of the fifteen "founders of the noble tribes of Gwynedd".[22] Seen in the coat of arms of the Aberconwy County Council.[23] |
 | Marchudd ap Cynan of Rhos and Abergele | Attributed arms of Marchudd ap Cynan, Lord of Rhos and Abergele and one of the fifteen "founders of the noble tribes of Gwynedd". Seen in the coat of arms of the Aberconwy County Council,[23] and the Colwyn County Council.[24] |
 | Dafydd III, Prince of Wales of theHouse of Aberffraw. | Attributed arms of Dafydd ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales of the House of Aberffraw,Kingdom of Gwynedd. |
%2c_Prince_of_Wales.svg) | Owain ap Gruffydd, King of Gwynedd and Prince of Wales | Attributed arms of King Owain ap Gruffydd ofGwynedd, later titled as the first Prince of Wales.[25] Seen in the coat of arms of the Caernarvonshire County Council.[4] |
 | Dewi Sant, the patron saint of Wales | Attributed arms of Dewi Sant. Seen in the coat of arms of the Ceredigion County Council.[26] |
 | Llywarch ap Bran, Lord of Menai. | Attributed arms of Llywarch ap Bran, Lord of Menai and one of the founders of theFifteen Tribes of Wales.[27] |
 | Edwin, Lord of Tegeingl | Attributed arms of Edwin, Lord of Tegeingl and one of the fifteen "founders of the noble tribes of Gwynedd". Seen in the coat of arms of the Flintshire County Council[28] and Clwyd County Council[29] |
 | Hwfa ap Cynddelw of Anglesey | Attributed arms of Hwfa ap Cynddelw, Lord ofAnglesey and one of the fifteen "founders of the noble tribes of Gwynedd". Seen in the coat of arms of the Isle of Anglesey County Council,[30] and Gwynedd County Council[31] |
 | Urien Rheged | Attributed arms of King Urien ofRheged, aBrythonic kingdom in what is nowCumbria, England. Seen in the coat of arms of the Lliw Valley County Council[32] |
 | Cadwgan apElystan Glodrydd | Attributed arms of Cadwgan, son of Elystan Glodrydd ofRhwng Gwy a Hafren. Seen in the coat of arms of the Radnorshire County Council.[33] |
Arms of houses and of influential people are often combined, as shown in this example of the quartered arms ofHughes of Gwerclas, which gives a broad overview of Welsh heraldry. The arms are quarterly of four:
Key features shown are the predominance of the Welsh dragon, the use of colour differences to distinguish branches of a family, and the use ofcrests. The arms here show an allegiance to both people and to Kingdoms within Wales.
.svg){kind=icon}
A newRoyal Badge ofWales was approved in May 2008. It is based on thearms borne byLlywelyn the Great, the famous thirteenth century Welsh prince (blazoned quarterly Or and gules, four lions countercharged langued and armed azure), with the addition of the imperial crown atop a continuous scroll which, together with a wreath consisting of the plant emblems of the fourcountries of the United Kingdom, surrounds the shield.[34] The motto which appears on the scroll,PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD (I am true to my country), is taken from theNational Anthem of Wales and is also found on Welsh design£1 coins. The badge appears on the cover ofActs passed bySenedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament).[35]
The current badge follows in a long line of heraldic devices representing Wales. Its predecessors have all been variations on either theRed Dragon, an ancient emblem revived byHenry VII, or the arms of Llywelyn.
