Teach Yourself Heraldry Module 4
Royal Heraldry
The Monarch’s Arms
Richard I appears to be the first to use the famous three lions of England in 1198 and they have been part of the monarch’s arms ever since.
1198-1340
Richard I to Edward III
In 1340 Edward III laid claim to the throne of France and altered the royal arms to Quarterly France and England. This version of the French arms is called France Ancient. France was not removed from the monarch’s arms till 1801.
His successor Richard II impaled these arms with those attributed to Edward the Confessor.
Henry IV returned to the original quartered arms but reduced the number of fleurs-de-lis on the French arms to three. In doing this he was reflecting the change made by the French themselves, some years earlier. This new version is called France Modern.
1340-1395
Edward III
1395-1399
Richard II
1399-1603
Henry IV to Elizabeth I
In 1603 James VI of Scotland also became James I of England. His arms as king of England became Quarterly 1&4 quarterly France and England; 2 Scotland; 3 Ireland and this remained the royal arms for all the Stuart monarchs.
When William of Orange became William III he added an escutcheon of Nassau, his paternal coat. Until her death he reigned jointly with his wife and their arms were impaled. After she died he reigned alone.
1603-1707
Stuart monarchs
1689-1694
William III & Mary II
1694-1702
William III
Although the Stuarts had been monarchs of both England and Scotland, they were recognized as two different countries. In 1707 they joined together to form the new country of Great Britain. The arms of England and Scotland were impaled together in quarters 1&4 with France in quarter 2 and Ireland in 3.
On the death of Queen Anne in 1714 the Hanoverians succeeded, and the complicated arms of Hanover were placed in quarter 4.
1707-1714
Queen Anne
1714-1801
Georges I, II & III
1801 saw the union of Great Britain with Ireland to form the United Kingdom. After 460 years, the arms of France were removed, and the arms of Hanover were placed in the centre on a separate escutcheon. As well as being king of England, George III was also one of the electors of the Holy Roman Empire. An electoral bonnet is placed above the Hanoverian arms.
In 1816 Hanover became a separate kingdom, and the elector’s bonnet was replaced by a crown.
As a woman, Queen Victoria could not inherit the crown of Hanover, so the arms of Hanover were removed leaving the royal arms as they are today.
1801-1816
George III
1816-1837
Late Hanoverians
1837 to present
From Queen Victoria
The Monarch in Scotland
Since the accession of James I in 1603, the royal coat of arms has been slightly different in Scotland, with the English and Scottish coats of arms being swapped over. Here are some of the Scottish versions of the royal arms.
1603-1707
Stuarts in Scotland
1707-1714
Queen Anne in Scotland
1837 onwards
The modern royal arms in Scotland
Royal Cadency
The arms of a younger brother or son of the English monarch are differenced by adding a label to the royal arms. Originally blue, it would be left blank for the heir apparent but had charges added for other members of the family. When Edward III decided to add the arms of France to those of England, a blue label did not stand out sufficiently, so the colour of the label changed to white, which it has been ever since.
A Medieval Example
Modern Royal Differencing for Cadency
Unlike medieval times, both male and female members of the royal family now difference the royal arms by adding a white label. The labels of those closest to the sovereign, typically his or her siblings and children, have three points, while those slightly further away have five points.
The Princess Royal
Sister of king Charles III.
The Prince Richard of Gloucester
Cousin of Elizabeth II.
The Prince of Wales
Eldest son of Charles III
with an unmarked white label and an escutcheon of Wales.
The Duke of Sussex
Son of Charles III
The 5 points shown here were reduced to 3 following the death of Elizabeth II.
Princess Beatrice
Niece of Charles III
The bees on her label are an allusion to her name.
The Peerage
Ranks within the Peerage
There are five male ranks within the peerage. From the most senior to the most junior these are:
Duke
Marquess
Earl whose wife is a Countess
Viscount
Baron
Spouses of peers are not themselves peers, unless they are peers in their own right. So the title ‘duchess’ is usually a courtesy title.
It is common to refer to Baron Smith as, simply, Lord Smith. Baronies are frequently named after the holder’s surname, but not always. In 1829 John Best was created Baron Wynford, but he would have been commonly referred to as, simply, Lord Wynford.
Coronets of the Nobility
On the heraldic achievement of a peer, it is easy to identify his or her rank as each level of the peerage has its own distinctive coronet. Dukes have what are called ‘strawberry leaves’, visounts and barons have silver balls, and marquesses and earls have both leaves and balls.
Courtesy Titles
It is usual for the senior peers to also have other peerages.
In 1697 Thomas Coventry, 5th Baron Coventry was created Earl of Coventry and also Viscount Deerhurst at the same time. So the present Earl of Coventry holds all three peerages. His eldest son is not a peer, but he uses the courtesy title Viscount Deerhurst. Similarly Viscount Deerhurst’s heir apparent will be known as Baron Coventry or just Lord Coventry.
Duke
Marquess
Earl
Viscount
Baron
Baronets
The first baronets were created by king James I in 1611. They bridge the gap between hereditary peerages above and non-hereditary knights below. A baronetcy is an hereditary honour; like knights they are addressed as “Sir” but the abbreviation “Bt” is added to their name. People had always been rewarded for supporting the monarch financially or militarily, but the creation of baronetcies was, perhaps, the first major example of Cash for Honours: a significant reward was offered to those of suitable wealth and breeding who were willing and able pay for it. The king wanted to settle English protestants in catholic Ulster, in the north of Ireland. Understandably those willing to make the move needed military support to ensure their safety. The price was £1095, which was calculated to be enough to support 300 soldiers for three years. 200 gentlemen of good birth and adequate income paid up. Baronetcies have been created since that time, but they are no longer sold. Baronetcies are frequently held in tandem with other honours including peerages.
Like some other Irish lords, the ancient kings of Ulster used a red hand as an heraldic device. From 1264 the earldom of Ulster was held by the Norman-Irish family of de Burgh, whose coat of arms is Or a cross gules. The de Burgh arms and the red hand were combined to create the arms of Ulster: a dexter hand gules on an escutcheon argent being placed on the centre of the de Burgh arms.
The newly-created baronets were allowed to charge their shields with an escutcheon argent charged with a sinister hand gules. Although the original connection with Ireland is long gone, the red hand of Ulster has remained the symbol for later baronetcies.
Baronets of Nova Scotia
In 1625 Charles I created the order of baronets of Scotland and Nova Scotia. He wished to raise money to support the Scottish colony of Nova Scotia in Canada, and the price was set at 2000 marks (£1333-6s-8d). This was thought to be enough to support six settlers for two years. The new baronetcies were overwhelmingly Scottish and over 100 of them remain extant today. The baronets may charge their shields with the arms of Nova Scotia, which have the arms of Scotland placed on the cross of St Andrew. Baronets of Nova Scotia were also entitled to wear these arms on a badge. It was not until 1929 that baronets of England and the United Kingdom were also entitled to wear badges on their persons. Since the union of England and Scotland in 1707 all baronetcies have used the Ulster badge.
The arms of Ulster
(right hand)
Baronetcy of Stronge
(left hand)
Twistleton-Wykeham-Fiennes
The arms of Nova Scotia
Baron Strathspey
Agnew of Lochnaw
The badge of a baronet
of England or the UK
The badge of a baronet
of Nova Scotia
An Achievement of Arms
A heraldic achievement has a variety of components, and over the years there have been several changes to customary practice. But it’s always the case that the higher up the social scale, the fuller and more detailed the achievement will be. Only peers, knights of the Garter, Thistle etc. and some corporations are permitted to have supporters. The example opposite is the heraldic achievement of the 1st earl of Snowdon.
The shield containing the coat of arms is encircled by the ribbon and badge of the Royal Victorian Order.
The shield is supported by a griffin on the dexter side and an eagle on the sinister side.
They stand on a green compartment which bears the family motto, which is Welsh for What God wills, will be.
Above the shield is the coronet of an earl, and above that is the helm or helmet appropriate to a peer.
On top of the helm is the elaborate crest which sits on a twisted sable and argent ring called a torse or wreath.
Also emanating from the top of the helm is the flowing mantling, or lambrequin, which is of the same two colours as the torse.
Examples of Heraldic Achievements
The impaled arms of US President Martin van Buren and his wife. A basic helm facing to the dexter, and no supporters, compartment or motto.
A knight with an open helm facing to the dexter, a chapeau instead of a torse, and a motto but no supporters or compartment.
A baronet with an open helm looking forwards, and a motto but no supporters or compartment.
The arms of Sir Winston Churchill with the shield encircled by the Order of the Garter. He has two crests, each placed on a knight’s helm.
The arms of a duke with supporters, compartment and motto. A peer’s helm is placed above a ducal coronet and the two crests are detached and placed alongside the helm.
The arms of the city of Hereford, similar to those of a peer.
Funeral Hatchments
On the death of an armigerous person, it was the custom to paint their coat of arms on a lozenge-shaped piece of canvas or wood and hang it on the outside of the person’s home. The practice has largely died out, but many of these funeral hatchments were subsequently placed in local churches. Much can be inferred about the deceased from their hatchment, so they are of considerable interest to the student of heraldry.
Is it the hatchment of a man or a woman?
The hatchments of a man and his wife will usually display the same coat of arms. They can easily be distinguished, however, because the husband’s hatchment will include his full achievement, with helm, crest and motto. His wife’s hatchment will just have the coat of arms, supported by various artistic flourishes, possibly including cherubs. A woman’s coat of arms may be placed on a shield, a lozenge, an oval, or something between, like the example opposite.
For married couples, look at the background
If it is the husband who has died, the background to the dexter half of an impaled shield will be black. If the background to the sinister side is white, his wife is still alive; if not, she died before him. Similarly the background to the sinister side of a woman’s hatchment will always be black; depending on the colour on the dexter side we can see whether her husband survives, or predeceased her.
The hatchment of a man – note the helm, crest, mantling and motto
The hatchment of a woman – note the absence of helm, crest, mantling and motto
Commemorating Two Wives
If a man has married twice, it is quite normal for the funeral hatchment to include the coats of arms of both of his wives. Various methods were used to introduce both of these coats of arms and five different ways of doing it are shown below. It can be assumed that the first wife died, but this is sometimes explicitly confirmed on the hatchment. As you’ll see, the usual ‘rules’ of heraldry are often bent a little when it comes to hatchments.
Thomas Hill (centre) with his first wife (dexter) and second wife (sinister). Both wives died before him.
(Atcham)
Robert Burton with boxes left and right showing his arms impaled with each of his wives. Note that his second wife survived him.
(Atcham)
Charles Howard 11th Duke of Norfolk. The arms of both wives are placed on escutcheons on his shield, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they were heiresses. His second wife Frances Scudamore survived him. Note the absence of a helm.
(Holme Lacy)
Close-up of the duke of Norfolk’s shield, showing the arms of the two wives. Note the augmentation of honour in quarter 1. The crossed batons behind the shield represent his role as the hereditary Marshal of England.
(Holme Lacy)
In this example the arms of the two wives are placed side by side on the sinister side of the shield. Note that just the background behind the surviving second wife’s arms is white.
In this example the arms of the two wives are placed one above the other on the sinister side. Note that just the background behind the surviving second wife’s arms is white.
A 19th century memorial window similarly showing the arms of the two wives, one above the other. There is no indication, however, of whether the second wife survived her husband.
Exercise
What can you deduce about the people commemorated in these three hatchments?
Looking back, and with a bit of research, you should be able to identify the person in the third one.
Link to the answers ☛☛
Answers to the Exercise
What can you deduce about the people commemorated in these three hatchments?
Looking back, and with a bit of research, you should be able to identify the person in the third one.
A widow
An unmarried baron
Lady Frances Howard (née Scudamore)
dowager duchess of Norfolk and
widow of the 11th duke.