swuklink: The Royal Arms

The history of the Royal Arms can be traced back to the reign of Richard I - it was he, the crusading warrior king surnamed 'The Lionheart', who chose three lions on his shield to identify him readily in the thick of battle.

As with all heraldry, the other elements of the Royal Arms have their origins in medieval armour, the shield, the helm or helmet above the shield, the crest above the helmet (which would also identify the monarch in battle) and the mantling which is based on the small protective cape which would hang from the helmet.

After Henry VIII's rift with the Pope and his becoming the Supreme Head of the Church of England in 1534, the Royal Arms began to appear in churches as well, symbolising the royal authority over the church. See: THE ROYAL ARMS IN PARISH CHURCHES

It was inevitable that the Royal Arms, a device invented to identify the King in battle, would soon become the symbol of royal authority itself.

Recognizing the Royal Arms

The Royal Arms have changed a great deal since the adoption of three lions by Richard I as England's emblem and the changes over time in the symbols and their arrangement reflect the changes which took place in the country and the monarchy. Frequently the arms are accompanied by the initial of the monarch.

Edward III claimed the French throne in 1340 and the Royal Arms have reflected this claim by being quartered Arms of France (three gold fleur-de-lys on a blue background) until 1801 when the anachronistic title of "King of France" was abandoned by English monarchs at the Peace of Amiens.

JAMES I 1603
The accession of King James VI of Scotland to the English throne of England on the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603 brought together the Royal Arms of Scotland, Ireland and England. These remained as the chief elements of the Arms into the present day.

During Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth (the period sometimes referred to as the Interregnum), Parliament replaced the monarch as the supreme authority in England and the State's Arms were displayed as a symbol of that authority until the Restoration of Charles II in 1660.

THE STUARTS
The Arms of the kings of the House of Stuart remained very similar to those of James I adopted in 1603.

WILLIAM & MARY 1688 - 1702
The reign of William and Mary brought about the first major change in the Royal Arms since 1603 when William's arms (a golden lion on a blue background) were placed on a shield of pretence (a small shield in the centre of the main shield).

UNION WITH SCOTLAND 1707
The Union of Scotland was marked on the Royal Arms by placing the Arms of England and those of Scotland side by side in the first and fourth quarters; the fleur-de-lis of France occupied the whole of the second quarter and the harp of Ireland the third.

GEORGE I 1714
George, The Elector of Hanover, succeeded to the throne of England in 1714 and the Royal Arms changed to include his territories. The lions of England and Scotland remained side by side in the first quarter but were replaced in the fourth quarter by a new coats of arms divided into three showing two gold lions in a red field, a blue lion on a gold backgroud, and below them, the symbol of hanover; a galloping white horse in a red field.

ACT OF UNION WITH IRELAND 1801
The Act of Union with Ireland in 1801 caused a reshuffling of the Royal Arms; the arms of England, Scotland and Ireland were placed in the quarters where we see them today (first, second and third) and the French Arms were dropped.

The white horse of Hanover was removed to a small shield of pretence with the Elector's bonnet on top - the bonnet was replaced by a crown when Hanover became a kingdom in 1816.

QUEEN VICTORIA 1837
Queen Victoria acceeded to the throne in 1837 but, as a woman she could not succeed to the throne of Hanover so the shield of pretence was omitted from her arms.

Apart from changes in the initials of the Sovereign, the Royal arms have remained essentially unchanged since 1837.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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