Wikipedia

Crown (heraldry)

A crown is often an emblem of a sovereign state, usually a monarchy (see The Crown), but also used by some republics.

The coat of arms of Norway, with the royal crown displayed atop the escutcheon

A specific type of crown is employed in heraldry under strict rules. Indeed, some monarchies never had a physical crown, just a heraldic representation, as in the constitutional kingdom of Belgium.

Crowns are also often used as symbols of religious status or veneration, by divinities (or their representation such as a statue) or by their representatives, e.g. the Black Crown of the Karmapa Lama, sometimes used a model for wider use by devotees.

A crown can be a charge in a coat of arms, or set atop the shield to signify the status of its owner, as with the coat of arms of Norway.

Physical and heraldic crowns

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Sometimes, the crown commonly depicted and used in heraldry differs significantly from any specific physical crown that may be used by a monarchy.

  Photograph of the physical crown of Norway   Representation of the physical crown of Norway   The heraldic crown for the King of Norway (1905 pattern)

As a display of rank

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If the bearer of a coat of arms has the title of baron or higher (or hereditary knight in some countries), he or she may display a coronet of rank above the shield, usually below the helm in British heraldry, and often above the crest (if any) in Continental heraldry.

In this case, the appearance of the crown or coronet follows a strict set of rules. A royal coat of arms may display a royal crown, such as that of Norway. A princely coat of arms may display a princely crown, and so on.

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A mural crown is commonly displayed on coats of arms of towns and some republics. Other republics may use a so-called people's crown or omit the use of a crown altogether. The heraldic forms of crowns are often inspired by the physical appearance of the respective country's actual royal or princely crowns.

Ships and other units of some navies have a naval crown, composed of the sails and sterns of ships, above the shield of their coats of arms. Squadrons of some air forces have an astral crown, composed of wings and stars. There is also the Eastern crown, made up of spikes, and when each spike is topped with a star, it becomes a celestial crown.[1]

Whereas most county councils in England use mural crowns, there is a special type of crown that was used by Scottish county councils. It was composed of spikes, was normally shown vert (green) and had golden wheat sheaves between the spikes.[2] Today, most of the Scottish unitary authorities still use this "wheat sheaf crown", but it is now the usual gold.

  Astral crown   Camp crown   Celestial crown
  Eastern crown   Mural crown   Naval crown

Commonwealth usage

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The coat of arms of the Barons Hawke displays a baronial coronet

In formal English, the word crown is reserved for the crown of a monarch and the Queen consort, whereas the word coronet is used for all other crowns used by members of the British royal family and peers of the realm.

In the British peerage, the design of a coronet shows the rank of its owner, as in German, French and various other heraldic traditions. The coronet of a duke has eight strawberry leaves, that of a marquess has four strawberry leaves and four silver balls (known as "pearls", but not actually pearls), that of an earl has eight strawberry leaves and eight "pearls" raised on stalks, that of a viscount has sixteen "pearls", and that of a peerage baron or (in Scotland) lord of parliament has six "pearls". Between the 1930s and 2004, feudal barons in the baronage of Scotland were granted a chapeau or cap of maintenance as a rank insignia.[citation needed] This is placed between the shield and helmet in the same manner as a peer's coronet. Since a person entitled to heraldic headgear customarily displays it above the shield and below the helm and crest, this can provide a useful clue as to the owner of a given coat of arms.

Members of the British royal family have coronets on their coats of arms, and they may wear physical versions at coronations. They are according to regulations made by King Charles II in 1661, shortly after his return from exile in France (getting a taste for its lavish court style; Louis XIV started monumental work at Versailles that year) and Restoration, and they vary depending upon the holder's relationship to the monarch. Occasionally, additional royal warrants vary the designs for individuals.

In Canadian heraldry, special coronets are used to designate descent from United Empire Loyalists. A military coronet signifies ancestors who served in Loyalist regiments during the American Revolution, while a civil coronet is used by all others. The loyalist coronets are used only in heraldry, never worn. A new royal crown, derived from the shape of the Tudor crown but with distinctly Canadian elements, was unveiled at a ceremony in Ottawa to mark the Coronation of Charles III.[citation needed]

  Monarch: 2024 Tudor Crown   Monarch: 1901 Tudor Crown   Monarch: Crown of Scotland   Monarch: Canadian Royal Crown   Monarch: St Edward's Crown
  Monarch: Imperial Crown (medieval)   Heir Apparent   Child of a Sovereign (except the Heir Apparent)[a]   Child of Heir Apparent   Grandchild of a Sovereign[b]
  Child of daughter of a Sovereign, if styled Highness[3]   Duke   Marquess  

Earl

  Viscount
  Peerage Baron/Lord of Parliament (Scotland)   Feudal Baron (Scotland)   Loyalist military coronet (Canada)   Loyalis civil coronet (Canada)   King of Arms (College of Arms)

[4]

Continental usages

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Precisely because there are many traditions and more variation within some of these, there is a plethora of continental coronet types. Indeed, there are also some coronets for positions that do not exist, or do not entitle use of a coronet, in the Commonwealth tradition.

Such a case in French heraldry of the Ancien Régime, where coronets of rank did not come into use before the 16th century, is the vidame, whose coronet (illustrated) is a metal circle mounted with three visible crosses. (No physical headgear of this type is known.)

Helmets are often substitutes for coronets, and some coronets are worn only on a helmet.[citation needed]

Finland

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During the Swedish reign, Swedish coronets were used. Crowns were used in the coats of arms of the historical provinces of Finland. For Finland Proper, Satakunta, Tavastia and Karelia, it was a ducal coronet; for others, a comital coronet. In 1917 with independence, the coat of arms of Finland was introduced with a grand ducal crown, but it was soon removed, in 1920. Today, some cities use coronets, e.g. Pori has a mural crown and Vaasa a Crown of Nobility.[citation needed]

As a charge

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In heraldry, a charge is an image occupying the field of a coat of arms. Many coats of arms incorporate crowns as charges. One notable example of this lies in the Three Crowns of the arms of Sweden.

Additionally, many animal charges (frequently lions and eagles) and sometimes human heads also appear crowned. Animal charges gorged (collared) of an open coronet also occur, though more often as supporters than as charges.

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Albania

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  Lord of Albania (The Skanderbeg Helmet)

Andorra

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  Co-Princes

Bulgaria

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  Tsar   Tsaritsa   Prince
  Older Princesses   Younger Princesses

Croatia

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  Crown of Zvonimir

France

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  Capital   Department [c]   Commune[c]

Ancien Régime

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  King   Heir to the throne (Dauphin)   Children and grandchildren of the sovereign
(Fils de France) 		  Prince of the Blood
  Duke and Peer of France   Duke   Marquis and peer of France   Marquis
  Count and Peer of France   Count   Count (older)   Viscount
  Vidame   Baron   Knight's crown   Knight's tortillon

Napoleonic Empire

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Sovereign
Prince
  Prince   Duke   Count
  Baron   Knight   Bonnet d`honneur

July Monarchy

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  King of the
French

Georgia

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  Georgian Royal Crown, also known as the "Iberian Crown"

German-speaking countries

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Holy Roman Empire

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  Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire   Older Imperial Crown   Newer Imperial Crown   Oldest Crown of the King of the Romans
  Older Crown of the King of the Romans   Newer Crown of the King of the Romans   Crown of the King of Bohemia   Generic Crown of a King or Grand Duke
  Archducal hat   Ducal hat of Styria   Oldest Electoral hat   Older Electoral hat
  New Electoral hat & new Ducal hat   Ducal crown   Crown of an heir to a duchy   Princely hat (also used by Mediatized Counts
  Princely crown   Crown of a Landgrave   Older crown of a Count   Newer crown of a Count
  Older crown of a Baron/Freiherr   Newer Crown of a Baron/Freiherr   Older Crown of Nobility   Newer Crown of Nobility

Liechtenstein

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  Prince of Liechtenstein

Austria

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  Mural crown of the coat of arms of Austria   Mural crown of the State of Lower Austria
Austrian Empire
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  Crown of the Emperor of Austria   Crown of the King of Bohemia   Archducal hat   Archducal crown
  Ducal hat of Styria   Ducal hat   Ducal crown   Princely hat
  Princely crown   Crown of a Count   Crown of a Baron/Freiherr   Crown of Nobility

Germany

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  Volkskrone (People's Crown)   Mural crown of the arms of the Berlin boroughs
German Empire
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  Crown of the German Emperor   Crown of the German Empress   Crown of the German Crown Prince
  Crown of the King of Prussia   Crown of the King of Bavaria   Crown of the King of Württemberg

Hanover

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  Crown of the King of Hanover

Greece

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  Crown of the King of the Hellenes   The Crown as it appears on the Royal Coat of Arms of Greece

Hungary

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  Holy Crown of Hungary

Italy

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  Province   City   Municipality

Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946)

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  King (crown of Savoy)   Heir to the throne (Prince of Piedmont)   Royal prince[d]   Prince of the blood
  Duke   Marquess   Count   Viscount
  Baron   Noble   Hereditary Knight   Patrician

Kingdom of Naples, Kingdom of Sicily, Two Sicilies

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  King of Naples   Heir to the throne (Duke of Calabria)   Prince and princess

Grand Duchy of Tuscany

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  Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany   Habsburg-Lorraine Grand Dukes of Tuscany

Other Italian states before 1861

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Iron Crown of Lombardy 		 
Crown of San Marino 		 
Crown of Napoleonic Italy
 
Doge of Venice 		 
Doge of Genoa 		 
Duke of Parma

Low Countries

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Netherlands

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  Holy Roman Emperor   King   Prince
(Members of the Royal House,
children of the Monarch) 		  Prince
(Members of the Royal House,
grandchildren of the Monarch)
  Prince
(nobility, for titles granted after 1815) 		  Duke   Marquess   Count
  Viscount   Baron   Hereditary Knight   Jonkheer

Belgium

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The older crowns are often still seen in the heraldry of older families.

  King   Prince of the Royal house   Prince
(nobility, for titles granted after 1815) 		  Prince
(nobility, for titles granted during the Ancien Régime)
  Duke   Marquess   Count   Count (older)
  Count (oldest)   Viscount   Baron   Baron (older)
  Hereditary Knight
(Chevalier/Erfridder)

Luxembourg

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  Grand Duke

Monaco

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  Prince

Montenegro

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  Monarchy 1860-1918   Republic 2006-Present

Poland and Lithuania

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  Heraldic Crown of the King   Crown of Bolesław I the Brave of Poland   Grand Duke   Prince
  Count   Baron   Nobleman

Portugal

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  Capital city (Lisbon)   City   Town
  Civil Parish   Overseas province
(1930-1999)

Kingdom of Portugal (until 1910)

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  King   Heir to the throne (Prince Royal)   Prince of Beira   Infante   Duke
  Marquess   Count   Viscount   Baron   Knight / Fidalgo

Romania

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  Capital   City
  Town   village

Kingdom of Romania

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  King (The Steel Crown of Romania)

Russia

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  Emperor   Empress   Crown of Congress Poland   Crown of the Grand Duchy of Finland
  Altabas cap   Monomakh's Cap   Kazan cap   Prince
  Count   Baron   Baron (alternative style)   Crown of Nobility

Nordic countries

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Denmark

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  King   Crown Prince   Prince (royal family)   Duke
  Marquess   Count   Baron   Crown of Nobility

Iceland

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  King

Finland

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Physical crown design of the King 		 
Generic Grand ducal crown used in late 19th to early 20th c. 		 
Grand ducal crown used in the state coat of arms in 1917–1920.
 
Ducal coronet 		 
Comital coronet 		 
Mural crown

Norway

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Heraldic crown of the King 		 
Physical crown of the King 		 
Physical crown of the Queen 		  Crown Prince   Prince or Princess
  Duke   Marquess   Count   Baron   Crown of Nobility

Sweden

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  King/Queen   Crown Prince/Crown Princess   Prince/Princess (aka Duke/Duchess)
  Count/Countess   Baron/Baroness   Untitled Nobility

Serbia

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  Emperor (medieval)   King (after 1903)
 
Coat of arms design (1882-1918; 2004-2010)
 
Coat of arms design (after 2010)

Spain

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  king (National arms design)   king (Monarch's arms design)   king (Aragon, Catalonia, Balearics, Valencia)   Heir to the throne (Prince of Asturias)
  Heir to the throne (Prince of Girona) (Aragon, Catalonia, Balearics, Valencia)   Infante   Infante (Aragon, Catalonia, Balearics, Valencia)   Grandee of Spain
  Duke   Marquess   Count   Viscount
  Baron   Señor/Don (Lord)   Hidalgo (Nobleman)   Knight's burelete

Ukraine

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Kingdom of Ruthenia

  Crown of Ruthenia

Non-European usages

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Bahrain

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  King

Bhutan

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  'Raven Crown' of the Kingdom of Bhutan

Brazil

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  | Capital of State of the Federation[c]   city [c]   Town[c]   Village[c]
Empire of Brazil
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  Emperor   Heir to the throne (Prince Imperial)   Prince of Grão-Pará
  Prince   Duke   Marquess
  Count   Viscount   Baron

Brunei

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  Crown of Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

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  Crown of the Kingdom of Cambodia

Central African Empire

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  Emperor

Chile

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  Municipal Mural Crown   Royal Crown of Easter Island

China

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  Emperor

Egypt

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  Wali (1854 - 1867) and Khedive (1867–1914)   Sultan (1914–22)   King (1922–53)
  pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt   Hemhem   Atef
  King of Lower Egypt   King of Upper Egypt   Queen
  Shuti   Blue Crown   Cap Crown

Ethiopia

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  Emperor

Fiji

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  Crown of Fiji

Haiti

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  Emperor (2nd Empire)

Hawaii

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  Crown of Hawaii

Iran

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  Crown of the Shah of Persia   Crown of the Shah of Iran

Iraq

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  Crown of Iraq

Jordan

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  Crown of Jordan

Libya

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  Crown of Libya

Kyrgyzstan

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  Crown of Kara-Kygyz Khanate

Malaysia

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  sultan of Johor   sultan of Kelantan   sultan of Terengganu

Mexico

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  Emperor (1st Empire)   Emperor (2nd Empire)   Prince (1st Empire and 2nd Empire)

Morocco

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  Heraldic Crown of Morocco

Nepal

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  Crown of Nepal

Oman

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  Crown of Oman

Rwanda

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  Crown of the Kingdom of Rwanda

Saudi Arabia

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  Crown of Saudi Arabia

Siam and Thailand

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  Great Crown of Victory of the King of Siam and Thailand   Phra Kiao (princely coronet, also the emblem of king Chulalongkorn)   coronet of the Crown prince of Siam/Thailand

Tahiti

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  Crown of Tahiti

Tonga

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  Crown of Tonga

Other examples

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  Twig crown of the Republic of the Congo[5]   College of Arms Foundation of the United States

Ecclesiastical Hats

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Anglican Communion

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  Archbishop or Bishop   Archdeacon   Dean   Members of His Majesty's Ecclesiastical Household
  Canons, Honorary Canons, Canons Emeritus and Prebendaries   Priest   Deacon

Catholic Church

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  Pope   Patriarch   Cardinal   Metropolitan Archbishop
  Archbishop   Eastern Catholic prelate, combining elements of both Eastern and Western ecclesiastical heraldry   Apostolic protonotary (Monsignor)   Honorary Prelate (Monsignor)
  Chaplain of His Holiness (Monsignor)   Bishop   Abbot   Canon
  Dean   Priest

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heraldic crowns.

Notes

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  1. ^ Currently, besides the younger son of the present King Charles III, the living children of a former sovereign are granted the privilege to use the crown of a Sovereign's Child; thus the King's brothers and sister also use this crown.
  2. ^ Currently, besides the grandchildren of the present King Charles III, the living grandchildren of a former sovereign are granted the privilege to use the crown of a Sovereign's Grandchild.
  3. ^ a b c d e f This standard has many exceptions.
  4. ^ The dukes of Genoa were granted the privilege to use the crown of a royal prince though they were only princes of the blood

References

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  1. ^ Mackinnon of Dunakin, Charles (1968). The Observer's Book of Heraldry. Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd. p. 73.
  2. ^ Moncreiffe, Iain; Pottinger, Don (1953). Simple Heraldry Cheerfully Illustrated. Thomas Nelson and Sons. p. 58.
  3. ^ Cox, Noel The Coronets of Members of the Royal Family and of the Peerage. Archived 2018-01-04 at the Wayback Machine Originally published in (1999) 22 The Double Tressure, the Journal of The Heraldry Society of Scotland 8-13. Acceded 8 April 2017
  4. ^ Boutell, Charles (1914). Fox-Davies, A.C. (ed.). Handbook to English Heraldry, The (11th ed.). London: Reeves & Turner. pp. 104–156.
  5. ^ Ströhl, Hugo Gerard (1899). Heraldischer Atlas. Stuttgart.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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