Coat of arms of the United Kingdom

The coat of arms of the United Kingdom, also called the royal arms, belong to the British monarch, who is now Charles III. These special symbols show the power of the monarch and are used by the Government of the United Kingdom and many important places, like courts.

There are two different designs of the coat of arms. One version is used in Scotland and includes parts from the old symbols of Scotland. The other version is used everywhere else and includes parts from the old symbols of England. Both designs show the symbols of England, Scotland, and Ireland, which came together to make the Kingdom of Great Britain and later the United Kingdom.

Wales is not shown directly in the coat of arms. Instead, Wales is represented by special royal badges that include the Welsh dragon and an old coat of arms from a Welsh leader named Llywelyn ab Iorwerth.

Description

The coat of arms of the United Kingdom is a special symbol used by the British monarch and the government. It has a shield in the middle with different parts showing symbols from England, Scotland, and Ireland. Around the shield are important decorations, and there is a crown on top. There is also a special phrase at the bottom that means "God and my right."

In Scotland, the coat of arms looks similar but has more Scottish symbols, like thistles and a special crown. The design shows Scotland's importance in a unique way.

History

Arms of England, Scotland and Ireland

Main articles: Coat of arms of England, Coat of arms of Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland § Coat of arms

The royal arms we see today started from the separate coats of arms of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Wales had joined England in the 16th century. In 1603, James VI of Scotland became king of England and Ireland. To show this joining, the arms of these three lands were combined. In Scotland, Scottish arms were shown first and last, with English arms second, but the English arms were shown first in other places.

Except for a short time in the mid-1600s, and a small change made by William III, the arms stayed the same until 1707 when England and Scotland joined to form Great Britain.

Great Britain

Main article: Coat of arms of Great Britain

The Acts of Union 1707 joined England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain. The new arms showed England and Scotland joined together, with France shown in the second place and Ireland in the third. In 1714, when George I became king, the arms of Hanover were added in the fourth place.

United Kingdom

In 1801, Great Britain and Ireland joined to form the United Kingdom. At the same time, the claim to the French throne was dropped, and France was removed from the arms. The remaining parts were rearranged so that England was first and last, Scotland was second, Ireland was third, and Hanover was shown inside a small shield. In Scotland, the English and Scottish parts were switched. In 1816, Hanover became a kingdom and its symbol changed.

In 1837, Victoria became queen. Because women could not be queen of Hanover, that part was removed, and the arms took their present form. Since then, only small changes have been made, like how the Irish harp is drawn.

Development

Changing styles

Further information: Tudor Crown and St Edward's Crown

The official description of the royal arms has only been changed three times since 1801 — in 1801, 1816, and 1837. But how it is drawn has changed based on the artist and the monarch’s preference.

The official description does not say exactly what kind of crown to use, only that it should be an “imperial crown.” The actual crown shown has changed over time. Queen Victoria liked a crown with rounded arches, and after she became Empress of India, the crown was changed to look more imperial.

Edward VII chose a “Tudor” crown design in 1901, used until Elizabeth II took over in 1952. After that, the design changed again. When Charles III became king, the design went back to a version similar to the one used in 1901.

There have also been changes in how the Irish harp is shown, sometimes as a winged figure and sometimes as a Celtic harp, with the latter becoming more common in the 20th century.

Royal coats of arms of the United Kingdom

Arms	Dates	Details
	1801–1816	Wikimedia Commons has media related to Coats of arms of King George III of the United Kingdom. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. At the same time, George III abandoned his claim to the French throne and the fleur-de-lis was removed. For the Electorate of Hanover, there is an inescutcheon surmounted by the electoral bonnet.
	1816–1837	Wikimedia Commons has media related to Coats of arms of King George III of the United Kingdom, Coats of arms of King George IV of the United Kingdom and Coats of arms of King William IV of the United Kingdom. The electoral bonnet on the inescutcheon was replaced by a crown in 1816, as Hanover had been declared a kingdom two years prior.
	1837–present	Wikimedia Commons has media related to Coats of arms of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, Coats of arms of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Coats of arms of King George V of the United Kingdom, Coats of arms of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, Coats of arms of King George VI of the United Kingdom, Coats of arms of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Coats of arms of Charles III of the United Kingdom. The accession of Queen Victoria ended the personal union between the United Kingdom and Hanover, as Salic law prevented a woman from ascending the Hanoverian throne, and the inescutcheon of the arms of Hanover was removed. The new arms were announced in The London Gazette on 26 July 1837 and first used in The Gazette on 8 August 1837. This was the final change to the blazon of the royal arms and all later adaptions were purely stylistic. On his succession in 1901, Edward VII had considered adding the Arms of Saxony as an inescutcheon as he had done when Prince of Wales, and also a representation for Wales, but he was dissuaded by officials. There were also unsuccessful calls for some representation of the wider British Empire. The Irish harp remained despite the Partition of Ireland in 1921.

Usage

The royal arms are the special symbols of the British monarch. They are not passed down through families but belong to the current ruler and their government. Members of the royal family have their own versions of these symbols.

The UK government uses a simpler form of the royal arms on many things. You can see them on government websites, British passports, and the covers of laws passed by Parliament. They also appear in courtrooms in England and Wales, showing that justice comes from the monarch. In Scotland, a special version is used.

When the monarch is in a building, a special flag called the royal standard is flown. The royal arms are also used on special clothes worn by officials during important ceremonies and on British coins. They can appear in churches and sometimes on the logos of companies that work with the royal household, but there are rules about how they can be used.

Royal family

Members of the British royal family have their own special designs based on the main royal arms. These designs are not inherited but are given by special permission. Only children and grandchildren of the current monarch can use these special designs. The children use a three-point marker, while grandchildren use a five-point marker, except for the eldest son of the Prince of Wales, who also uses a three-point marker. These markers help to show who each person is.

Wives of royal family members also have their own special designs, usually a mix of their husband’s arms and their own or their father’s arms. However, husbands of queens do not get to use the royal arms. For example, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was given his own special arms.

Currently, several members of the royal family use these special designs based on the royal arms.

Children and grandchildren of the monarch in the male line

Armorial achievement	Shield	Bearer	Difference(s)
		William, Prince of Wales	The coat of arms of the Prince of Wales is the royal arms with a plain three-point label, augmented by an inescutcheon of the traditional arms of the Principality of Wales.
		Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex	Three-point label with three red escallops in each point, alluding to the patrilineal arms of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. The label changed from five to three points, with each point bearing an escallop, upon his father's accession to the throne in 2022, as previously stated by the College of Arms.
		Anne, Princess Royal	Three-point label, the points bearing a red cross, a red heart and a red cross.
			Scottish version of the Princess Royal's arms with a three-point label, the points bearing a red cross, a red heart and a red cross.
		Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor	Three-point label, the centre point bearing a blue anchor.
		Princess Beatrice, Mrs Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi	Five-point label with three bees in alternate points, alluding to the patrilineal arms of her mother, Sarah Ferguson.
		Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank	Five-point label with three thistles in alternate points, alluding to the patrilineal arms of her mother, Sarah Ferguson.
		Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh	Three-point label, the centre point bearing a Tudor rose.
			Scottish version of the Duke of Edinburgh's arms with a three-point label, the centre point bearing a Tudor rose
		Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester	Five-point label, the first, third and fifth points bearing a red cross, the second and fourth points bearing a red lion.
		Prince Edward, Duke of Kent	Five-point label, the first, third and fifth points bearing a blue anchor, the second and fourth points bearing a red cross.
		Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy	Five-point label, the first and fifth points bearing a red heart, the second and fourth points bearing a blue anchor, and the third bearing a red cross.
		Prince Michael of Kent	Five-point label, the first, third and fifth points bearing a red cross, the second and fourth points bearing a blue anchor.
Consorts
		Queen Camilla	The arms of the King impaled with those of Camilla's father, Major Bruce Shand, crowned with the royal crown.
		Scottish version of the Queen's coat of arms with the royal crown.
		Catherine, Princess of Wales	The arms of the Prince of Wales impaled with those of Catherine's father, Michael Middleton.
		Meghan, Duchess of Sussex	The arms of the Duke of Sussex impaled with those of her own design, crowned with the coronet of a child of the sovereign.
		Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh	The arms of the Duke of Edinburgh impaled with those granted in 1999 to Sophie's father, Christopher Rhys-Jones, with remainder to his elder brother Theo. The new grant was based on an unregistered 200-year-old design. The lion alludes to one of the Duchess's ancestors, the Welsh knight Elystan Glodrydd, Prince of Ferrig.
		Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester	The arms of the Duke of Gloucester with an escutcheon of pretence granted to her by royal warrant on 18 July 1973.
		Princess Michael of Kent	The arms of Prince Michael of Kent impaled with those of Marie Christine's father, Baron Günther Hubertus von Reibnitz.