![Coat of arms of Norway](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Coat_of_arms_of_Norway.svg)
A crown is often an
emblem
An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint.
Emblems vs. symbols
Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often use ...
of a
sovereign state
A sovereign state or sovereign country, is a polity, political entity represented by one central government that has supreme legitimate authority over territory. International law defines sovereign states as having a permanent population, defin ...
, usually a monarchy (see
The Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...
), but also used by some
republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
s.
A specific type of crown is employed in
heraldry
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...
under strict rules. Indeed, some monarchies never had a physical
crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
, just a heraldic representation, as in the constitutional kingdom of
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
.
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
The Black Crown () is an important symbol of the Karmapa, the Lama who heads the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. The crown signifies his power to benefit all sentient beings. Similar crowns in red are worn by the Shamarpa and the Tai Sit ...
of the
Karmapa Lama, sometimes used a model for wider use by devotees.
A crown can be a
charge
Charge or charged may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* '' Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary
Music
* ''Charge'' (David Ford album)
* ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album)
* ''Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
''in'' a
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
, or set ''atop'' the shield to signify the status of its owner, as with the
coat of arms of Norway
The coat of arms of Norway is the arms of dominion of king Harald V of Norway, and as such represents both the monarch and the kingdom (nation and the state). It depicts a standing golden lion on a red background, bearing a golden crown and ax ...
.
Physical and heraldic crowns
Sometimes, the crown commonly depicted and used in heraldry differs significantly from any specific physical crown that may be used by a monarchy.
File:Den norske kongekronen.jpg, Photograph of the physical crown of Norway
The Crown of Norway is the crown of the King of Norway and was made in Stockholm in 1818 by goldsmith Olof Wihlborg. The crown is a ''corona clausa'' (closed model) consisting of a ring carrying eight hoops made of gold and surmounted by a mon ...
File:Crown of the King of Norway (fictional).svg, Representation of the physical crown of Norway
File:Corona Norvegica.svg, The heraldic crown for the King of Norway
The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty kingdoms ...
(1905 pattern)
As a display of rank
If the bearer of a coat of arms has the title of
baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...
or higher (or
hereditary knight in some countries), he or she may display a
coronet
A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. A coronet differs from other kinds of crowns in that a coronet never has arches, and from a tiara in that a coronet completely encircles the head, while a tiara does ...
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
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. A princely coat of arms may display a princely crown, and so on.
Naval, civic, mural and similar crowns
A
mural crown
A mural crown ( la, corona muralis) is a crown or headpiece representing city walls, towers, or fortresses. In classical antiquity, it was an emblem of tutelary deities who watched over a city, and among the Romans a military decoration. Later th ...
is commonly displayed on coats of arms of towns and some republics. Other republics may use a so-called
people's crown
A ( en, People's crown) is a heraldic crown seen in Germany after the First World War. When the German monarchy had been overthrown following the defeat in the war, this crown was created to replace the old coronets of rank in the arms of the Ger ...
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
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...
have a
naval crown, composed of the sails and sterns of ships, above the shield of their coats of arms. Squadrons of some
air force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
s have an
astral crown
The Astral Crown is a gold crown surmounted with eight low points. The centrals and laterals points are topped with a star, with an unspecified number of points, between two wings.
In heraldry, an astral crown is mounted atop the shields of coat ...
, composed of wings and stars. There is also the
Eastern crown
The Eastern Crown is a gold heraldic crown surmounted with a variable number of sharp spikes. It is so called because of its origin in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Eastern Crown is one of the oldest crowns, and so for this reason it has also ...
, made up of spikes, and when each spike is topped with a star, it becomes a celestial crown.
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. Today, most of the
Scottish unitary authorities still use this "wheat sheaf crown", but it is now the usual gold.
File:Corona_Navalis.svg , A depiction of a naval crown
File:Astral Crown.svg, A depiction of an astral crown
The Astral Crown is a gold crown surmounted with eight low points. The centrals and laterals points are topped with a star, with an unspecified number of points, between two wings.
In heraldry, an astral crown is mounted atop the shields of coat ...
File:Spanish_Mural_Crown_(Common).svg, A depiction of a mural crown
A mural crown ( la, corona muralis) is a crown or headpiece representing city walls, towers, or fortresses. In classical antiquity, it was an emblem of tutelary deities who watched over a city, and among the Romans a military decoration. Later th ...
File:Celestial Crown.svg, A depiction of a celestial crown
The celestial crown is a modified version of the Eastern crown. The celestial crown is a representative badge or headdress consisting of a gold fence usually adorned with pointed points or rays topped with stars of the same metal. It usually has ...
File:Heraldic eastern crown.svg, A depiction of an eastern crown
The Eastern Crown is a gold heraldic crown surmounted with a variable number of sharp spikes. It is so called because of its origin in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Eastern Crown is one of the oldest crowns, and so for this reason it has also ...
File:Heraldic vallary crown.svg, A depiction of a camp crown
In Ancient Rome, a camp crown ( la, corona castrensis, "crown of the castrum"), also known as a vallary crown, was a military award given to the first man who penetrated into an enemy camp or field during combat. It took the form of a gold crown s ...
Commonwealth usage
In formal English, the word crown is reserved for the crown of a monarch and the
Queen consort, whereas the word
coronet
A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. A coronet differs from other kinds of crowns in that a coronet never has arches, and from a tiara in that a coronet completely encircles the head, while a tiara does ...
is used for all other crowns used by members of the
British royal family and
peers of the realm
A peer of the realm is a member of the highest aristocratic social order outside the ruling dynasty of the kingdom.
Notable examples are:
* a member of the peerages in the United Kingdom, who is a hereditary peer or a life peer
* a member of the ...
.
In the
British peerage
The peerages in the United Kingdom are a legal system comprising both hereditary and lifetime titles, composed of various noble ranks, and forming a constituent part of the British honours system. The term '' peerage'' can be used both col ...
, 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
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
has eight
strawberry
The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...
leaves, that of a
marquess
A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...
has four strawberry leaves and four silver balls (known as "pearls", but not actually
pearl
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...
s), that of an
earl
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
has eight strawberry leaves and eight "pearls" raised on stalks, that of a
viscount
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status.
In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...
has sixteen "pearls", and that of a peerage
baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...
or (in Scotland)
lord of parliament
A Lord of Parliament ( sco, Laird o Pairlament) was the holder of the lowest form of peerage, entitled as of right to take part in sessions of the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland. Since that Union in 1707, it has been the lowest rank of the P ...
has six "pearls". Between the 1930s and 2004,
feudal barons in the baronage of Scotland were granted a chapeau or
cap of maintenance
Typical of British heraldry, a cap of maintenance, known in heraldic language as a ''chapeau gules turned up ermine'', is a ceremonial cap of crimson velvet lined with ermine, which is worn or carried by certain persons as a sign of nobility or ...
as a rank insignia. 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
A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...
. 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
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
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
Canadian heraldry is the cultural tradition and style of coats of arms and other heraldic achievements in both modern and historic Canada. It includes national, provincial, and civic arms, noble and personal arms, ecclesiastical heraldry, herald ...
, special coronets are used to designate descent from
United Empire Loyalist
United Empire Loyalists (or simply Loyalists) is an honorific title which was first given by the 1st Lord Dorchester, the Governor of Quebec, and Governor General of The Canadas, to American Loyalists who resettled in British North America duri ...
s. A military coronet signifies ancestors who served in Loyalist regiments during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
, while a civil coronet is used by all others. The loyalist coronets are used only in heraldry, never worn.
File:Tudor Crown (Heraldry).svg, Monarch: Tudor Crown
The Tudor Crown, also known as Henry VIII's Crown, was the imperial and state crown of English monarchs from around the time of Henry VIII until it was destroyed during the Civil War in 1649. It was described by the art historian Sir Roy St ...
File:Royal Crown of Scotland (Heraldry).svg, Monarch: Crown of Scotland
The Crown of Scotland ( gd, Crùn na h-Alba) is the crown that was used at the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland. It is the oldest surviving crown in the British Isles and dates from at least 1503, although it has been claimed that the cir ...
File:Crown of Saint Edward (Heraldry).svg, Monarch: St Edward's Crown
St Edward's Crown is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of it have traditionally been used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th cen ...
File:Imperial Crown (Heraldry).svg, Monarch: St Edward's Crown
St Edward's Crown is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of it have traditionally been used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th cen ...
(medieval)
File:Coronet of the British Heir Apparent.svg, Heir Apparent
File:Coronet of a Child of the Sovereign.svg, Child of a Sovereign
File:Coronet of a Child of the Heir Apparent.svg, Child of Heir Apparent
File:Coronet of a Grandchild of the Sovereign.svg, Grandchild of a Sovereign
File:Coronet of a Child of a Daughter of the Sovereign.svg, Child of daughter of a Sovereign, if styled Highness
Highness (abbreviation HH, oral address Your Highness) is a formal style used to address (in second person) or refer to (in third person) certain members of a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty. It is typically used with a possessive adjecti ...
File:Coronet of a British Duke.svg, Duke
File:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg, Marquess
File:Coronet of a British Earl.svg, Earl
File:Coronet of a British Viscount.svg, Viscount
File:Coronet of a British Baron.svg, Peerage Baron/Lord of Parliament (Scotland)
File:Cap of Maintenance.svg, Feudal Baron (Scotland)
File:Military Coronet of a Loyalist.svg, Loyalist military coronet (Canada)
File:Civil Coronet of a Loyalist.svg, Loyalist civil coronet (Canada)
File:Crown of a British King of Arms.svg, King of Arms (College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...
)
Continental usages
Precisely because there are many traditions and more variation within some of these, there are 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
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for "ancient, old"
** Société des anciens textes français
* the French for "former, senior"
** Virelai ancien
** Ancien Régime
** Ancien Régime in France
{{disambig ...
, where coronets of rank did not come into use before the 16th century, is the
vidame
Vidame () was a feudal title in France, a term descended from mediaeval Latin . Like the ''avoué'' or ''advocatus'', the ''vidame'' was originally a secular official chosen by the bishop of the diocese—with the consent of the count—to pe ...
, whos
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.
Andorra
Bulgaria
France
Ancien Régime
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for "ancient, old"
** Société des anciens textes français
* the French for "former, senior"
** Virelai ancien
** Ancien Régime
** Ancien Régime in France
{{disambig ...
Napoleonic Empire
July Monarchy
Georgia
German-speaking countries
Holy Roman Empire
Liechtenstein
Austria
Austrian Empire
Germany
German Empire
Greece
Hungary
Croatia
Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946)
Kingdoms of Naples, Sicily, Two Sicilies
Grand Duchy of Tuscany
Other Italian states before 1861
Low Countries
Netherlands
Belgium
The older crowns are often still seen in the heraldry of older families.
Luxembourg
Monaco
Poland and Lithuania
Portuguese-speaking countries
Portugal
Kingdom of Portugal (until 1910)
Brazil
Empire of Brazil
Romania
Kingdom of Romania
Russia
Nordic countries
Denmark
Finland
During the Swedish reign, Swedish coronets were used. Crowns were used in the coats of arms of the
historical provinces of Finland
The historical provinces ( fi, historialliset maakunnat, singular ''historiallinen maakunta'', sv, historiska landskap) of Finland are a legacy of the country's joint history with Sweden. The provinces ceased to be administrative entities in 1634 ...
. 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
The coat of arms of Finland is a crowned lion on a red field, the right foreleg replaced with an armoured human arm brandishing a sword, trampling on a sabre with the hindpaws. The coat of arms was originally created around the year 1580.
Back ...
was introduced with a grand ducal crown, but it was soon removed, in 1920. Today, some cities use coronets, e.g.
Pori
)
, website www.pori.fi
Pori (; sv, Björneborg ) is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäki River, west of Tampere, north of Turku and north-w ...
has a mural crown and
Vaasa
Vaasa (; sv, Vasa, , Sweden ), in the years 1855–1917 as Nikolainkaupunki ( sv, Nikolajstad; literally meaning "city of Nicholas), a Crown of Nobility.
Norway
Sweden
Serbia
Spanish-speaking countries
Spain
Mexico
Chile
Non-European usages
Bahrain
Bhutan
Cambodia
Central African Empire
China
Egypt before 1953
Jordan
Morocco
Oman
Siam and Thailand
Tonga
Other examples
Ecclesiastical Hats
Anglican Communion
File:External Ornaments of an Anglican Bishop.svg, Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
File:External Ornaments of an Archdeacon (Church of England).svg, Archdeacon
File:External Ornaments of a Dean (Church of England).svg, Dean
File:External Ornaments of a Canon of the Queen (Church of England).svg, Members of His Majesty's Ecclesiastical Household
File:External Ornaments of a Canon (Church of England).svg, Canons, Honorary Canons, Canons Emeritus and Prebendaries
File:External Ornaments of a Priest (Church of England).svg, Preist
File:External Ornaments of a Deacon (Church of England).svg, Deacon
Catholic Church
File:Heraldic Papal Tiara.svg, Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
File:External Ornaments of Primates and Patriarchs.svg, Patriarch
The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...
File:External Ornaments of a Cardinal Bishop.svg, Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
File:Template-Metropolitan Archbishop.svg, Metropolitan Archbishop
Metropolitan may refer to:
* Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories
* Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England
* Metropolitan county, a typ ...
File:External Ornaments of an Archbishop.svg, Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
File:Biskup Ljavinec Ivan CoA.jpg, Eastern Catholic
The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous ('' sui iuris'') particular churches of t ...
prelate, combining elements of both Eastern and Western ecclesiastical heraldry
File:External Ornaments of an Apostolic protonotary.svg, Apostolic protonotary (Monsignor
Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...
)
File:External Ornaments of a Domestic Prelate.svg, Honorary Prelate (Monsignor
Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...
)
File:External Ornaments of a Chaplain of His Holiness.svg, Chaplain of His Holiness (Monsignor
Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...
)
File:External Ornaments of a Bishop.svg, Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
File:External Ornaments of an Abbot.svg, Abbot
Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...
File:External Ornaments of a Priest.svg, Priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
Eastern Orthodox Church
File:Protodeacon.svg, Protodeacon
Protodeacon derives from the Greek ''proto-'' meaning 'first' and ''diakonos'', which is a standard ancient Greek word meaning "assistant", "servant", or "waiting-man". The word in English may refer to any of various clergy, depending upon the usag ...
File:Deacon.svg, Deacon
File:Hierodeacon.svg, Hierodeacon A hierodeacon (Greek: Ἱεροδιάκονος, ''Ierodiákonos''; Slavonic: ''Ierodiakón''), sometimes translated "deacon-monk", in Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a monk who has been ordained a deacon (or deacon who has been tonsured monk). Th ...
File:Hieromonk.svg, Hieromonk
A hieromonk ( el, Ἱερομόναχος, Ieromonachos; ka, მღვდელმონაზონი, tr; Slavonic: ''Ieromonakh'', ro, Ieromonah), also called a priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Eastern Orthodox Church and E ...
File:Hieromonk with advanced titles of honor.svg, Hieromonk with other titles and honours
Multinational
As a charge
In
heraldry
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...
, a
charge
Charge or charged may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* '' Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary
Music
* ''Charge'' (David Ford album)
* ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album)
* ''Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
is an image occupying the
field
Field may refer to:
Expanses of open ground
* Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes
* Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport
* Battlefield
* Lawn, an area of mowed grass
* Meadow, a grass ...
of a
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
. Many coats of arms incorporate crowns as charges. One notable example of this lies in the
Three Crowns
Three Crowns ( sv, tre kronor, links=no) is the national emblem of Sweden, present in the coat of arms of Sweden, and composed of three yellow or gilded coronets ordered two above and one below, placed on a blue background. Similar designs are f ...
of the arms of Sweden.
Additionally, many animal charges (frequently
lions
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult ...
and
eagles
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
) and sometimes human heads also appear crowned. Animal charges ''gorged'' (collared) of an open coronet also occur, though far less frequently.
File:Vestfold våpen.svg, A golden crown appears prominently in the arms of Vestfold
Vestfold is a traditional region, a former county and a current electoral district in Eastern Norway. In 2020 the county became part of the much larger county of Vestfold og Telemark. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it bordered th ...
, a county in Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
.
File:Wappen Kreis Biedenkopf.svg, A crowned lion head in the arms of Kreis Biedenkopf, a county in Hesse
Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...
, Germany (1832-1974)
File:Armoiries medievales d Eric de Poméranie 1382-1459.svg, The Three Crowns
Three Crowns ( sv, tre kronor, links=no) is the national emblem of Sweden, present in the coat of arms of Sweden, and composed of three yellow or gilded coronets ordered two above and one below, placed on a blue background. Similar designs are f ...
, as well as lions and leopards crowned, in the arms of Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania (1381 or 1382 – 24 September 1459) was the ruler of the Kalmar Union from 1396 until 1439, succeeding his grandaunt, Queen Margaret I. He is known as Eric III as King of Norway (1389–1442), Eric VII as King of Denmark (1396 ...
File:Herb wielki Czech (1990-1992).svg, Both lions and eagles crowned appear in the coat of arms of the Czech Republic
The coat of arms of the Czech Republic () is divided into two principal variants. Greater coat of arms displays the three Historical regions of Central Europe, historical regions—the Czech lands—which make up the nation. Lesser coat of arms d ...
.
File:Badge of the Unicorn Pursuivant.svg, Badge of the Unicorn Pursuivant
Unicorn Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a current Scottish pursuivant of arms in Ordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
The title was created after 1381, and derived from the unicorn. One of these beasts is used as a supporter for the r ...
, a unicorn gorged of a coronet
See also
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Crown jewels
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Imperial crown
An Imperial Crown is a crown used for the coronation of emperors.
Design
Crowns in Europe during the Middle Ages varied in design:
During the Middle Ages the crowns worn by English kings had been described as both closed (or arched) and op ...
*
List of monarchies
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Coronet
A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. A coronet differs from other kinds of crowns in that a coronet never has arches, and from a tiara in that a coronet completely encircles the head, while a tiara does ...
Notes
References
{{Heraldry
Heraldic charges