A crown is often an emblem of a sovereign state, usually a monarchy (see The Crown), 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, 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 The Karmapa (honorific title ''His Holiness the Gyalwa'' ��ྒྱལ་བ་, Victorious One''Karmapa'', more formally as ''Gyalwang'' ��ྒྱལ་དབང་ཀརྨ་པ་, King of Victorious Ones''Karmapa'', and informally as the '' ...

, 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

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 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 (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 A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

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.

Naval, civic, mural and similar crowns

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 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 include ...

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. 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 File:Spanish_Mural_Crown_(Common).svg, A depiction of a mural crown File:Celestial Crown.svg, A depiction of a celestial crown File:Heraldic eastern crown.svg, A depiction of an eastern crown File:Heraldic vallary crown.svg, A depiction of a camp crown

Commonwealth usage

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 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 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

or (in Scotland) lord of parliament has six "pearls". Between the 1930s and 2004,

feudal barons A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely been ...

in the baronage of Scotland were granted a chapeau or cap of maintenance 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. 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. File:Tudor Crown (Heraldry).svg, Monarch: Tudor Crown File:Royal Crown of Scotland (Heraldry).svg, Monarch: Crown of Scotland File:Crown of Saint Edward (Heraldry).svg, Monarch: St Edward's Crown File:Imperial Crown (Heraldry).svg, Monarch: St Edward's Crown (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)

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, 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. 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 ) , 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 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 File:External Ornaments of Primates and Patriarchs.svg, Patriarch 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 File:External Ornaments of an Archbishop.svg,

File:Biskup Ljavinec Ivan CoA.jpg, Eastern Catholic prelate, combining elements of both Eastern and Western ecclesiastical heraldry File:External Ornaments of an Apostolic protonotary.svg, Apostolic protonotary ( Monsignor) File:External Ornaments of a Domestic Prelate.svg, Honorary Prelate ( Monsignor) File:External Ornaments of a Chaplain of His Holiness.svg, Chaplain of His Holiness ( Monsignor) File:External Ornaments of a Bishop.svg, Bishop File:External Ornaments of an Abbot.svg, Abbot File:External Ornaments of a Priest.svg, Priest

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 File:Hieromonk.svg, Hieromonk File:Hieromonk with advanced titles of honor.svg, Hieromonk with other titles and honours

Multinational

As a charge

, 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 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, a county in Norway. File:Wappen Kreis Biedenkopf.svg, A crowned lion head in the arms of Kreis Biedenkopf, a county in Hesse, Germany (1832-1974) File:Armoiries medievales d Eric de Poméranie 1382-1459.svg, The Three Crowns, as well as lions and leopards crowned, in the arms of Eric of Pomerania 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, a unicorn gorged of a coronet

Notes

References

{{Heraldry Heraldic charges