The heraldry of Monaco, a state of just two-square kilometers, is dominated by the royal heraldry of the ruling family, the

House of Grimaldi The House of Grimaldi ( , also , , ) is the current reigning house of the Principality of Monaco. The house was founded in 1160 by Grimaldo Canella in Genoa and became the ruling house of Monaco when Francesco Grimaldi captured Monaco in 1297 ...

. Its dynastic head, Albert II, utilises the same arms borne by his ancestors. The ruler does not regularly award titles; indeed, it has not happened at all in the last two reigns.

Coat of arms of Monaco

The

coat of arms of Monaco The coat of arms of Monaco, referred to also as an armorial achievement or an arms of dominion, is the symbolic representation of the House of Grimaldi, the current sovereigns of the principality of Monaco. The armorial achievement carries import ...

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...

ed ''Fusily argent and gules'', is shown supported by two armed monks. These reflect the original conquest of Monaco by the Grimaldi family. In full, it is defined as:

The shield lozengy argent and gules, surrounded by the collar of the Order of Saint-Charles, is placed on a red coat lined with ermine, surmonted by the princely crown. Supporters: Two Friars Minor hairy, bearded and wearing shoes, each of them holding a raised sword, standing on a scroll charged with the motto: DEO JUVANTE (with God's help).

The motto, ''Deo Juvante'', dates back to Lambert Grimaldi d'Antibes (1420–1494). The coat of arms is used on the princely flag of Monaco (variously "princely standard", "government flag", "state flag and ensign, war flag and ensign". Retrieved on 2 January 2010.) as the central charge on a white background, under Article 7 of the Monegasque Constitution, which reads "The Princely flag shall be made of the arms of the House of Grimaldi on a white background".The original French text:
Translation: . Retrieved on 2 January 2010. The civil flag utilises red and white, the heraldic colours of the House of Grimaldi.

Orders

There are several orders of the Monegasque crown: the

Order of Saint Charles The Order of Saint Charles (french: Ordre de Saint Charles) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in Monaco on 15 March 1858. Award This order rewards service to the State or Prince. In particular cases, it may be granted to foreign ...

(created 15 March 1858); the Order of Cultural Merit (created 31 December 1952); the

Order of Grimaldi The Order of Grimaldi (usually called ''Ordre de Grimaldi'' but officially ''Ordre des Grimaldi'' according to the Ordonnance) is an Order established in Monaco on 18 November 1954. Award It is awarded to people who have contributed to the pr ...

(created 18 May 1954) and the Order of the Crown (created 20 July 1960). With the exception of the Order of Cultural Merit, the

Prince of Monaco The sovereign prince (french: prince de Monaco) is the monarch and head of state of the Principality of Monaco. All reigning princes have taken the name of the House of Grimaldi, although some have belonged to other families (Goyon de Matignon or ...

is head of each order as its Grand-Master.

References

Heraldry by country

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 ...

{{Monaco-stub