Coat of arms of England. Medieval coat of arms of England

Each country has its own symbolism, which is widely used not only for solemn occasions, but also for everyday life. The form of athletes in national shades, souvenirs in tourist shops, flags and coats of arms on administrative buildings - all this surrounds a person from day to day. The history of the appearance of such symbols is more interesting the more quaint the history of the state itself. That's why about the coat of arms and the flag of England you can learn a lot of exciting details.

History of occurrence

For the first time, state symbols appeared under King Richard I, nicknamed "The Lionheart". He was the first ruler with his own coat of arms, his image began to serve and subsequent British kings. On the red shield, three gold leopards were depicted or, as the official name says, three walking lions are on guard. These animals became an English royal emblem, used by rulers of completely different dynasties. This image remained for a long time the only symbol of the country, not gaining additions and not changing.

How did the symbol of England change?

Changes emerged during the Hundred Years War, known as the Leopard War and Lilies. In 1328, the French dynasty of the Capetians ceased, and the English king Edward III claimed the throne. When he was not elected, he cut the field of his shield, leaving the lions in the second and third quarters, and in the first and fourth placed the emblem of France, depicting an azure field with golden lilies. The medieval coat of arms of England was preserved in this form for quite some time. When France ceased to be mentioned in the monarch's title, the number of elements symbolizing it was reduced. In addition, in 1603 James VI of Scotland ascended to the throne, adding to Ireland and Scotland. So the coat of arms was replenished with a red lion on a golden field, whose image has long been a symbol of the county of Fife. The golden harp was also an old symbol - it appeared in Ireland in the 15th century. Under Queen Victoria, whose reign was in the 19th century, the state emblem of England took the form that has remained unchanged in our days. Shchitoderzhateli, whose figures are depicted on the sides, also took a final look. In former times it was the falcon and the yawn, the white swan, the Welsh dragon of the Tudors, the white wild boar of King Richard III, and the silver hound of Richmond County.

A modern look of state symbols

The long history of the coat of arms of England can be continued, but at the moment the symbol remains unchanged, changes are not planned. On it there are signs marking the monarch who rules at the moment. Elizabeth II has the EIIR cipher, which is also used on houses, administrative buildings and such details as mailboxes. Inside is a shield divided into four parts. Like the medieval coat of arms of England, the modern one contains two parts occupied by golden leopards on red. In the upper right corner is the symbol of Scotland, it is a red lion on its hind legs, depicted against the background of red stripes. In the lower left corner is the coat of arms of Ireland, which looks like a yellow harp on a blue background. The shield is supported by a crowned lion and a silver unicorn with a collar in the form of small connected crowns. Under them passes a blue ribbon, which serves as a kind of support for mythological animals. It is written on it Invented by King Richard I the motto: "Dieu et mon droit". Translated from French means "God and my right". This coat of arms of England, photographs and images of which are now used everywhere, reflects both the current state of the state and its richest centuries-old history.

Heraldic conflicts with Ireland

The symbols of Ireland are the trefoil and harp, which is depicted on the modern state emblem of the Republic of Ireland. The presence of a similar image in the English symbolism causes discontent of many Irish people. Nevertheless, this detail reflects the Medieval coat of arms of England, created at a time when the territory of the republic was wholly owned by Great Britain. At the moment, the state includes only Northern Ireland, but it was decided not to change the coat of arms, since the harp can symbolize this part of the country. Irish historians and politicians expressed the opinion that the image refers only to the independent part of the republic. The same territory of the island that still belongs to the UK, belongs to the symbol in the form of a red palm on a white background, used for many years. The British considered that the history of the coat of arms of England already includes the withdrawal of details: as a result of territorial disputes with the French, the symbol of the French kings was removed from the shield. Besides, it would be simply inappropriate to replace the harp with a red palm. Therefore, the coat of arms remained unchanged, and the Irish remained to console themselves that their The image is very different from the British one. In addition, there is a hope for the unification of the Republic with the northern counties. Then Ireland will be united, and Britain will still have to change the coat of arms.

History of the national flag

Not only is the Medieval coat of arms of England interesting, which has undergone many changes in order to acquire a modern look. The national flag is also a very interesting symbol. The national symbol of England is the canvas of white with the cross of St. George. This flag has been used since 1277. The patron saint of Scotland is Saint Andrew. It is symbolized by a scythe, also called Andreevsky, a cross on a blue background. Saint Andrew was a Christian preacher in the Balkans and was crucified in Greece, his remains were brought by a monk to Scotland. It is believed that his crucifixion was oblique, and therefore The cross is represented on the flag in this way. The emblem is used by Scots from the thirteenth century. When the English throne went to Jacob, the son of the Scottish Queen, the flag was combined and represented a combination of straight red and slanting white crosses on a blue background.

Modern Flag

In January 1801, an oblique red cross was added to the panel, which is meant to symbolize St. Patrick and Ireland. In order not to offend the feelings of the Scots, the lines of the Irish cross are somewhat biased. This version of the flag has survived and is currently the most famous version of the British symbol. It is called Union Jack and is used almost everywhere. Only the military fleet uses a white cloth with a red cross, and merchant ships go under a red flag with a British symbol in the corner.