Royal Arms of England
The coat of arms of England contains three golden leopards on a red background. Due to the similarity of the heraldic leopard with a lion, the heraldic animals nowadays generally considered three lions ( " Three Lions " ) are referred to. The coat of arms was partly conducted in this form along with the French lilies, until the personal union of England and Scotland in 1603 by the English kings. After that, it was part of a combination with the Scottish and Irish coat of arms, which still forms the coat of arms of the United Kingdom, after numerous changes. Probably comes from the coat of arms of England from the coat of arms of Normandy.
History
After the Norman conquest of England in 1066 and the subsequent personal union between England and Normandy, the arms of the Norman dynasty, two golden lions on a red background, also in England was used. A specific English coat of arms, consisting of a golden lion rampant, first appears under Henry II.
The three lions were originally the personal arms of Henry's son Richard called Lionheart, adopted after his accession to the throne. Why suddenly three lions were used is unclear: According to tradition, the third lion either came from Henry English crest or from the arms of Aquitaine and should the connection of the respective territories of Normandy, represented by the two other lions, to express. Perhaps the number of lions was at the time - the heraldry was still young - not yet determined.
To the claim of Edward III. to symbolize to the French throne, arrived in 1340, the French lilies added. Their number was reduced to three in 1406, to customize the appearance of the modern French coat of arms. The lilies were still used in conjunction with the lions in the later, total British coat of arms, and fell only in 1801 in a redistribution of the coat of arms fields due to the Union with Ireland away.
Current usage
Even today, the coat of arms of England are sometimes used almost unchanged ( in the original version ) and Normandy, though not of sovereign states. So used to Normandy today, a coat of arms and a flag with two lions ( unofficially also be used three ) and some of the Channel Islands using red and gold lion crest (Guernsey and Jersey with three, Sark with two lions ).
Even modified versions are used. So had / have some English colonies, even after their independence, a British lion in the crest. Examples of a non-governmental modified Terms are the Cricket Association England and Wales Cricket Board and the English Football Association, which both use three blue lions on a white ground, the latter with the addition of a further symbol of England, the Tudor Rose.
Similar to the former royal flag of Scotland, which also shows a crest motif, flags are used with three golden lions on a red background also at international matches unofficially instead of the actual flag of England.
Historical development
Gallery ( examples)
Before the English influence:
Normandy ( unofficially )
Channel Islands
Jersey ( coat of arms in the flag )
Sark ( coat of arms in the flag )
Former British colonies
New South Wales ( and Arms)
Prince Edward Iceland (also Coat of Arms)
Saskatchewan ( modified, even coat of arms )
Other
Duchy of Lancaster
United Kingdom
Coat of Arms of the subregions of Great Britain and Northern Ireland England | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales
Coat of Arms of the Overseas Territories Anguilla | Bermuda | British Virgin Islands | British Antarctic Territory | British Indian Ocean Territory | Cayman Islands | Falkland Islands | Gibraltar | Montserrat | Pitcairn Islands | Saint Helena | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | Tristan da Cunha | Turks and Caicos Islands
Kronbesitzungen Guernsey | Jersey | Isle of Man
- Coat of Arms (United Kingdom)
- England