DISCLAIMER

This site is a mirror of the original site, made in 2022 by Heraldry of the World. The original site is unaltered. This mirror functions as an archive to keep the material available on-line.
All rights remain with the late Hubert de Vries, the original site owner.

England

15th and 16th centuries

 

 

HISTORY

HERALDRY

The Arms of England

The Royal Arms

The Plantagenets

!5- and 16Th century

The Achievement

THE UNITED KINGDOM

 

Back to United Kingdom

 

House of Lancaster

 

Henry IV

1399-1413

 

The ampulla, representing an eagle, after having been lost for a time, was again used at the coronation of Henry IV (1399.10.13)

Seal of Majesty and Equestrian seal of Henry IV.

Sandford p. 238

 

The king with crown, sceptre and crossed orb, at his feet two lions sejant guardant

Arms: ¼ France & England.

Supported by a tree with a bird in top, at the base a greyhound.

In base a seraph

L.: Two crowns HENRICUS DEI GRACIA REX FRANCIE AT ANGLIE ET DNS HIBERNIE

Equestrian seal of Henry IV.

 

Arms: ¼ of France (ancient) and Plantagenet for England

Crest: Ducal hat with crowned lion statant guardant

L.: Pointing hand and two crowns HENRICUS DEI GRACIA REX FRANCIE ET ANGLIE ET DNS HIBERNIE

 

Mannequin of the arms of England

Armorial de l'Europe et de la Toison d'or.[1]

 

The Royal Arms remained with the quarters of France strewn with fleurs de lys until 1411, when upon the second Great Seal of Henry IV. the fleurs-de-lis in England (as in France) were reduced to three in number, and so remained as part of the Royal Arms of this country until the latter part of the reign of George III.

 

1408 Title on his 2nd seal from 1408: dei gr. rex anglie et francie et dominus hibernie.

 

Henry V

1413-1422

 

Seal of majesty of Henry V

Sandford p. 239

 

The king, crowned and with lily sceptre and orb with cross. Between his brothers Thomas (*1388) and John (*1389) On the balcony: the Virgin Mary with child between  his father (Henry IV) and his mother Mary Bohun (†1394).

 

In the field:

  1. The arms of Edward the Confessor and St Edmund supported by angels.
  2. St Michael (Gules, a cross Argent) and St. George (Argent, a cross Gules) with their shields and spearing dragons. In the towers the emblems of the evangelists: Eagle, angel, winged bull and winged lion.
  3. The banners of Henry V and of the Plantagenets
  4. On the foot-stool the arms of Scotland, Wales and Chester. Two lions guardant.
  5. L.: HENDRICUS dei grA. rex anglie et francie et dominus hibernie.

Equestrian seal of Henry V

Sandford p. 239

 

Arms: ¼ of France modern and England

Crest: Ducal hat with crowned lion statant guardant

 

Henry VI

*1421-†1461

1422-1461

∞ 1445  Margareth of Anjou †1482

 

Seal and counterseal of  Henry VI

Sandford p. 240

 

The king, crowned and with lily-sceptre and main de justice, two lions at his feet

Arms: France Modern and ¼ of France modern and Plantagenet.

L.: HENRICVS DEI GRACIA FRANCORVM ET ANGLIE REX

On the counterseal:  Alliance: France Modern and ¼ of France modern and Plantagenet supported by an angel with sceptre and main-de-justice.

 

 

Royal arms of England, 1440 ca

 

Arms: ¼ of France modern and Plantagenet.

Crest: On a helmet lambrquined ermine, a ducal hat crested with a lion passant guardant Or.

 (Bergshammer fol. 2v n° 6 met rode helmkleden id. fol 134r° n° 1903

 

House of York

 

Edward IV

*1442-†1483

1461-1470

Kight of the Fleece. n° 65, Brugge 1468

 

Edward IV on horseback

With a fictitious coat of arms

 

Arms: ¼: 1&4: France (modern) and England; 2&3: Castile & Leon; and over all Brutus (Azure, three crowns Or per bend)

Crown: A crown of five hoops crested with a cross.

 

This crown is contemporary with the crown of Emperor Frederick III as painted on a representation of his coronation in 1452.

 

From: Chronicle of the History of the World from Creation to Woden, with a Genealogy of Edward IV (The Edward IV Roll) .

England, after June 1461 (Edward IV's coronation) and before May 1464 (his marriage), probably c. 1461

 

Edward IV on horseback; Christ in Majesty; the Fall of Man (partial). This eighteen-foot-long roll consists of eleven vellum membranes glued together. Probably created to commemorate Edward IV's coronation in June 1461, it was a powerful statement of his urgently needed legitimacy and authority and claim to the throne representing 54 coats of arms  of his ancestors

The Free Library of Philadelphia, Rare Book Department, Lewis E 201

 

https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/feature/medieval-edward-manuscript/

Also: http://wappenwiki.org/index.php/Edward_IV_Roll

Great seal of Edward  IV

Sandford p. 353

 

Coats of arms, roses and suns. There are a large number of  roses and suns on the Edward IV Roll

Equestrian seal of Edward IV

Sandford p. 353

 

The king on horseback. the field strrewn with roses and suns

Arms: ¼ of France and England.

Crest.: A lion statant.

L.: X edWardus { dei { grACIA { rex { anglie { et { francie { et { dominus { hibernie

 

Stall plate of Edward IV

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

 

Arms:  ¼ France and England. H.: Een gekroonde hertogshoed waarop een zittende gekroonde leeuw. O.: G.V. L.: Treshault &t Trespuissant Prince Edouard Par la Grace de dieu Roy dengletre et Seignr De yrlande.

 

House of Lancaster

 

Henry VI

*1442-
†1483

2nd time 1470-1471

 

Golden salut, from Rouen.

The arms of FRance an England in Alliance

 

House of York

 

Edward IV

2nd time 1471-1483

 

Rose noble of Edward IV

Ship with armed man, the hull ensigned with a rose

Arms of England

 

Edward V

*1470-†1483

Prince of Wales 1470-1483

K.G. 214, 1475

King 1483

 

Is said to have used the seal of his father

 

Arms of Edward V,

from one of the manuscripts of Edward IV. A detail from File:BL Royal Vincent of Beauvais.jpg,

 Bruges, c. 1478-1480, Royal 14 E. i, vol. 1, f. 3r[2]

 

* The arms are thought to be of Edward IV who is not on the list of Knights of the Garter and therefore here is opted for his son who was.

 

214 (app 1475) Edward (Plantagenet) PRINCE OF WALES. Afterwards EDWARD V, King of England. Murdered with his brother Richard, Duke of York, in the Tower of London.

 

Disappeared in the Tower of London, 1483

 

Richard III

*1452-†1485

K.G. 198, 1465

1483-1485

 

The king seated with crown, sceptre and crossed orb, two lions sejant guardant at his feet. On both sides his coat of arms and below a rose and a sun.

 

Obverse and reverse of King Richard III’seal

Sandford p. 354

 

Arms, Banner and flags of King Richard III

From King Richard III’s Book of Hours

 

His banner parted per fess Gules and Azure, in chif a white rose and in base a white hog, the badge of Richard. At the mast a red cross on white

 

House of Tudor

 

Henry VII

*1457-†1509

1485-1509

K.G. 236, 1488

 

236 (invested 1488) John, 1st Viscount Welles, Captain in the forces of his nephew, the Earl of Richmond, afterwards Henry VII.

 

Henry used a crown imperial (arched over), indicating that he ruled over the entire realm of England and Wales. Also on the coat of arms are the white greyhound of Richmond, for his father, and the red dragon of Cadwaladr.

 

Great seal of Heny VII

Sandford p. 426

 

Coat of arms of Henry VII with Order of the Garter (founded 1348)

Mille fleurs tapestry,  Banqueting Hall, Haddon Hall. Bakewell, Derbyshire (detail)

 

Henry VIII

1509-1547

K.G. 246, 1495

 

246 (invested  c.1495) Henry (Tudor), Duke of York. Created PRINCE OF WALES in 1502 on the death of his brother Arthur. Afterwards HENRY VIII, King of England.

 

In base a shield with a rose

 

 

In the field and on his horse clothes roses. The legend completed with the words FIDEI DEFENSOR

 

Gold seal attached to a Confirmation of a peace treaty 1527

 

This is the reverse side of the seal of Henry, which shows the arms of England and France quarterly surrounded by the collar of the Order of the Garter. The Latin motto surrounding it reads: “All things are joined by order and stand firm by treaty”. In honour of their renewed friendship both Kings were admitted to each others' orders of chivalry - the Order of St. Michael (French) and the Order of Garter (English).

 

Arms of King Henry VIII

Detail of a Score sheet of a jousting in 1520

(Soc. Antiqs. ms. 136, par 2, f. 1)

 

Arms.: ¼ of France and Plantagenet;

Crown: Closed crown with red cap

Order: Collar of the Garter

 

Edward VI

*1535-†1553

1547-1553

 

L.: EDWARDS SEXTSDEI GRA ĀGLIUEE FRANCIE ET HIBERNIE REX FIDEI DEFĒṼ SOR ET IN TERRA ECCLESIE ĀGLICANE ET HIBERNICE SVPREMṼ CAPVT

Great seal of Edward VI

Sandford P. 425

 

The royal coat of arms of Edward VI 1549

With closed crown, motto and royal cypher

on the wall of Dargon at Snowshill Manor, Gloucestershire

 

Changed the royal title from “Dominus Hibernie” into “Hibernie Rex”.

 

Arms of Edward Seymour,1541

with garter and closed crown[3]

Arms: ¼ Frand & England

Order: Of tge Garter

Motto: DIEU ET MON DROIT

 

Edward VI was no knight of the Garder but the brother of his mother was:

 

306 (invested 1541) Edward (Seymour), Earl of Hertford. Afterwards Duke of Somerset. Brother of Queen Jane Seymour and Uncle of Edward VI, and Protector of England during his minority. Took part in many military operations in Scotland and France. Found guilty of conspiracy and beheaded.

 

House of  Suffolk

 

Jane

1553

 

Lady Jane Grey

Reigned for nine day and was executed

Arms: ¼: 1&4: Barry of six Argent and Azure, three balls Gules in the first and a label of three ermine (Grey); 2&3: Barry of 11 pieces Argent and Gules, a lion rampant Or crowned Gules.(Brandon)

 

Virgin mourning for Lady Jane

Royal arms and regalia and personal arms of Jane Grey.

Detail of an engraving, 1748[4]

 

This picture is a detail of an engraving coming from Wellcome Images,

 

 

House of Tudor

 

Mary

1553-1558

∞ Philip II King Consort 1554-1555

 

331 (investment 1554) Philip, Prince of Spain. Afterwards Philip II, King of Spain. Married Mary I, Queen of England. Duly elected a Knight of the Garter, but installed as joint Sovereign and had no stall-plate.

l.: PHILP { ET { MARIA { D { G { REX { ET { REGINA { ANGL { HISPANIAR { FRANC { VTRVSQ { SICILIE { IERVSALEM { ET { HIB { DEFENSO~ SOR

 

Great seal of Mary and Philip II

Sandford p. 429

 

L.: ARCHIDVCES { AVSTRIE { DVCES { BVRGVNDIE { MEDIOLANI { ET { BRABANCIE { COMITES { HAPSVRGI { FLANDIE { ET { TIROLIS

 

Arms of Philip and Mary

Anonymus English school

 

Arms: Per pale: I: per fess: the chief for Spain: ¼: 1&4 ½ of Castile and Leon; 2&3: Per pale of Aragon and Sicily-Trinacria. The base for the Netherlands: ¼ of  Austria, Burgundy modern, Burgundy ancient and Brabant; and an escutcheon per pale of Flanders and Tirol,. II. ¼ of France and England.

Crown: A royal crown of three hoops, crosses moline and fleurs de lys.

Order: Strap of the Garter (1554).

 

Eilzabeth I

*1533-†1603

1558-1603

 

As a woman Queen Elzabeth I could not be a member of the Order of the Garter. Nevertheless the strap of the order is around hte coat of arms.

Seal of majesty of Queen Elizabeth I

Arms: ¼ of France and England

Crown:: Of five hoops, crosses moline and fleurs de lys

Order: Strap of the Order of the Garter

Equestrian seal of Queen Elizabeth I

Sandford p. 430

 

In the field the crowned emblems (badges) of England (double rose), France (fleur de lys) , and Ireland (harp)

Half crown, 1598

 

The Sceptre

 

Edward the Confessor with eagle sceptre, 1059

 

Such an eagle was on the sceptre until Edward III.(1327)

In the 16th and 17th centuries, scepters were made with a white bird on it. This then took the form of a pigeon. The scepters date resp. from the reign of Charles II (1660 after a model from the time of the Tudors (1485-1603)) and from the time of James II (1685)

 

Description

The sceptre is formed from a plain gold rod, in three sections, with enamelled and gem-set collars at the intersections, surmounted by a gold monde, with an applied silver zone and arc set with rose diamonds, and a gold cross supporting an enamelled dove with outspread wings. The collars are mounted variously with rose- and table-cut diamonds, step- and table-cut rubies, emeralds, sapphires and spinels. At the base of the sceptre is a compressed spherical pommel set with further rose-cut diamonds.

The sceptre represents the sovereign's spiritual role, with the dove representing the Holy Ghost. Traditionally it has been known as 'the Rod of Equity and Mercy'. At the coronation of William I (the Conqueror) in 1066, this role was emphasised in a contemporary description: 'For by the sceptre uprisings in the kingdom are controlled and the rod gathers and confines those men that stray'. The monarch's pastoral care of his people is therefore bound up with this sceptre or rod.During the coronation service the new sovereign is first anointed with holy oil, then robed in coronation robes, and then invested with a number of ornaments symbolising the chivalric and spiritual nature of kingship. These include the spurs, swords and armills, followed by the orb, a ring and then the sceptres. The sovereign is presented with two sceptres - one surmounted by a cross representing temporal power and this one surmounted by a dove. After the investiture the sovereign is then crowned.

 

 

 

 

Provenance

Supplied for the Coronation of Charles II in 1661 by the royal goldsmith, Robert Viner.

 

To: The Achievement

To: United KingdomThe Royal Arms

 

 

Back to Main Page

 

 © Hubert de Vries  2019-05-02

 

 



[1] https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b55009806h/f163.item.zoom

[2] Miroir historial, vol. 1 Vincent of Beauvais, Speculum historiale, trans. into French by Jean de Vignay)

[3] Title: Arms of Edward VI/ Artist: Anonymous/ Product code: K90058-15/ Edition type: Open edition/ Copyright: © The British Library Board

[4] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lady_Jane_Grey_Wellcome_V0048334.jpg

Flag Counter In cooperation with Heraldry of the World