The Lion

Vladislav III Henry

* 1160 ca - †1222

Margrave of Moravia 1182-1222

Duke of Bohemia 1197

In 1197 Moravia became a fief of the Bohemian crown again. In that year a lion was introduced in Bohemian heraldry, then, apparently as the personal emblem of the Margrave of Moravia and Duke of Bohemia. At the same time an eagle became the emblem of the Bohemian-Moravian monarchy,

Equestrian seal 1197

Arms: Lion 

Legend:  HEINRICVS DEI GRACIA MARCHIO MORAVIE (Zelenka, 312)

Munt of bracteaat uit de tijd van Wenceslas of Ottokar I:

Arms: Lion L.: Nil. Er zijn geen oudere of jongere munten met een lion: (gezien in het Narodni Museum, Praag)

Premysl Ottokar I

Wenceslas I

1197

King 1198-1230

co-regent 1228-1230

1199 Arms: eagle. (Seyler Gesch. p. 250)

Wratislaw

*1188 ca - † 1225

Enfeoffed by Emperor Otto IV in 1212

Wenceslas I

Přemysl Ottokar II the Great

1205 - † 22.09.1253

Co-regent 1228

 King 1230-1253

Co-king 31.06. 1248

On 6 February 1228, Wenceslaus was crowned as a co-ruler of the Kingdom of Bohemia with his father. On 15 December 1230, Ottokar I died and Wenceslaus succeeded him as the senior King of Bohemia.

As a co-regent Wenceslas bore a coat of arms with a lion as documented by Conrad v. Mure:

Dumque Bohemie tibi rubeum clipeum fore ponam

Hic albus leo vult antepreferre coronam

“A red shield with a white lion, awaiting the Bohemian crown.” [1]

1238  Arms: Eagle  Æ See:  Early Arms

Přemysl Ottokar II the Great

*1230-†1278

Markgrave of Moravia 1247

counter-king 31.06.1248

Occupation of Austria & Steiermark 1251

¥ Margaretha of Austria 1252

King of Bohemia 1253-1278

¥ Kunigonde of Galicia 1261

Crowned 25.12.1261

Duke of Austria and Steiermark 1261-1276

Duke of Carinthia and Krain 1269

When his brother Vladislaus died in 1247, Ottokar suddenly became the heir to the Bohemian throne. According to popular oral tradition, he was profoundly shocked by his brother's death and did not involve himself in politics, becoming focused on hunting and drinking. As new heir, his father appointed him Margrave of Moravia and Ottokar took his residence in Brno, where he was occupied with the reconstruction of the Moravian lands devastated by Mongol raids.

In 1248 he was enticed by discontented nobles to lead a rebellion against his father King Wenceslaus. During this rebellion he was elected “the younger King” (mladší král) on 31 July 1248 and temporarily expelled his father from Prague Castle. Přemysl Ottokar II held the title of King of Bohemia until November 1249. However, he was excommunicated by Pope Innocent IV, whereafter Wenceslaus finally managed to defeat the rebels and imprisoned his son at Přimda Castle.

Father and son were eventually reconciled to assist the king's aim of acquiring the neighbouring Duchy of Austria, where the last Babenberg duke Frederick II had been killed in the 1246 Battle of the Leitha River. King Wenceslaus had initially attempted to acquire Austria by marrying his heir, Vladislav, to the last duke’s niece Gertrude of Babenberg. That match had been cut short by Vladislav's death and Gertrude's remarriage to the Zähringen margrave Herman VI of Baden. The latter was rejected by the Austrian nobility and could not establish his rule. Wenceslaus used this as pretext to invade Austria when Herman died in 1250 - according to some sources, the estates called upon him to restore order.

Wenceslaus released Přemysl Ottokar very soon and in 1251 again made him Margrave of Moravia and installed him, with the approval of the Austrian nobles, as governor of Austria. The same year Ottokar entered Austria, where the estates acclaimed him as Duke. To legitimize his position, Přemysl Ottokar married the late Duke Frederick II’s sister Margaret of Babenberg, who was his senior by 30 years and the widow of the Hohenstaufen king Henry (VII) of Germany. Their marriage took place on 11 February 1252 at Hainburg.

Markgrave of Moravia 1247-1278

Counter King 1248-1249; 1251-1253

 Equestrian Seal 1251

Arms: Lion:

Legend.: X PREMIZL DEI • GRACIA • IUVENIS • REX • BOEMORUM.

 In 1251 Ottokar occupied Austria and Stiria which Frederick II had taken back after the death of Duke Frederik. In 1252 he married the widow of Roman King Henry VII, Margarethe of  Babenberg.

King of Bohemia 1253-1278

In 1253, King Wenceslaus died and Přemysl Ottokar succeeded his father as King of Bohemia. After the death of the German King Konrad IV in 1254 while his son Conradin was still a minor, Ottokar also hoped to obtain the Imperial dignity – as King of the Romans - for himself. However, his election bid was unsuccessful and Count William II of Holland, the German anti-king since 1247, was generally recognised.

1253 After the death of his father he continued the alliance with the Hohenstaufen but he opposed the election of Conradin as a Roman King

Crested Arms

Equestrian Seal, 1253

Arms: Lion

Crest: Wings

Banner: Pantel of Stiria (Vert, a Pantel Argent)

Horse clothes: the Eagle of Moravia

Legend: S OTAKARI DEI GRACIA QUINTI REGIS BOEMORVM MORAVIE MARCHIONIS

1270 ca Arms: Gules, a double queued lion Argent crowned Or.

Legend: le Roy de boeme. [2] 

Coat of arms of the King of Bohemia

Hall of the coats of arms, Gozzoburg, Krems

Arms: Gules.  a double queued lion Argent crowned Or

Crest: A pair of wings Sable

Arms of Přemysl Ottokar II as a crusader

Described in 1275 ca:

Arms:

(1) Le roy de Boeme, d’argent un lion sable coronné d’or un crois sur l’espall. (Walford’s RC.10).

(2) Le roy de Boesme, de argent a un lion de sable coroné de or a un croyz d’or sur l’espaule (Walford’s R. Cl. 10). [3]

Ottokar II is thought to have had these arms while on crusade in Prussia, 1255 and 1267. [4]

Wenceslas II van Bohemia

*1271 - † 1305

King of Bohemia 1283-1305

¥ Elizabeth of Poland 1300

King of Poland 1300-1305

1290 ca Arms: De gueules au lion à la queue fourchée et passé en sautoir d’argent, a. et c. d’or. L.:  le ... Roy de boeme. Wijnbergen n° 593.1290 ca

1300 ca. Arms: 1. Rood, een witte leeuw met dubbele gekruiste staart en gouden kroon. H.: Een zwarte vlucht en rode helmkleden. (Bohemia). 2. Blauw, een rood-goud geblokte adelaar. H.: Een van zwart en goud gedwarsbalkte vlucht en rode helmkleden. (Manesse-Codex fol. 10 r°)

Wenceslas III of Bohemia

 *1289 - †1306

King of  Hungary 1301-1305

King of Bohemia 1305-1306

King of Poland 1305-1306

House of Habsburg

Rudolf III

*1282-†1307

Duke of Austria 1298-1307

¥ Elizabeth of Poland, wid. of Wenceslas II, 1306

King of Bohemia 1306-1307

House of Carinthia

Henry of Carinthia 

*1270 - †1335

Duke of Carinthia 1295-1335

Count of Tirol 1295-1335

¥ Anna, dau. of Wenceslas II, 1307

King of Bohemia 1307-1310

House of Luxemburg

John the Blind

1296-†1346

Count of Luxemburg 1309-1346

   ¥ Elizabeth, dau. of Wenceslas II 1310

 Tit. King of Poland 1310-1320

King of Bohemia 1310-1346

King of Bohemia

On the folding table of Lüneburg,

 from the ducal castle on the Kalkberg.  Museum Lüneburg

Arms: Gules, a lion double queued Argent crowned Or.

Crest: A pair of wings Sable strewn with leaves of lime Argent

1330 ca The King of Bohemia in the Mainzer Kurfürstenzyklus.

The royal arms of Germany, France and Bohemia

in the Zürcher Wappenrolle, 1335 ca

Charles IV, Luxemburg

*1316 - † 1378

Margrave of Moravia 1333 - 1354

King of Germany elected 11.07.1346

 King of Bohemia 26.08.1346

 Count of Luxemburg 26.08.1346 - 1349

King of Germany, crowned Bonn 26.11.1346

King of Rome, Crowned Aachen 25.07.1349

King of Lombardia 06.01.1355

Roman Emperor  05.04.1355

King of Burgundy 04.06.1365

Armorial Bellenville fol 12r° 1.

Bibl. Nationale de France Paris

Arms of Bohemia with crest of a pair of wings as before.

Armorial Gelre fol 68 v° n°743

Arms of Bohemia with crown and crest of a pair of wings, a latin cross added later (After 1346?).

On the Charles Bridge, Prague, 14th cent

Wenceslas IV of Luxemburg

*26.02.1361 - † 06.08.1419

King of Bohemia 15.06.1363

King

In Armorial Gelre

Arms: Gules, a lion double queued, crowned Or.

Crest: Helmet lambrtequined Sable strewn with, crowned wit a crown of four leaves and a latin cross, a pair of wings Sable strewn with lime-leaves Or. lime-leaves (Gelre fol. 33v°, n°134: Die Coninc v Behem)

Wild man with arms, helmet and crest of  Bohemia.

Wenzelsbibel (Codices Vindobonensis 2759-2764)

Nationalbibliothek Wien.

The oldest german ornamental binding of the Gospels. Initial  “A” of the Book Chronicles I (Cod. 2761, 2v).

In the time of Wenceslas IV a coat of arms for governance, crowned with a royal crown was introduced. Æ See: Crowned Arms

Sigismund of Luxemburg

*14.02.1368 - †  09.12.1437

Margrave of Brandenburg 1379 - 1388

King of Hungary 1385

Crowned 31.03.1387

Imperial vicar 1400 & 1402

 Roman King  20.09.1410

Re-elected 21.07.1411

Margrave of  Brandenburg 1411 - 1417

Titulairy King of Bohemia 1419

Duke ofLuxemburg 1419

King of Lombardia 1431

Roman Emperor 1433

King of Bohemia 1436

Sigismund was a titulary King van Bohemia after the death of his brother Wenceslas in 1419 but he could not effectuate his claim because of the opposition and revolt of the Hussites until 1436. He was in fact but only one year King of Bohemia.  Nevertheless he bore, as a son of Charles IV, the arms of Bohemia which can be considered as his family arms as he tried to be a king of Bohemia by right of his father and brother. After his marriage with Mary of Hungary in 1385 he also bore the arms of Arpad as a family arms even when he was not related at all with the Anjous who bore these arms by right of Charles Martel. The impaled of Arpad-Bohemia was also inherited by his grandson Ladislas Posthumus.

House of Habsburg

Albrecht II  Habsburg

*1397 - † 1439

Duke of Austria 1404

King van Rome 1438

King of Hungary 1438

King of Bohemia 1438

Mannequin of the arms of Bohemia

Armorial de l'Europe et de la Toison d'or

And in the Bergshammer Roll of arms: [5]

Arms: De gu. au lion d’arg. queue fourchée en sautoir arm., lamp. et cour. d’or, C.: un vol d’aigle de sa. semé de pannelles d’or iss. d’une cour. de même, cap d’arg. L.: beomen. (Bergshammer 10)

Arms: De gu. au lion d’arg. queue fourchée en sautoir arm., lamp. et cour. d’or. C.: un vol de sa. ch. d’un semé de feuilles de tilleul d’or, cour. d’or, cap. d’herm. L.: beemen. (Bergshammer 38)

Arms: De gu. au lion d’arg. queue fourchée en sautoir arm., lamp. et cour. d’or, C.: un vol d’aigle de sa. semé de pannelles d’or. L.: die coninc van bemen (Bergshammer 2113).

Ladislas Posthumus

* 22.02.1440-†23.11.1457

King van Hungary 1446/’52-1457

King van Bohemia 28.X.1453-1457

Frederick van Habsburg

Janos Hunyadi

Ulrich van Cilli

Regent 1440-1452

Regent 1446-1453

Regent 1453-1456

Johan Hunyadi, regent

King of Hungary and  Bohemia 1452/’53-1457

Ulrich van Cilli           Regent 1453-1456

King of Bohemia 1453-1457

House of Podiebrad

George

1458-1471

House of Hunyadi

Matthias Corvinus

*23.02. 1440-† 06.04.1490

Count of Bistritsa 1453

Elected King of Hungary 24.01. 1458

King of Hungary 29.03.1464

King of Bohemia 03.05.1469-1478

 ¥ Beatrix of Naples 1475

Titulary King of Bohemia 1478-1490

Duke of Austria 1485

Duke of Stiria, Carinthia and Krain 1485-1469

House of Jagiello

Vladislas II Jagiello

*1456-†1516

King of Bohemia 1471-1516

King of  Hungary 1490-1516

Powder Tower, Prague, 1475

1483. Arms: Rood, een witte leeuw met dubbele staart en gouden kroon, tong en klauwen. H.: Op een gouden helm met gouden en zwarte helmkleden, tegengesteld gespikkeld, een gouden kroon  en een zwarte vlucht bezaaid met gouden lindeblaadjes. Ter weerszijden van het helmteken  een impresa bestaande uit een een uit en wolk komende arm met een roede.  Aan de mouw hangt een gouden gekroonde adelaar. Er onder het devies: dod recht. L.: Der Küng von Behem des hailigen Romschen Richs erzschenk und kürfurst etc. (Conrad Grüneberg).

Painted glass in Cologne Cathedral

Livro do Almeiro Mor, fol XV.

Louis II

1516-1526

Knight of the Fleece nr. 145, Brussel 1516

House of Habsburg

Ferdinand I

1526-1564

From: Recueil d'armoiries coloriées, par Alexandre LeBlancq, gallica.bnf.fr, ms. fr. 5233, Bibliothèque Nationale de France

From: Virgil Solis Wappenbüchlein, 1555

In the 18th century the crested arms were documented by Johann Siebmachers Wappenbuch:

In the head of this part the crested arms of Bohemia by H.G. Ströhl, end of 19th century.