SAINT LUCIA

HISTORY
HERALDRY
The Badge	The Arms	The Achievement
Royal St. Lucia Police Force

History

Europeans first landed on the island in either 1492 or 1502 during Spain's early exploration of the Caribbean

Although the French pirate Francois de Clerc (also known as Jambe de Bois, due to his wooden leg) frequented Saint Lucia in the 1550s, it was not until years later, around 1600, that the first European camp was started by the Dutch, at what is now Vieux Fort.

The French officially claimed the island in 1635 but it was the English that started the next European settlement in 1639, which was wiped out by the Caribs. It was not until 1651 that the French came, this time from Martinique, commanded by De Rousselan, who held the island until his death in 1654.

In 1664, Thomas Warner (son of the governor of St Kitts) claimed Saint Lucia for England.

Near the end of the 18^th century a French revolutionary tribunal was sent to Saint Lucia, headed by captain La Crosse. Only a short time later the British invaded again, France permanently ceding Saint Lucia in 1815

In 1838, Saint Lucia was incorporated into the British Windward Islands administration, headquartered in Barbados. This lasted until 1885, when the capital was moved to Grenada.

A 1924 constitution gave the island its first form of representative government. Ministerial government was introduced in 1956, and in 1958 St. Lucia joined the short-lived West Indies Federation, a semi-autonomous dependency of the United Kingdom. When the federation collapsed in 1962, following Jamaica’s withdrawal, a smaller federation was briefly attempted. After the second failure, the United Kingdom and the six windward and leeward islands - Grenada, St. Vincent, Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis and Anguilla, and St. Lucia - developed a novel form of cooperation called “associated statehood”.

As an associated state of the United Kingdom from 1967 to 1979, St. Lucia had full responsibility for internal self-government but left its external affairs and defense responsibilities to the United Kingdom. This interim arrangement ended on February 22, 1979, when St. Lucia achieved full independence.

Heraldry

The badge of the Island, adopted in 1889 was a picture of the island with a harbour in which are anchored four sailing ships. On the left pier there is the royal ensign, on the right one the red ensign. In base is the motto: statio haud malefida carinis. (An in no way Unsafe Anchorage).

The first coat of arms of the Island was granted on the 16th of August 1939. It was:

Arms: Sable, a bamboo cross Or, in the first and the fourth quarters a rose and in the second and the third quarters a fleur-de-lys all Or.

Crowned with the Imperial State Crown.

Motto: statio haud malefida carinis.

After the granting of internal autonomy on the 1st of March 1967 the coat of arms was changed and augmented:

Arms: Or, a bamboo cross Sable charged with a roundel, thereon a chiefs-stool Or, in the first and the fourth quarters a rose and in the second and the third quarters a fleur-de-lys all Sable.

Crest: On a helmet guardant, a hand holding a torch, all Or.

Supporters: Two parrots Or.

Motto: The LAND The PEOPLE The LIGHT, in golden lettering on a black ribbon.

(1.III.1970)

When on the 22nd of February 1979 complete independence was granted the achievement was changed again:

Arms: Azure, between a Tudor-rose Argent and Gules in the first and the fourth quarter, and a fleur-de-lys Or in the second and the third quarter, a bamboo-cross charged with a chiefs-stool Or.

Crest: On a steel helmet guardant, lambrequined Azure and Or, a hand holding a torch and two sugar-cane leaves in saltire, all proper.

Supporters: Two parrots proper, billed Or.

Motto: THE • LAND THE • PEOPLE THE • LIGHT.

The roses and the fleurs-de-lys are for the British and the French who contested the Island for a long time. The bamboo-croos is for the flora and religion of the Island and the stool, which has to be an african chiefs-stool, is for the ethnic origin of the islanders. The supporters, two Jacquot parrots (Amazona versicolor, Psittacidea), represent the fauna. In the crest the torch symbolizes the importance of St. Lucia for the navigation in the Caribbean.

The Coat of Arms of Saint Lucia is the official seal of the Government of Saint Lucia. It may not be used or reproduced in any form without the approval of the Government.

The official grant of the coat of arms of St. Lucia reads:

ELIZABETH R

Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Our other Realms and Territories QUEEN, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to Our Right Trusty and Right Entirely Beloved Cousin Miles Francis, Duke of Norfolk, Companion of Our Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Commander of Our Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, upon whom has been conferred the Decoration of the Military Cross, Earl Marshal and Our Hereditary Marshal of England, Greeting!

WHEREAS for the greater honour and distinction of Our Territory of Saint Lucia We are desirous that Armorial Bearings should be assigned for that Territory.

KNOW YE therefore that We of our Princely Grace and Special Favor have granted and assigned and by these Presents do grant and assign the following Arms for Our said Territory of Saint Lucia, that is to say: Azure two sticks of cut bamboo in Cross surmounted of an African stool of authority Or between in dexter chief and sinister base a Rose Argent charged with another Gules both barbed and seeded proper an in sinister chief and dexter base a Fleur-de-lis Gold and for the Crest upon a Helm with a Wreath Or and Azure in front of two Fronds of the Fern Polypoduim in Saltire a Cubit Arm proper the hand holding erect a Torch Gold enflamed also proper and for the Supporters on either side a Saint Lucia Parrot commonly called Jacquot (Amazonaversicolor) wings elevated and addorsed and in the beak of each a Frond of the Fern Polypoduim all proper and for the Motto: THE LAND-THE PEOPLE-THE LIGHT as the same are in the painting here unto annexed more plainly depicted to be borne for Our said Territory of Saint Lucia the whole according to the Laws of Arms.

OUR WILL AND PLEASURE therefore is that you the said Miles Francis, Duke of Norfolk to whom cognizance of matters of this nature doth properly belong do require and Command that this Our Concession and Declaration be recorded in Our College of Arms to the end that Our Officers of Arms and all other Public Functionaries whom it may concern may take notice and have knowledge therefore in their several respective Departments.

AND for so doing this shall be your Warrant.

GIVEN at Our Court at Buckingham Palace

this Eighth day of January 1979

in the Twenty-seventh year of Our Reign.

BY HER MAJESTY'S COMMAND

David Owen

Let this be recorded

Norfolk.E.M.

Recorded in the College of Arms, London

J.P. Brooke Little

Richmond Herald & Registrar

ð See illustration in the head of this essay

Royal St. Lucia Police Force

TO SERVE AND PROTECT

The achievement of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force consists of the crowned arms of St. Lucia, surrounded by a garland and the name of the sevice on a listel below.

The motto of the service is “TO SERVE AND PROTECT”.