Heraldic crown

Short description: Emblem of a sovereign state, usually a monarchy

The German State Crown was the heraldic crown of Imperial Germany and was based on a wooden model rather than an actual crown.

Template:Heraldic achievement A heraldic crown is often an emblem of a sovereign state, usually a monarchy (see The Crown), but also used by some republics.

A specific type of crown is employed in heraldry under strict rules. Indeed, some monarchies never had a physical crown, just a heraldic representation, as in the constitutional kingdom of Belgium.

Crowns are also often used as symbols of religious status or veneration, by divinities (or their representation such as a statue) or by their representatives, e.g. the Black Crown of the Karmapa Lama, sometimes used a model for wider use by devotees.

A crown can be a charge in a coat of arms, or set atop the shield to signify the status of its owner, as with the coat of arms of Norway.

Physical and heraldic crowns

Sometimes, the crown commonly depicted and used in heraldry differs significantly from any specific physical crown that may be used by a monarchy.

100x100px Photograph of the physical crown of Norway

100x100px Representation of the physical crown of Norway

100x100px The heraldic crown for the King of Norway (1905 pattern)

As a display of rank

If the bearer of a coat of arms has the title of baron or higher (or hereditary knight in some countries), he or she may display a coronet of rank above the shield, usually below the helm in British heraldry, and often above the crest (if any) in Continental heraldry.

In this case, the appearance of the crown or coronet follows a strict set of rules. A royal coat of arms may display a royal crown, such as that of Norway. A princely coat of arms may display a princely crown, and so on.

Naval, civic, mural and similar crowns

A mural crown is commonly displayed on coats of arms of towns and some republics. Other republics may use a so-called people's crown or omit the use of a crown altogether. The heraldic forms of crowns are often inspired by the physical appearance of the respective country's actual royal or princely crowns.

Ships and other units of some navies have a naval crown, composed of the sails and sterns of ships, above the shield of their coats of arms. Squadrons of some air forces have an astral crown, composed of wings and stars. There is also the Eastern crown, made up of spikes, and when each spike is topped with a star, it becomes a celestial crown.

Whereas most county councils in England use mural crowns, there is a special type of crown that was used by Scottish county councils. It was composed of spikes, was normally shown vert (green) and had golden wheat sheaves between the spikes. Today, most of the Scottish unitary authorities still use this "wheat sheaf crown", but it is now the usual gold.

100x100px Astral crown	100x100px Camp crown	100x100px Celestial crown
100x100px Eastern crown	100x100px Mural crown	100x100px Naval crown

Commonwealth usage

See also: The Crown § Symbolism

The coat of arms of the Barons Hawke displays a baronial coronet

In formal English, the word crown is reserved for the crown of a monarch and the Queen consort, whereas the word coronet is used for all other crowns used by members of the British royal family and peers of the realm.

In the British peerage, the design of a coronet shows the rank of its owner, as in German, French and various other heraldic traditions. The coronet of a duke has eight strawberry leaves, that of a marquess has four strawberry leaves and four silver balls (known as "pearls", but not actually pearls), that of an earl has eight strawberry leaves and eight "pearls" raised on stalks, that of a viscount has sixteen "pearls", and that of a peerage baron or (in Scotland) lord of parliament has six "pearls". Between the 1930s and 2004, feudal barons in the baronage of Scotland were granted a chapeau or cap of maintenance as a rank insignia. This is placed between the shield and helmet in the same manner as a peer's coronet. Since a person entitled to heraldic headgear customarily displays it above the shield and below the helm and crest, this can provide a useful clue as to the owner of a given coat of arms.

Members of the British royal family have coronets on their coats of arms, and they may wear physical versions at coronations. They are according to regulations made by King Charles II in 1661, shortly after his return from exile in France (getting a taste for its lavish court style; Louis XIV started monumental work at Versailles that year) and Restoration, and they vary depending upon the holder's relationship to the monarch. Occasionally, additional royal warrants vary the designs for individuals.

In Canadian heraldry, special coronets are used to designate descent from United Empire Loyalists. A military coronet signifies ancestors who served in Loyalist regiments during the American Revolution, while a civil coronet is used by all others. The loyalist coronets are used only in heraldry, never worn. A new royal crown, derived from the shape of the Tudor crown but with distinctly Canadian elements, was unveiled at a ceremony in Ottawa to mark the Coronation of Charles III.

100x100px Monarch: 2022 Tudor Crown	100x100px Monarch: 1901 Tudor Crown	100x100px Monarch: Crown of Scotland	100x100px Monarch: Canadian Royal Crown	100x100px Monarch: St Edward's Crown
100x100px Monarch: Imperial Crown (medieval)	100x100px Heir Apparent (Prince of Wales)	100x100px Child of a Sovereign (except the Heir Apparent)	100x100px Child of Heir Apparent	100x100px Grandchild of a Sovereign
100x100px Child of daughter of a Sovereign, if styled Highness	100x100px Duke	100x100px Marquess	100x100px Earl	100x100px Viscount
100x100px Peerage Baron/Lord of Parliament (Scotland)	100x100px Feudal Baron (Scotland)	100x100px Loyalist military coronet (Canada)	100x100px Loyalist civil coronet (Canada)	100x100px King of Arms (College of Arms)

Continental usages

Precisely because there are many traditions and more variation within some of these, there is a plethora of Continental coronet types. Indeed, there are also some coronets for positions that do not exist, or do not entitle use of a coronet, in the Commonwealth tradition.

Such a case in French heraldry of the Ancien Régime, where coronets of rank did not come into use before the 16th century, is the vidame, whose coronet (illustrated) is a metal circle mounted with three visible crosses. No physical headgear of this type is known.

Helmets are often substitutes for coronets, and some coronets are worn only on a helmet.

Finland

During the Swedish reign, Swedish coronets were used. Crowns were used in the coats of arms of the historical provinces of Finland. For Finland Proper, Satakunta, Tavastia and Karelia, it was a ducal coronet; for others, a comital coronet. In 1917 with independence, the coat of arms of Finland was introduced with a grand ducal crown, but it was soon removed, in 1920. Today, some cities use coronets, e.g. Pori has a mural crown and Vaasa a Crown of Nobility.

As a charge

In heraldry, a charge is an image occupying the field of a coat of arms. Many coats of arms incorporate crowns as charges. One notable example of this lies in the Three Crowns of the arms of Sweden.

Additionally, many animal charges (frequently lions and eagles) and sometimes human heads also appear crowned. Animal charges gorged (collared) of an open coronet also occur, though more often as supporters than as charges.

Gallery

Albania

100x100px Lord of Albania (The Skanderbeg Helmet)

Andorra

100x100px Co-Princes

Bulgaria

100x100px Tsar	100x100px Tsaritsa	100x100px Prince
100x100px Older Princesses	100x100px Younger Princesses

Croatia

100x100px Crown of Zvonimir

France

100x100px Capital

100x100px Department

100x100px Commune

Ancien Régime

100x100px King	100x100px Heir to the throne (Dauphin)	100x100px Children and grandchildren of the sovereign (Fils de France)	100x100px Prince of the Blood
100x100px Duke and Peer of France	100x100px Duke	100x100px Marquis and peer of France	100x100px Marquis
100x100px Count and Peer of France	100x100px Count	100x100px Count (older)	100x100px Viscount
100x100px Vidame	100x100px Baron	100x100px Knight's crown	100x100px Knight's tortillon

Napoleonic Empire

100x100px Emperor (1st Empire)	100x100px Emperor (2nd Empire)	100x100px Sovereign Prince
100x100px Prince	100x100px Duke	100x100px Count
100x100px Baron	100x100px Knight	100x100px Bonnet d'honneur

July Monarchy

100x100px King of the French

Georgia

100x100px Georgian Royal Crown, also known as the "Iberian Crown"

German-speaking countries

Holy Roman Empire

100x100px Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire	100x100px Older Imperial Crown	100x100px Newer Imperial Crown	100x100px Oldest Crown of the King of the Romans
100x100px Older Crown of the King of the Romans	100x100px Newer Crown of the King of the Romans	100x100px Crown of the King of Bohemia	100x100px Generic Crown of a King or Grand Duke
100x100px Archducal hat	100x100px Ducal hat of Styria	100x100px Oldest Electoral hat	100x100px Older Electoral hat
100x100px New Electoral hat & new Ducal hat	100x100px Ducal crown	100x100px Crown of an heir to a duchy	100x100px Princely hat (also used by Mediatized Counts)
100x100px Princely crown	100x100px Crown of a Landgrave	100x100px Older crown of a Count	100x100px Newer crown of a Count
100x100px Older crown of a Baron/Freiherr	100x100px Newer Crown of a Baron/Freiherr	100x100px Older Crown of Nobility	100x100px Newer Crown of Nobility

Liechtenstein

100x100px Prince of Liechtenstein

Austria

100x100px Mural crown of the coat of arms of Austria

100x100px Mural crown of the State of Lower Austria

Austrian Empire

100x100px Crown of the Emperor of Austria	100x100px Crown of the King of Bohemia	100x100px Archducal hat	100x100px Archducal crown
100x100px Ducal hat of Styria	100x100px Ducal hat	100x100px Ducal crown	100x100px Princely hat
100x100px Princely crown	100x100px Crown of a Count	100x100px Crown of a Baron/Freiherr	100x100px Crown of Nobility

Germany

100x100px Volkskrone (People's Crown)

100x100px Mural crown of the arms of the Berlin boroughs

German Empire

100x100px Crown of the German Emperor	100x100px Crown of the German Empress	100x100px Crown of the German Crown Prince
100x100px Crown of the King of Prussia	100x100px Crown of the King of Bavaria	100x100px Crown of the King of Württemberg

Hanover

100x100px Crown of the King of Hanover

Greece

100x100px Crown of the King of the Hellenes

The Crown as it appears on the Royal Coat of Arms of Greece

Hungary

100x100px Holy Crown of Hungary

Italy

100x100px Province

100x100px City

100x100px Municipality

Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)

100x100px King (crown of Savoy)	100x100px Queen consort	100x100px Heir to the throne (Prince of Piedmont)	100x100px Royal prince	100x100px Prince of the blood
Prince	100x100px Duke	100x100px Marquess	100x100px Count	100x100px Viscount
100x100px Baron	100x100px Noble	100x100px Hereditary Knight	100x100px Patrician

Kingdom of Naples, Kingdom of Sicily, Two Sicilies

100x100px King of Naples

100x100px Heir to the throne (Duke of Calabria)

100x100px Prince and princess

Grand Duchy of Tuscany

100x100px Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany

100x100px Habsburg-Lorraine Grand Dukes of Tuscany

Other Italian states before 1861

100x100px Iron Crown of Lombardy	100x100px Crown of San Marino	100x100px Crown of Napoleonic Italy
100x100px Doge of Venice	100x100px Doge of Genoa	100x100px Duke of Parma

Low Countries

Netherlands

100x100px Holy Roman Emperor	100x100px King	100x100px Prince (Members of the Royal House, children of the Monarch)	100x100px Prince (Members of the Royal House, grandchildren of the Monarch)
100x100px Prince (nobility, for titles granted after 1815)	100x100px Duke	100x100px Marquess	100x100px Count
100x100px Viscount	100x100px Baron	100x100px Hereditary Knight	100x100px Jonkheer

Belgium

The older crowns are often still seen in the heraldry of older families.

100x100px King	100x100px Prince of the Royal house	100x100px Prince (nobility, for titles granted after 1815)	100x100px Prince (nobility, for titles granted during the Ancien Régime)
100x100px Duke	100x100px Marquess	100x100px Count	100x100px Count (older)
100x100px Count (oldest)	100x100px Viscount	100x100px Baron	100x100px Baron (older)
100x100px Hereditary Knight (Chevalier/Erfridder)

Luxembourg

100x100px Grand Duke

Monaco

100x100px Prince

Montenegro

100x100px Monarchy 1860–1918

100x100px Republic 2006–present

Poland and Lithuania

100x100px Heraldic Crown of the King	100x100px Crown of Bolesław I the Brave of Poland	100x100px Grand Duke	Prince
100x100px Count	100x100px Baron	Nobleman

Portugal

100x100px Overseas province (1930–1999)	100x100px Administrative region (not implemented)	100x100px Capital city
100x100px City	100x100px Town	100x100px Civil Parish

Kingdom of Portugal (until 1910)

100x100px King	100x100px Heir apparent to the throne (Prince Royal)	100x100px Second in the line of succession (Prince of Beira)	100x100px Infante	100x100px Duke
100x100px Marquess	100x100px Count	100x100px Viscount	100x100px Baron	100x100px Knight / Fidalgo

Romania

100x100px Capital	100x100px City
100x100px Town	100x100px Village

Kingdom of Romania

100x100px King (The Steel Crown of Romania)

Russia

100x100px Emperor	100x100px Empress	100x100px Crown of Congress Poland	100x100px Crown of the Grand Duchy of Finland
100x100px Altabas cap	100x100px Monomakh's Cap	File:Kazan Cap - vector version.svg Kazan cap	100x100px Prince
100x100px Count	100x100px Baron	100x100px Baron (alternative style)	100x100px Crown of Nobility

Nordic countries

Denmark

100x100px King	100x100px Crown Prince	100x100px Prince (royal family)	100x100px Duke
100x100px Marquess	100x100px Count	100x100px Baron	100x100px Crown of Nobility

Iceland

100x100px King

Finland

100x100px Physical crown design of the King	100x100px Generic Grand ducal crown used in late 19th to early 20th c.	100x100px Grand ducal crown used in the state coat of arms 1917–1920
100x100px Ducal coronet	100x100px Comital coronet	100x100px Mural crown

Norway

100x100px Heraldic crown of the King	100x100px Physical crown of the King	100x100px Physical crown of the Queen	100x100px Crown Prince	100x100px Prince or Princess
100x100px Duke	100x100px Marquess	100x100px Count	100x100px Baron	100x100px Crown of Nobility

Sweden

100x100px King/Queen	100x100px Crown Prince/Crown Princess	100x100px Prince/Princess (aka Duke/Duchess)
100x100px Count/Countess	100x100px Baron/Baroness	100x100px Untitled Nobility

Serbia

100x100px Emperor (medieval)	100x100px King (after 1903)
100x100px Coat of arms design (1882–1918; 2004–2010)	100x100px Coat of arms design (after 2010)

Spain

100x100px King (National arms design)	100x100px King (Monarch's arms design)	100x100px King (Aragon, Catalonia, Balearics, Valencia)	100x100px Heir to the throne (Prince of Asturias)
100x100px Heir to the throne (Prince of Girona) (Aragon, Catalonia, Balearics, Valencia)	100x100px Infante	100x100px Infante (Aragon, Catalonia, Balearics, Valencia)	100x100px Grandee of Spain
100x100px Duke	100x100px Marquess	100x100px Count	100x100px Viscount
100x100px Baron	100x100px Señor/Don (Lord)	100x100px Hidalgo (Nobleman)	100x100px Knight's burelete

Ukraine

Kingdom of Ruthenia

100x100px Crown of Ruthenia

Non-European usages

Bahrain

100x100px King

Bhutan

100x100px King (Raven Crown)

Brazil

100x100px Capital of State of the Federation

100x100px City

100x100px Town

100x100px Village

Empire of Brazil

100x100px Emperor	100x100px Heir apparent to the throne (Prince Imperial)	100x100px Second in the line of succession (Prince of Grão-Pará)
100x100px Prince	100x100px Duke	100x100px Marquess
100x100px Count	100x100px Viscount	100x100px Baron

Brunei

100x100px Crown of Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

100x100px Crown of the Kingdom of Cambodia

Central African Empire

100x100px Emperor

Chile

100x100px Municipal Mural Crown

100x100px Royal Crown of Easter Island

China

100x100px Mianguan (Ming dynasty)

100x100px Chaoguan (Qing dynasty)

Egypt

100x100px Wali (1854–1867) and Khedive (1867–1914)	100x100px Sultan (1914–22)	100x100px King (1922–53)
100x100px Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt	100x100px Hemhem	100x100px Atef
100x100px King of Lower Egypt	100x100px King of Upper Egypt	100x100px Queen
100x100px Shuti	100x100px Blue Crown	100x100px Cap Crown

Ethiopia

100x100px Emperor

Fiji

100x100px Crown of Fiji

Haiti

100x100px Emperor (2nd Empire)

Hawaii

100x100px Crown of Hawaii

Indonesia

100x100px Sultanate of Yogyakarta

100x100px Sunanate of Surakarta

Iran

100x100px Crown of the Shah of Persia

100x100px Crown of the Shah of Iran

Iraq

100x100px Crown of Iraq

Jordan

100x100px Crown of Jordan

Libya

100x100px Crown of Libya

Kyrgyzstan

100x100px Crown of Kara-Kygyz Khanate

Malaysia

100x100px Sultan of Kelantan

100x100px Sultan of Terengganu

Mexico

100x100px Emperor (1st Empire)

100x100px Emperor (2nd Empire)

100x100px Prince (1st and 2nd Empire)

Aztec Empire

100x100px Moctezuma's Headdress

100x100px Headdress of the Aztec Monarchs

Morocco

100x100px Heraldic Crown of Morocco

Nepal

100x100px Crown of Nepal

Oman

100x100px Crown of Oman

Peru

150x150px Mascaipacha of the Sapa Inca

Rwanda

100x100px Crown of the Kingdom of Rwanda

Saudi Arabia

100x100px Crown of Saudi Arabia

Siam and Thailand

100x100px Great Crown of Victory of the King of Siam and Thailand

100x100px Phra Kiao (princely coronet, also the emblem of King Chulalongkorn)

100x100px Coronet of the Crown prince of Siam/Thailand

Tahiti

100x100px Crown of Tahiti

Tonga

100x100px Crown of Tonga

Other examples

100x100px College of Arms Foundation of the United States

Ecclesiastical Hats

Anglican Communion

100x100px Archbishop or Bishop	100x100px Archdeacon	100x100px Dean	100x100px Members of His Majesty's Ecclesiastical Household
100x100px Canons, Honorary Canons, Canons Emeritus and Prebendaries	100x100px Priest	100x100px Deacon

Catholic Church

100x100px Pope	100x100px Patriarch	100x100px Cardinal	100x100px Metropolitan Archbishop
100x100px Archbishop	100x100px Eastern Catholic prelate, combining elements of both Eastern and Western ecclesiastical heraldry	100x100px Apostolic protonotary (Monsignor)	100x100px Honorary Prelate (Monsignor)
100x100px Chaplain of His Holiness (Monsignor)	100x100px Bishop	100x100px Abbot	100x100px Canon
100x100px Dean	100x100px Priest

See also

• Crown jewels
• Imperial crown
• List of monarchies
• Coronet