Crown (heraldry)


A crown is often an emblem of a sovereign state, usually a monarchy, 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 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.

As a display of rank

If the bearer of a coat of arms has the title of baron or higher, he or she may display a coronet of rank above the shield, usually below the helm in British heraldry, and often above the crest 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 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.

Commonwealth usage

In formal English, the word crown is reserved for the crown of a monarch, 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, 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 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 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.

Continental usages

Precisely because there are many traditions and more variation within some of these, there are 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 is a metal circle mounted with three visible crosses.
Helmets are often substitutes for coronets, and some coronets are worn only on a helmet.

Andorra

Bulgaria

France

Capital Department Capital Commune

Ancien Régime">Kingdom of France">Ancien Régime

Napoleonic Empire

July Monarchy

Georgia

German-speaking countries

Holy Roman Empire

Liechtenstein

Austria

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

Germany

Volkskrone Mural crown of the arms of the Berlin boroughs

German Empire
Crown of the German Emperor Crown of the German Empress Crown of the German Crown Prince
Crown of the King of Prussia Crown of the King of Bavaria Crown of the King of Württemberg

Greece

Hungary

Croatia

Italy

Province City Municipality

Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946)

Kingdoms of Naples, Sicily, Two Sicilies

Grand Duchy of Tuscany

Other Italian states before 1861

Low Countries

Netherlands

Belgium

The older crowns are often still seen in the heraldry of older families.
KingPrince of the Royal house Prince
Prince
Duke Marquess Count Count
Count Viscount Baron Baron
Hereditary Knight
---

Luxembourg

Monaco

Poland and Lithuania

Portuguese-speaking countries

Portugal

Capital City Town Civil Parish
Administrative Region
---

Kingdom of Portugal
King Heir to the throne Prince of Beira Infante Duke
Marquess Count Viscount Baron Knight / Fidalgo

Brazil

Capital of State of the FederationCityTownVillage

Empire of Brazil
Emperor Heir to the throne Prince Duke
Marquess Count Viscount Baron

Romania

Kingdom of Romania

Russia

Emperor Crown of the Grand Duchy of Finland Monomakh's Cap Prince
Count Baron Baron Crown of Nobility

Nordic countries

Denmark

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 coronet, 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.
Ducal coronet
Satakunta		Comital coronet
Savo

Norway

Sweden

King Crown PrinceDuke
Count Baron Crown of Nobility

Serbia

Spanish-speaking countries

Spain

Mexico

Chile

Non-European usages

Bahrain

King

Bhutan

Cambodia

Crown of the Kingdom of Cambodia

Central African Empire

Emperor

Egypt before 1953

Jordan

Morocco

Oman

Saudi Arabia

Siam and Thailand

Tonga

Other examples

[|Imperial Crown] of Ethiopia Royal Crown of Tahiti Royal Crown of Hawaii Royal Crown of Hawaii
American Coronet Crown of the Shah of Persia Crown of the Shah of Iran
Twig crown of the
Republic of the Congo

Catholic Church

Multinational

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 and sometimes human heads also appear crowned. Animal charges gorged of an open coronet also occur, though far less frequently.