This article outlines the heraldic and non-heraldic national emblems used to represent France.
Coat of arms
Timeline of usage
1905: The arms was introduced as a national symbol at the occasion of King Alfonso XIII's official visit to France. It was displayed on the steps of the king's residence.
1925: A greater version of the arms was depicted on a painted tapestry by Gustave Louis Jaulmes, titled "Les armes de France". Comissioned by the city ofStrasbourg, this piece was to be installed at the Commissariat General of the Republic in the city.
1928: German encyclopedias gave a color reproduction of Jaulmes' greater arms.
1929: On 10 May the German embassy in France inquired what was the official coat of arms of France was. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied that "there is no, in principle, official coat of arms or emblem," but that such a composition was used for the French embassies and consulates.
1935: The annual edition of Le Petit Larousse reproduced a monochrome reproduction of the arms as a symbol of the French Republic.
2009: Used to represent France in the Hanseatic Fountain in Veliky Novgorod, Russia.
The coat of arms is still used, e.g. in relation to presidential inaugurations, including that of Emmanuel Macron in 2017.
Previous versions
Non-heraldic emblems
Diplomatic emblem
It was adopted in 1913 by the French Foreign Ministry as a symbol for use by French diplomatic missions and was based on an earlier design by the sculptor Jules-Clément Chaplain. The emblem also appears on the cover of French passports. It consists of: 1) A wide pelte shield with, on the one end, a lion-head and on the other an eagle-head, bearing a monogram "RF" standing for République Française An olive branch symbolises peace. 3) An oak branch symbolises or wisdom. 4) The fasces, a symbol associated with the exercise of justice and the republic; note that this use of the fasces predates the adoption of this symbol by Benito Mussolini as the emblem of Italian Fascism.
Other RF and ''Tricolor''-based emblems
Historical symbols
One has been a symbol of France since 1912, although it does not have any legal status as an official coat of arms. It appears on the cover of French passports and was adopted originally by the French Foreign Ministry as a symbol for use by diplomatic and consular missions using a design by the sculptor Jules-Clément Chaplain.
