Coat of arms of Great Britain

Coat of arms of Great Britain (1714%E2%80%931801)

The Coat of Arms of Great Britain refers to the heraldic emblem or coat of arms that was used by the monarchs of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801. This emblem was established following the Acts of Union 1707, which united the kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain. The coat of arms symbolized the union of the two countries under one monarch and served as a significant emblem of the British monarchy and government.

Design and Symbolism

The design of the Coat of Arms of Great Britain combined elements from the previous arms of England and Scotland. The shield was quartered, displaying the three lions passant guardant in pale for England in the first and fourth quarters, the Scottish lion rampant in the second, and the harp of Ireland in the third, representing the Kingdom of Ireland, which remained a separate entity but was in personal union with Great Britain.

Above the shield was a helmet adorned with a mantling and crowned with the royal crown. On top of the crown, there stood a lion statant guardant, or the lion of England, crowned, symbolizing the sovereignty of the monarch. Surrounding the shield were the Garter circlet, bearing the motto Honi soit qui mal y pense ("Shame on him who thinks evil of it"), which is the motto of the Order of the Garter, and the collar of the Order, indicating the monarch's role as Sovereign of the Garter.

The supporters of the shield were the lion of England and the unicorn of Scotland, representing the two principal nations of the new kingdom. The lion stands for courage and strength, while the unicorn, a symbol of purity and innocence, is chained, reflecting the medieval belief that a free unicorn was a dangerous beast.

At the bottom of the coat of arms, the motto Dieu et mon droit ("God and my right") was inscribed on a scroll. This motto has been used by the English and later British monarchy since the time of Henry V and signifies the divine right of the monarch to govern.

Historical Context

The Coat of Arms of Great Britain was used during a period of significant expansion and change for the British Isles. It saw the formation of Great Britain as a political entity, the establishment of the United Kingdom with the Acts of Union 1800 that brought Ireland into the union in 1801, and the subsequent change to the coat of arms to reflect this new political reality. The arms were replaced by the current Coat of arms of the United Kingdom, which incorporated elements to represent Ireland.

Legacy

The Coat of Arms of Great Britain remains an important symbol in heraldry and British history. It is a testament to the union of England and Scotland under one crown and the evolution of the British constitutional monarchy. Elements of the arms, such as the lion, unicorn, and the mottoes, continue to be used in the current royal arms and other governmental and civic emblems, reflecting the enduring legacy of the symbols and their meanings.