Coat of arms of Belgium
Coat of arms of Belgium | |
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The coat of arms of Belgium bears a lion or, known as Leo Belgicus (Latin for the Belgian lion), as its charge. This is in accordance with article 193 (originally 125) of the Belgian Constitution: The Belgian nation takes red, yellow and black as colours, and as state coat of arms the Belgian lion with the motto UNITY MAKES STRENGTH. A royal decree of 17 March 1837 determines the achievement to be used in the greater and the lesser version, respectively.[citation needed]
History
The newly independent Kingdom of Belgium decided to base its coat of arms and flag on the symbols used by the short-lived
This was not without precedent. In the course of the
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Coat of arms of The Holy Roman Empire Under Henry VII
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Coat of arms of The Kingdom of France
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Coat of arms of The Holy Roman Empire Under Louis IV
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Coat of arms of The Kingdom of France
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Coat of arms of The Holy Roman Empire Under Charles IV
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Coat of arms of The Kingdom of France
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Coat of arms of The Holy Roman Empire Under Sigismund
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Coat of arms of The Kingdom of France
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Coat of arms of The Holy Roman Empire Under Frederick III
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Coat of arms of The Archduchy of Austria
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Coat of arms of The Holy Roman Empire Under Charles V
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Coat of arms of The Holy Roman Empire Under Ferdinand I
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Coat of arms of The Kingdom of France
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Coat of arms of The Holy Roman Empire Under Maximilian I
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Coat of arms of The Holy Roman Empire Under Maximilian II
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Coat of arms of The County of Flanders
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Coat of arms of The County of Hainaut
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Coat of arms of The Duchy of Brabant
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Coat of arms of The Burgundian Netherlands
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Coat of arms of The Habsburg Netherlands
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Coat of arms of The Spanish Netherlands
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Coat of arms of The Dutch Republic
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Coat of arms of The Dutch Republic
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Coat of arms of The Austrian Netherlands
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Coat of arms of The United Belgian States
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Coat of arms of The Prince-Bishopric of Liège
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Coat of arms of The French First Republic
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Coat of arms of The First French Empire
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Coat of arms of The Kingdom of France
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Coat of arms of The United Kingdom of the Netherlands
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Coat of arms of The Neutral Moresnet
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Coat of arms of The German Empire
Variants
Greater version
The
The greater arms are used only rarely. They adorn the great seal that is affixed to laws and international treaties.
Since the province of Brabant was split into Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Brussels in 1995, the greater arms no longer reflect the present territorial divisions of the state. The changes made to the arms of the Flemish provinces as a result of this decision are not reflected in the great seal either.
Lesser version
The lesser coat of arms (as used by the Belgian federal government, on passport covers and the official sites of the monarchy and of the government) consists of the shield, the royal crown, the crossed sceptres, the collar of the Order of Leopold and the motto.
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Lesser coat of arms on an embassy plaque
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Lesser arms on a Belgian passport cover
Royal versions
A Royal Decree published on 19 July 2019 and signed on the same day, by King Philippe, reinstated the Saxonian escutcheon in all the royal versions of the family's coat of arms.[1][2] The reinstatement of the shield of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha into the royal arms occurred shortly after the visit of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde to the ancestral Friedenstein Castle.[3] The king also added translations of the motto into the three official languages of Belgium, to reflect his wish "to be the King of the whole Kingdom and of all Belgians".[4] The latest royal decree therefore reverses previous changes made to the Royal versions of the coat arms which removed the armorial bearings of Saxony during the First World War.
- Reigning King's or Queen's (Royal Arms) version
Sable, a lion rampant or, armed and langued Gules charged on the shoulder with an escutcheon of the House of Wettin. The shield is surmounted by a golden helm with the Royal Crown of Belgium and lambrequin Or and Sable. The shield surrounded by the necklace of the Order of Leopold. The supporter are two lions guardant proper each supporting a lance Or with two National Flags of Belgium. Motto: Eendracht maakt macht - L'union fait la force - Einigkeit macht stark, in gold letters, on a ribbon Gules, edged Sable. The whole is placed on a mantle Purpure with ermine lining, fringes and tassels Or and ensigned with the Royal Crown of Belgium.
- Former King or Queen's version
The Royal Arms difference with a label of three points Gules, the centre point bearing the royal crown Or. The shield is surmounted by the Royal Crown of Belgium.
- Duke or Duchess of Brabant version
The Royal Arms difference with a label of three points Or. The shield is surmounted by the Princely Crown of Belgium. The supporters each accompanied by a banner of gold, fringed likewise, bearing Sable, a golden lion, armed and langued Gules (Brabant).
- Other Princes or Princesses of Belgium of the male and female descent in direct line of King Leopold I
The Royal Arms difference with a narrow bordure Or. The shield is surmounted by the Princely Crown of Belgium.
- Other Princes or Princesses of Our Royal House
The Royal Arms difference with a narrow bordure Purpure. The shield is surmounted by the Princely Crown of Belgium.
Gallery
- Coats of arms of the King
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Coat of arms of King Leopold I, 1831-1865
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Coat of arms of Leopold II and Albert I, 1865-1921
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Coat of arms of the reigning monarch since 2019, used by Philippe
- Coats of arms of the Royal family
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Coat of arms of a former king, used by Albert II
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Coat of arms of a former queen regnant
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Coat of arms of the Duke of Brabant
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Coat of arms of the Duchess of Brabant, used by Princess Elisabeth
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Coat of arms of a prince of Belgium
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Coat of arms of a princess of Belgium
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Coat of arms of a prince of the royal house
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Coat of arms of a princess of the royal house
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Coat of arms of the Royal House of Belgium
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Lesser arms of the Royal House of Belgium
See also
References
- Citations
- ^ "Royal Decree of July 12, 2019". Moniteur Belge. July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- ^ Boffey, Daniel (August 2, 2019). "Saxe appeal: king of Belgium reintroduces German lineage". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ Ilse, Jess (2019-07-13). "King Philippe and Queen Mathilde visit ancestral castles during visit to German states". Royal Central. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- ^ "Belgian royal coat of arms gets a 'modern' update". Brussel Times. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
- Bibliography
- Andrée Scufflaire. Les origines du sceau de l'Etat belge, in: Roger Harmignies, ed. Sources de l'héraldique en Europe occidentale, (Brussels, 1985) 201–225.
- Hubert de Vries. Wapens van de Nederlanden: De historische ontwikkeling van de heraldische symbolen van Nederlanden, België, hun provincies en Luxemburg (Amsterdam, 1995).
- Philippe du Bois de Ryckholt. Dictionnaire des cris et devises de la noblesse belge (Recueil généalogique et héraldique, 24.) (Brussels, 1976) p. 17–18.
External links
- Media related to Coats of arms of Belgium at Wikimedia Commons