Coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom is the arms of dominion of the British monarch, currently King Charles III.[1][2] Variants of the royal arms are used by other members of the British royal family, by the Government of the United Kingdom, and some courts and legislatures in a number of Commonwealth realms.
| Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom | |
|---|---|
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| Versions | |
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| Armiger | King Charles III in right of the Crown |
| Adopted | 1837 |
| Crest | Upon the helm, the imperial crown proper thereon a lion statant guardant Or langued Gules armed Argent, imperially crowned Proper; mantled Or doubled Ermine |
| Blazon | Quarterly, I and IV Gules, three lions passant guardant in pale Or langued and armed Azure. II Or a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure within a double tressure flory-counter-flory Gules. III Azure a harp Or stringed Argent.; quarters for England and Scotland are exchanged in Scotland. |
| Supporters | On the dexter a lion rampant guardant Or langued and armed Gules, imperially crowned Proper. On the sinister a Unicorn rampant Argent armed crined and unguled Or, and gorged with a Coronet composed of crosses patee and fleurs-de-lis, a chain affixed thereto passing through the forelegs and reflexed over the back Or |
| Compartment | Tudor rose, Shamrock, and Thistle |
| Motto | French: Dieu et mon droit, lit. 'God and my right' |
| Order(s) | Order of the Garter Order of the Thistle (Scottish version) |
| Earlier version(s) | see below |
| Use | On all Acts of Parliament; the cover of all UK passports; various government departments; adapted for the reverse of coins of the pound sterling (2008) |
There are two versions of the arms: one used in Scotland, which includes distinctive Scottish elements, and one used elsewhere. The shield of each consists of four quarters depicting the lions of England, the lion of Scotland, and the harp of Ireland. The royal arms developed from the arms of the kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland; as the Kingdom of England included Wales the latter has never been represented individually. The arms serve as basis for the monarch's official flag, the Royal Standard.