What Is This Coat of Arms Doing on an American Television Show?

I sometimes catch an episode or two of an American court TV show called "Court Cam" on A&E, the "Arts and Entertainment Network."

I watch it because, just like one of the police shows I watch, "On Patrol Live" (which I like to subtitle: "Or, a Series of Unfortunate Decisions"), it makes me feel ever so much better about my own somewhat humdrum, rather boring life. I mean, I clearly do not face the issues that a lot of these folks are having to deal with, which are often of their own making. Did you ever watch someone who was maybe, at most, going to get a traffic ticket, somehow talk and/or act themselves into a felony arrest? That has never, ever, happened to me, nor is it likely to occur at any time in my future.

Anyway, as I was saying, I occasionally catch an episode of "Court Cam", and have noticed that they use a few stock photos of courtroom interiors during the show. And it was one of these courtroom photos, which they seem to use about once each episode, that caught my eye. Because it is most definitely not an American courtroom.

See if you can tell what I mean:

Some of you may see it right away. For others, click on the image above to go to the full-size screenshot in more detail.

Right away, as a heraldry enthusiast, I noticed that the coat of arms over the judge's seat is not the arms of the United States, nor that of any of its constituent states. No, those are the arms of the Republic of South Africa! And to help confirm that, the flag is the corner on the right is, yes indeed, the flag of the Republic of South Africa.

I'm guessing that some poor assistant or intern was asked by the producers of "Court Cam" to find some pictures of courtroom interiors that A&E could obtain rights for that they could use as filler material in the show. And, presumably that individual didn't understand that this particular courtroom interior was not that of any courtroom anywhere in the United States of America, which is what the rest of the program is all about.

Still, I'm probably only one out of, what: thousands? millions? of viewers who would notice something like that. And yet -- it still jars me just a little bit every time I see it.

How do you feel about it?

Reel Heraldry

In recent months, I've been checking the Turner Classic Movies channel every week looking for movies which I have never seen before, but which I believe I should have. And they manage to air a couple of movies each week which meet that standard. For example, last month I saw The Searchers for the first time. Another week, it was Hang 'Em High. Then it was The Bedford Incident with Richard Widmark, Martin Balsam, and Sidney Poitier. And more recently, I saw1953's Roman Holiday with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. So like I say, movies I have never seen but which I think I ought to have.

Anyway, at one point, a large plane from the unnamed English-speaking kingdom that Hepburn's princess comes from lands at the Rome, Italy airport and discharges a bunch of men who are there to search for her because she's gone AWOL and they want her back.

Be that as it may, it is clear that although Princess Ann's home country apparently speaks only English, she is definitely not from the United Kingdom, as the coat of arms on the side of the airplane clearly demonstrates:

Though the movie was shot in black and white, I can make some guesses as to the tinctures used here. My best guess at a blazon would be: Quarterly: 1, Quarterly gules and argent a griffin segreant sable; 2, Argent (or Or?) three fleurs-de-lis palewise in bend sable; 3, Azure an eagle displayed or; 4, Sable a cross of Lorraine argent; overall on a point pointed ployé [or embowed] argent an estoile [or perhaps sun] or.

Anyway, it was a fun little movie to watch, and I can now say that I have seen it.

And, too, it is proof once again, that you can find heraldry everywhere! Even if it's only a fictional coat of arms appearing for all of four seconds in a late-night showing of an old movie.

One Memorial, Two Coats of Arms

London, England, is a sightseers paradise as far as monuments go. You can hardly walk more than a block or two without finding another monument.

For example:

And that's just the top of the monument! Here's the base:

You just have to know it's big when you can't get the entire height on a single photo!

Yes, those are coats of arms hanging from the wreath encircling the marble upright pole. I was distracted by the lions and coats of arms on the pedestal, and so failed to take a close-up of them when I was there. And the detail is not sufficient to identify them upon enlarging the above picture. The same situation appears on each of the photographs of this monument that I have found on-line. Sorry about that! If I ever get to return to London, I will make it a point to circle the monument and get detailed photos of those shields.

But, yeah, this is what was distracting me:

The entire construction is the Lord Raglan Memorial Column, situated, as you can tell from the first two pictures, not far from the Parliament Buildings.

FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan of Raglan, Field Marshal in the Army, G.C.B., and commander-in-chief of the army in the Crimea (1788-1855). He was the youngest son of Henry, 5th Duke of Beaufort, and raised to the peerage as Baron Raglan 26 October 1852. He was aide-de-camp and military secretary to Field-Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, in the Peninsula and France, and was present and lost an arm at the Battle of Waterloo. (It is he for whom the Raglan sleeve is so named.) He became a Field-Marshal in 1854, and died 28 June 1855 during the siege of Sebastopol, Crimea.

His arms, which appear on the monument, are: Quarterly France and England within a bordure compony argent and azure (Somerset).

We have seen these arms before, in Cambridge, in the arms of Christ’s College and of St. John’s College, both of whom use the arms of their founder, Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby. The House of Beaufort continues to exist in an illegitimate line descended from Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, the illegitimate son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset.

So are these the arms of Beaufort, or the arms of Somerset? The possibly confusing answer is: Yes. With the bonus that they are also the arms of Christ’s College, Cambridge, and of St. John’s College, Cambridge. Do we fully understand English heraldry yet? No. No, we do not.

There is another coat of arms at the base of the column:

Here's a closer view:

These arms are, of course, those of the Westminster Abbey, Azure a cross patonce between five martlets and on a chief or a pale quarterly France modern and England between two Tudor roses barbed and seeded proper, which we have seen before in this blog.

All in all, quite an impressive, and heraldic, memorial.

Heraldry in the Wild, Redux

So there I was, just driving back to the gym on a rainy Monday morning, and ended up at a stop light herer in beautiful suburban Duncanville, Texas, behind a car with heraldry on its license plate.

I thought the arms looked somewhat familiar, but not having a whole lot of time to think it all through (the traffic lights at that intersection cycle through pretty quickly, so there's not much time to waste there), I quickly grabbed my phone and grabbed a photograph before the light changed.

Looking at it on my computer later, I felt almost certain that I had seen that coat of arms before.

The arms are, of course, those of the sorority Delta Sigma Theta.

Taking that identification and looking through my files (I keep a folder on my PC that contains pictures of heraldry that I have taken and identified over the years, making it much easier to see if indeed I have seen a particular coat of arms before, whether in the same or a different location), wouldn't you know? I had seen them before, on a different car, in a different (but nearby) city, Cedar Hill, Texas.

You can see what I had to say about that particular find in my post on this blog dated May 28, 2025, found here: http://blog.appletonstudios.com/2025/05/heraldry-in-wild.html

All in all, an interesting coincidence, that I would see the arms of this sorority on two different cars in two different cities on two different dates.

But I am most grateful that we now own phones that take pictures, so that when we're waiting at a stoplight and see a piece of heraldry, we can grab a shot of it before the light changes and we all have to drive off.

One Bank, Two Heraldic Logos

Well, technically, I suppose, it's not just "one bank", as one of the two was merged, with other banks, into the other.

But still ... they are both on the same building, so there's that.

Wandering about the busy streets of London, photographing about every piece of heraldry I could see, I came to Fleet Street, and a building with the following two armorial signs hanging from its facade.

This is the quasi-heraldic logo of Goslings Bank. If I were to offer to blazon this sign, it would turn out to be something like: Or three red squirrels sejant erect one and two, the lower two addorsed, each cracking a nut proper.

That is, squirrels doing what squirrels do:

Fitting symbols for a bank, I think, implying both thrift and saving up for the future.

Goslings Bank was a historical English private bank, located since at least 1743 at No. 19 Fleet Street, London, and identified to customers by a hanging signboard depicting three squirrels.

The bank originated in the business of Henry Pinckney, a goldsmith-banker who began trading in about 1650 at the sign of the Three Squirrels. The business passed through various hands until it came under the sole ownership of Thomas Ward, following the death of his partner in 1742. Benjamin Sharpe was a clerk at the Bank and was taken into partnership in 1794 and the name of the firm was changed to the Goslings and Sharpe. In 1896, Goslings and Sharpe became one of the twenty constituent banks that merged to form Barclay and Company.

The Goslings name is perpetuated by Barclays Bank as part of the group's history, and in several practical ways. The three squirrels sign is still maintained outside the Fleet Street branch at 19 Fleet Street, and the Goslings name is still printed on cheques issued at that branch, as it has been since the 1896 merger.

So, Goslings Bank having been merged into Barclays Bank, here we have the older version of the Barclays Bank logo, Argent an eagle displayed sable charged with three crowns argent.

We have seen the newer Barclays logo in our travels to York, which is basically An eagle displayed azure, sometimes on a black field, as in this photo.

Anyway, it's nice to see that the history of the building and its resident bank(s) is still preserved out here on the streets of London, England.

Just sayin'.

A Couple of Heraldic "Strays" in London

I swear, sometimes you just don't know what you're going to find someplace. No, really! Something unexpected, in an unexpected place.

For example, I ran across a foreign shield in, of all places, the Supreme Court Building in London.

I know that it was in the Supreme Court Building, because this is the photograph I took as we entered:

See? "The Supreme Court" big as life.

Anyway, down a hall in the interior, we came across this shield:

Now, I know what you're saying. You're thinking, "Wait a minute! Isn't that the arms of the kingdom of Norway?"

Why, yes. Yes, it is. And I have no doubt that there is a good reason for its placement here. But it is certainly not what I was expecting when I walked in through the doors!

You either, I suppose.

Anyway, a little later and a little ways down the street, up pops another, clearly non-English, coat of arms.

A scarf with the arms of the Football Club of Barcelona, Spain! (I love their motto: "More than a club.")

I have to admit, I have seen these arms more than once over the years, and never, having not traveled to Barcelona or even Spain yet, where I expect to find them. I've seen them on a couple of different vehicles here in the Dallas, Texas area (see the photo immediately below for one example), and now I've seen them in London, England.

Admittedly, though, they probably shouldn't have been as complete a surprise as they were here in London, as this was a street vendor selling, among other things, other football paraphernalia. For example:

The logo/heraldry of the Chelsea Football Club. Admittedly, this last makes more sense to me, since, unless my education has severely let me down, Chelsea is actually in England!

But for Norway and for the Football Club of Barcelona, I have to admit to some surprise at running across these heraldic "strays" so far away from their native home, and here in London, England.

Once Again, the Ubiquitous Empty Shield

No trip to Victoria, British Columbia, could be complete without at least mentioning the queen of Victoria's Inner Harbor, the historic luxury hotel, The Empress.

And, indeed, it is quite an imposing building.

But for all of the money spent in designing, creating, and building this impressive edifice, with a full range of possibilities for heraldic display, did they decide to go with a row of five plain, unadorned (except for the foliage surrounding them), and empty shields?

Once again, I find myself saddened by the missed opportunity for a display of actual heraldry that could have been used to add just that "little bit more" to an historic building.

What could have been added there? For starters, how about the arms of the Empress for whom the hotel, not to mention the city in which it resides, is named? Why not place the arms of Queen Victoria prominently here on the facade of the building?

Why not the arms of the Province of British Columbia? The arms of Canada? The personal arms of whoever was Lieutenant Governor at the time of the hotel's construction? Or those of one or more prominent Victoria personages?

But the most important question, at least to me, is: Why, oh why, create a motif that is so very clearly meant to invoke the aura and charm, the mystery and wonder, of heraldry, but include no actual heraldry in it?

Once again I found myself tempted to get a long ladder and a few quarts of paint, and "fix it." I didn't actually do that, but I sure wanted to!

Real Heraldry or Reel Heraldry?

Finding myself with a lot more "free" time in the evenings that I used to have, I set myself the goal of watching a bunch of old movies that I haven't seen before but which I feel like I ought to have seen.

Some of these old movies that I've been watching are more what I would call "general interest", like The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, or The Lady from Shanghai. I know, right? Shocking that I haven't seen them before now. But there you go.

Others, though, interest me as a historian, and as an academic herald, and as a long-time reviewer of movies set in the Renaissance, Middle Ages, or earlier. (Though I have retired from writing any new reviews of such movies I may run across, each month I publish a re-run of an earlier review. These can be found on my website at http://www.appletonstudios.com/movies2.htm)

Anyway, it was while watching one of these historical movies, 1936's Mary of Scotland, starring Katherine Hepburn in the title role, Frederic March, and Florence Eldridge as Queen Elizabeth, that I noticed the heraldically-decorated ceiling in one scene and snapped a screenshot:

Nice, right?

I already know that it’s a lot to ask, that a movie made back in the 1930s would use real heraldry instead of something just made up to add “ambience” to the movie set. Still, I thought I recognized at least a couple of the coats of arms in this ceiling, and so started doing some research.

I began by doing some research to find out where the movie was shot, because if it was shot on location, then perhaps I could find out where this ceiling is and obtain information about the arms here. As it turns out, though, this movie was filmed back in the days when location shots were deemed way to expensive, and Mary of Scotland was filmed on the RKO Studios lot in California.

Still, having recognized some of the arms shown here, I thought maybe someone had done some real research to make accurate coats of arms for this painted ceiling, so I pulled out a bunch of my Scottish heraldry books, most notably the facsimile rolls of arms produced by the Heraldry Society of Scotland, to see what I could find.

Alas, there are more shields here than I have been able to positively identify, or even provisionally identify, but still:

In the ceiling, beginning with the top row, the third shield from the left is the very well-known arms of Campbell, Earl of Argyll (Quarterly: 1 and 4, Gyronny argent and sable (Campbell); 2 and 3, Or a galley rigged and sail furled sable (Lordship of Lorne))

The fourth shield in that row is Graham, Earl of Montrose (Quarterly: 1 and 4, Or on a chief sable three escallops or (Graham); 2 and 3, Argent three roses gules (Earldom of Montrose))

In the second row, the fourth shield from the left is Hay, Lord Yester (Quarterly: 1 and 4, Sable three cinquefoils argent pierced (Fraser of Oliver Castle); 2 and 3, Gules two bars argent (Gifford of Yester), overall an inescutcheon Or three escutcheons azure (Hay of Locherworth))

In the third row from the top, the third shield from the left is either Bruce of Clackmannan or Bruce of Airth (Or a saltire and on a chief gules in dexter a mullet or)

And the fourth shield from the left in that row may be Elphinstone, Lord Elphinstone, but the tinctures of charges seems to be reversed (Argent a chevron sable between three boar’s heads couped gules)

Now, the fact that I could not definitively identify any of the other coats of arms in this movie backlot ceiling doesn't mean that they aren't real coats of arms. Indeed, there are a couple of them I feel like I have seen before. But are they Scottish arms? Or English? Or from somewhere else? I have no idea, and there is very little additional information to go on which could lead to further research. A color picture would be of immense assistance, but even though this is in grainy black and white, it's certainly possible to guess as some of the colors here. And, of course, the resolution of the image makes it hard to even determine what some of the charges are supposed to be. For example, the first shield in the second row; what are the charges around the chevron? Are they roses? Are they leopard's faces? Or are they some other, roughly roundish, items?

But I've only got so much "free" time, and at least some of that is now being taken up in watching old movies that I haven't seen yet but feel that I ought to have, so I am posting this picture from this movie with the few identifications that I have been able to make. These identifications help support my original feelings on seeing them that they are real coats of arms; I just don't know whose, or from whence they originate.

If you happen to recognize any of these shields (and you can always click on the screenshot above to see the larger and thus more detailed image), please feel free to put your identification into a comment below. The more information we can get about these arms, the better we can determine if they are all Real Heraldry, or Reel Heraldry.

Portraits and Arms of Lieutenant Governors of British Columbia, Part 2

Finishing off our review of the portraits and coats of arms of recent Lieutenant Governors of British Columbia in the hallway at Government House, Victoria, BC, we have the following:

Col. Iona Campagnolo, Lieutenant-Governor 2001-2007. Azure two pallets wavy, overall a double arched bridge Argent masoned Azure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iona_Campagnolo

Steven L. Point, Lieutenant-Governor 2007-2012. Azure a serpent with a head at each end in base respectant Argent its back enarched and set with fusils Sable, in chief five mullets in chevron Or. The double-headed serpent emblem was given to him by his father, who was from the Musqueam Indian Band. The five stars allude to the Five Star canoe club, which was named after a constellation of stars important to his people. In forming a chevron, they come to a point, making an allusion to his name. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Point

Judith Guichon, Lieutenant-Governor 2012-2018. Vert a base enarched Or overall a bluebunch wheatgrass plant eradicated counterchanged. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Guichon

Janet Austin, Lieutenant-Governor 2018-2025. Azure on a chevron engrailed between three Latin crosses Or, three roses Gules barbed Vert seeded Or. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Austin

And this ends not only our look at the portraits and coats of arms of seven recent Lieutenant Governors, but also our review of the heraldry found and photographed in Government House, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Next time, who know where we'll be? Wherever it is, there will be heraldry to see!

Portraits and Arms of Lieutenant Governors of British Columbia, Part 1

In Canada, a lieutenant governor (it was explained for the Americans among the visitors to Government House in Victoria, British Columbia, that it is pronounced LEF-tenant Governor, and not LOO-tenant Governor) is the representative of the King of Canada in the government of each province. The governor general of Canada appoints the lieutenant governors on the advice of the prime minister of Canada to carry out most of the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties for an unfixed period of time—known as serving "His Excellency’s pleasure" – though five years is the normal convention. (Wikipedia)

Down one of the main hallways off the front foyer were portraits and shields of their arms of seven recent lieutenant governors, excepting the incumbent, Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia, who was appointed on January 20, 2025, and whose portrait had at that time (April 25) not yet been painted.

For those Lieutenant Governors whose portraits and coats of arms are to be found in the hallway, we have:

Col. Robert Gordon Rogers, Lieutenant-Governor 1983-1988. We have seen Col. Rogers' arms before in the large stained glass window in the main stairwell at Government House. Or an eagle displayed Azure beaked and legged Gules charged on the breast and wings with three escutcheons Or each charged with a pine tree Proper. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gordon_Rogers His obituary can still be found on-line at https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/timescolonist/name/robert-rogers-obituary?id=45121174

David See-Chai Lam, Lieutenant-Governor 1988-1995. Gules a Chinese dragon Or reaching for a pearl Argent on a chief Or a Latin cross Gules between two pine trees Vert. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lam

Col. Garde B. Gardom, Lieutenant-Governor 1995-2001. Or an open book Argent bound Azure charged with a representation of the Mace of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in bend Or between a chief dancetty of five and in base three barrulets wavy Azure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garde_Gardom

Next time, the four remaining portraits and arms of Lieutenant Governors of British Columbia in the hallway at Government House.

More Arms of Governors General of Canada in Government House

To finish our look at the "architectural liber amicorum" that is the stairwell in Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of the Province of British Columbia, we now come to the other side of the stairwell displaying arms of Governors General who have visited and stayed overnight at Government House.

Once again, I recommend clicking on the photographs below to see the larger, more detailed pictures.

And here, too, I am including links to each Governor General's Wikipedia page for those of you who would like to see a little more about these individuals.

On the left, you can just see a portion of the sinister side of the shield of Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, Governor General 1921-1926. Quarterly Sable and Argent in the first quarter a lion rampant of the second over all in bend sinister a representation of the colours of the 31st Regiment a crescent Gules for difference. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Byng,_1st_Viscount_Byng_of_Vimy

Here's an image of his arms taken from Wikimedia:

For the rest of the arms down this set of stairs, we have, from left to right:

Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough, Governor General 1931-1935. Gules a chevron between three combs Argent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vere_Ponsonby,_9th_Earl_of_Bessborough

Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, Governor General 1940-1946. Quarterly: 1st & 4th grand-quarters, The Royal Arms as borne by a son King George III, differenced by a Label of three-points Argent, the centre point charged with a Cross Gules, and each of the other points with two Hearts in pale Gules; 2nd & 3rd grand-quarters, Or, three Stags' Attires fesswise in pale, the points of each Attire to the sinister Sable, impaling Or three Lions passant in pale Sable, langued Gules, the dexter forepaws Gules; overall an Inescutcheon lozengy bendy sinister Sable and Or (Teck); Over all at the fess point a Crescent Sable for difference. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Cambridge,_1st_Earl_of_Athlone

Vincent Massey, Governor General 1952-1959. Argent, on a Chevron Sable between three Lozenges of the last, each charged with a Fleur de Lis of the first, three Stags' Heads erased Or. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Massey

Roland Michener, Governor General 1967-1974. Azure four bendlets interlaced in saltire between in chief a representation of the Royal Crown Or and in base a Fleur de Lis Or. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_Michener

And finally, on the right in this photograph and on the left of the next one, Edward Schreyer, Governor General 1969-1977. Per pale Or and Vert a pale wavy of four Azure and Argent in chief a plate displaying a cross Gules charged with the Royal Crown proper; in dexter base a pomeis charged with a garb Or and in sinister base a bezant charged with a fir tree Vert. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Schreyer

Continuing from left to right in this photo, following Edward Schryer, we find the arms of:

Ray Hnatyshyn, Governor General of Canada, 1990-1885. Per fess Bleu Céleste and Or in chief a lion passant guardant Or royally crowned proper holding in its dexter paw a maple leaf Gules fimbriated Or in base a lion passant guardant Bleu Céleste holding in its dexter paw a heart Gules. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Hnatyshyn

Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General, 1999-2005. Gules a Chinese phoenix regarding a lightning flash and rising from flames issuant from a maple leaf the whole ensigned by a representation of the Royal Crown all Or. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrienne_Clarkson

David Johnston, Governor General 2010-2017. Argent fretty Sable, on a chief Gules the Royal Crown between two open books Or. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Johnston_(governor_general)

Julie Payette, Governor General 2017-2021. Ms. Payette is a former astronaut, and the full achievement of her arms substitutes an astronaut's helmet for the usual metal helm. Per pale Azure and Sable a wing and in the canton the Royal Crown Argent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Payette

Mary Simon, Governor General 2021-present. Argent an annulet, overall a fess nowy Azure charged with the Royal Crown Argent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Simon

Next time, the coats of arms of some of the Lieutenant Governors of the Province of British Columbia to be seen in Government House.

Heraldry of Governors General of Canada at Government House

Having looked at the coats of arms of Royal visitors to Government House in Victoria, British Columbia, today we're going to begin seeing the arms of various Governors General of Canada* whose visits to, and overnight stays at, Government House are commemorated in the main stairwell there.

Once again, I recommend clicking on the image above to see the full-size version, where the shields and their elements are much easier to zoom into and see.

I have also included links to the individual Wikipedia articles about each of these Governors General should you wish to know more about them.

From left to right, we see the arms of Michaëlle Jean, Governor General 2005-2010. Sable a sand dollar ensigned by the Royal Crown Or. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micha%C3%ABlle_Jean

Roméo LeBlanc, Governor General 1995-1999. Argent on a pile Gules the Star of Acadia ensigned by a representation of the Royal Crown Or. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rom%C3%A9o_LeBlanc

 Jeanne Sauvé, Governor General 1984-1990. Azure the Mace of the House of Commons of Canada Or in bend between in chief an Eagle displayed Or bearing in its beak a bolt of lightning Gules and in base a Lion passant guardant Or imperially crowned proper holding in the dexter paw a Maple Leaf Gules fimbriated Or. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Sauv%C3%A9

Jules Léger, Governor General 1974-1979. Blue Céleste in chief an owl affronty hovering Argent in base a maple leaf ensigned by the Royal Crown both Or. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_L%C3%A9ger

Georges Vanier, Governor General 1959-1967. Or, a Chevron paly Azure and Gules of eight pieces charged with two swords Or between a fleur-de-lys Azure in dexter, trefoil Vert in sinister and in base the gate of La Citadelle of Quebec surmounted by the standard of the Governor General of Canada proper; in chief an oak tree proper. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Vanier

Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, Governor General 1946-1952. Per pale argent and sable a chevron and in base a crescent all counterchanged on a canton azure a harp or stringed argent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Alexander,_1st_Earl_Alexander_of_Tunis

John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, Governor General 1935-1940. Azure a fess between three lions' heads erased Argent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Buchan

Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon, Governor General 1926-1931. (Viceroy and Governor General of India, 1931-1936) Quarterly, 1st and 4th: Argent three lions rampant Gules a chief azure (Thomas); 2nd and 3rd: Ermine two pallets in pale Azure over all three fusils conjoined in fess Or (Freeman). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeman_Freeman-Thomas,_1st_Marquess_of_Willingdon

Here again, from left to right we see the arms of:

John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar, Governor General 1869-1872. Argent three piles Sable each charged with a trefoil slipped Or on a chief Sable three annulets Or and in canton the augmentation of a baronet being an inescutcheon a dexter hand erect couped at the wrist and appaumé Gules. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Young,_1st_Baron_Lisgar

John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll, Governor General 1878-1883. Quarterly: 1 and 4, Gyronny of eight or and sable (Campbell); 2 and 3, Argent a lymphad sable sails furled flag and pennants flying and oars in action proper (Lordship of Lorne). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Campbell,_9th_Duke_of_Argyll

Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, Governor General 1888-1903. Argent on a bend Azure three stags' heads caboshed Or a crescent Azure for difference. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Stanley,_16th_Earl_of_Derby

Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto, Governor General 1989-1904. Quarterly: 1 and 4 Grand-quarters: Quarterly: i and iv, Argent a hunting horn sable stringed gules on a chief azure three mullets argent (Murray of Melgund); ii and iii, Azure a chevron argent between three fleurs-de-lis or (Kynynmound of that Ilk); 2 and 3, Gules on a bend engrailed or a baton azure all within a bordure vair; Overall a chief of augmentation, Argent a Moor’s head in profile couped proper (arms of Corsica). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound,_4th_Earl_of_Minto

Next time, the arms of Governors General on the other side of the staircase.

* The Governor General of Canada is the federal representative of the Canadian monarch, currently King Charles III.

Royal Heraldry in the Stairwell at Government House

One of the heraldically interesting things that they have done at Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of the Province, in Victoria, British Columbia, is to display the coats of arms of important visitors: kings, queens, princes, princesses, and, of course, Governors General of the nation of Canada.

It is, if you will, an architectural liber amicorum, or "book of friends", whose visits to and overnight stays at Government House are remembered.

Today, we're going to look at the shields of some of their royal visitors which are displayed in the main staircase going from the ground floor up to the next one.

From left to right in this picture, we have the arms of:

His Majesty King George VI;

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, née Bowes-Lyon (more familiarly, to me at least, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother;

Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood, daughter of King George V (1897-1965). for those of you less familiar with her, Princess Mary has her own entry on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Princess_Royal_and_Countess_of_Harewood;

Queen Elizabeth II;

and Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel; born 25 December 1936) the only daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark.

And then we have, also from left to right:

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon;

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who visited in 1951;

Her Royal Highness, the Princess Elizabeth (shortly afterwards Queen Elizabeth II), also in 1951;

Prince George, Duke of Kent. Again, for those of you less familiar with Prince George, he has his own entry on Wikipedia at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_George,_Duke_of_Kent.

What a great way to commemorate the visits of members of the Royal Family over the years!

Smaller Coats of Arms in the Large Stained Glass Window in Government House

You may (or may not) have noticed some other coats of arms to be found in this large armorial stained glass window in Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of the Province of British Columbia, Canada.

Well, today we're going to look at those in more detail.

Once again, you will be served best by clicking on the images below to see the full-size version where the real detail in this window can be seen, as these individual panels are very small and hard to make out in the space allowed here.

In the lower left-hand portion of the window, among the panels which commemorate former Governors of the Province and Lieutenant Governors (each placed beneath the cyphers of the Crowns under which they served: Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King Edward VIII, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II), going from left to right we find the arms of:

Frederick Seymour: Governor of the United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, 1866-1869. Frederick Seymour was born on 6 September 1820 to Henry Augustus Seymour and Margaret Williams, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His father was the illegitimate son of Francis Seymour-Conway, 2nd Marquess of Hertford. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Seymour. The arms are: Quarterly: 1 and 4, Or on a pile gules between six fleurs-de-lis azure three lion passant guardant or; 2 and 3, Gules two wings conjoined in lure or; all within a bordure wavy ermine.

And further along:

Sir Henri Gustave Joly de Lotbinière: Lt. Governor 1900-1906. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri-Gustave_Joly_de_Lotbinière. Per fess Azure and Argent in chief perched on the trunk of a tree fesswise Or two partridges Argent all ensigned by the coronet of a French marquis Or and in base issuant from water three bulrushes proper.

Now, moving to the right-hand side of the window:

Here again, we move from left to right, to find the arms of:

Robert Randolph Bruce, Lt. Governor 1926-1931. Or a saltire on a chief engrailed Gules a beaver statant Argent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Randolph_Bruce

Walter Stewart Owen: Lt. Governor 1973-1978. (I have been unable to find a blazon of his arms. A very rough blazon would be: [Field] a sword erect with a hanging balance at its tip on a chief a crown between a [something round-ish] and a rose.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Stewart_Owen

Henry Bell-Irving: Lt. Governor 1978-1983. Quarterly first and fourth Argent three holly leaves proper second and third Azure on a fess Argent between three bells Argent two dogwood flowers proper leaved Vert seeded Or. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Pybus_Bell-Irving

Col. Robert Gordon Rogers. Lt. Governor 1983-1988. Or an eagle displayed Azure beaked and legged Gules charged on the breast and wings with three escutcheons Or each charged with a pine tree Proper. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gordon_Rogers

David C. Lam, Lt. Governor 1988-1995: Gules a Chinese dragon Or reaching for a pearl Argent on a chief Or a Latin cross Gules between two pine trees Vert. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lam

Col. Garde B. Gardom, Lt. Governor 1995-2001. Or an open book Argent bound Azure charged with a representation of the Mace of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in bend Or between a chief dancetty of five and in base three barrulets wavy Azure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garde_Gardom

More Arms in the Large Stained Glass Window in Government House

Getting back now to the big armorial stained glass window in Government House in Victoria, British Columbia, we're going to take a closer look at the other coats of arms to be found there.

As a reminder, here's the overview picture of the window in its entirety.

In the lower half of the window, in the second panel from the left, we find this achievement of arms:

These are the arms of Jeanne Sauvé, Governor General of Canada 1984-1990. Her arms are blazoned: Azure the Mace of the House of Commons of Canada Or in bend between in chief an Eagle displayed Or bearing in its beak a bolt of lightning Gules and in base a Lion passant guardant Or imperially crowned proper holding in the dexter paw a Maple Leaf Gules fimbriated Or. We will see these arms again a little later.

Looking again, still in the lower half of the window but in the second panel from the right, we see this achievement of arms:

These are the arms of Col. Robert Gordon Rogers, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia 1983-1988. His arms are blazoned: Or an eagle displayed azure beaked and legged gules charged on the breast and wings with three escutcheons or each charged with a pine tree proper. Crest: Issuant from a wreath of trillium flowers argent seeded or barbed vert a demi-eagle displayed azure gorged of a ducal cornet or. Motto: Aquila alte volat (The eagle flies high). Supporters: Two catamounts or semy-de-lys azure each gorged with a chaplet of maple leaves gules. We will see these arms again, too.

Coming up next time: More coats of arms from this amazing stained glass window.

It's International Heraldry Day!

Today is June 10, 2025, and once again it is time to celebrate International Heraldry Day!

Others have probably said it better than I could:

International Heraldry Day  focuses on one day each year when heraldry in all its forms is celebrated worldwide. Regardless of jurisdiction, geographic area, customs, favored styles and favored period, the community focuses on wider enjoyment of heraldry. The goal of the organizers is that eventually all heraldry enthusiasts will acknowledge the event in the years to come. The celebration was started in 2013 within the International Association of Amateur Heralds (IAAH). Tomasz Steifer (Poland), a Fellow of the IAAH described the effort:

“….We propose that this international day of heraldry at 10 June. On that day, in the year 1128, in Rouen was knighted, by his future father in law, Henry I Beauclerc, Godfrey Plantagenet. Suspended during the ceremony on the neck of [the] young knight [a] shield [of] blue decorated [with] six golden lions, [which] is recognized by most of the heralds, for the first time in history, [as a] fully formed coat of arms.”

Are we enthusiastic about this annual celebration of all things heraldic?

Why, yes. Yes, we are.

Though maybe not quite as much as some: "It’s like lions and unicorns and sinisters and rampants and shit and we’re like all over the slogans in Elvish and that yeah."

Anyway, Happy International Heraldry Day to you and yours!

An Armorial Stained Glass Window

During my recent trip to Victoria, British Columbia, the members of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada were treated to a visit to Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

And one of the treats that we saw while there was this large heraldic stained glass window:

I recommend clicking on the image above to see the full-size version of this picture.

At the center of the upper part of the window you can see the achievement of arms of Canada, above which is the arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland within the garter of the Order of the Garter and royally crowned, between the initials "E R", for Queen Elizabeth II.

The arms of Canada are flanked on the left by the arms of the United Kingdom, and on the right by the arms of the Hudson's Bay Company.

Here's an image of the Hudson's Bay Company arms that I took on my previous trip to Victoria way back in 2007.

But I digress.

In the center of the lower part of the window we find the achievement of arms of British Columbia, flanked on the left by the old arms of the Dominion of Canada (which are a shield combining the arms of the then-seven Provinces), and on the right by the arms of Canada as established in 1921 and as they are now.

Once again, I highly recommend that you click on the picture of the window to get to the larger version where you can see all of these arms more clearly.

Later, we'll look at some of the other coats of arms that are to be found in this lovely work of stained glass.