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.

A Great Display of National and Provincial Heraldry

While wandering the streets of Victoria, British Columbia, I found myself walking by Confederation Garden Park which, in addition to having a lot of tourists (including me) and a large attractive fountain, has a great display of Canadian heraldry.

The central coat of arms is, of course, the full achievement of the arms of Canada:

And then, flanking the central achievement of arms, we find the coats of arms of the thirteen provinces of Canada:

On the left side, from left to right, the arms of Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario:

And on the right, from left to right, the arms of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut:

As you can see, although it took a bit of patient waiting and some careful timing, I did manage to get photographs of all of these shields without any tourists blocking the view.

And please feel free to click on any of the images above to go to a larger, more detailed picture to get the full effect of the detail in these coats of arms. They are well worth the look!

Anyway, it was nice to see such a great display of heraldry, right out there in the open for anyone walking by to enjoy!

Can You Guess Where I Went on My Most Recent Trip?

I recently came back from my first trip in two years. If I give you a heraldic clue, can you guess where I went?

Okay, not the clearest clue, I will admit. Is this one better? 

Here's another hint: here are the arms of the country I went to:

Many of you will recognize where I was now.

That's right! I was off in the "wilds" of British Columbia, Canada.

Specifically, I had returned to Victoria, British Columbia, for the annual general meeting of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada. (Jo Ann and I had gone to Victoria in 2007 for that year's annual general meeting of the RHSC. Alas, this trip had to be made on my own owing to her death from cancer last October.)

I didn't happen to run across any depictions of the arms of the city of Victoria, but as you can see below, there are plenty of portrayals of the arms of British Columbia to be found, especially in Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor, which we visited while we were there:

The arms of British Columbia are blazoned as: Argent three bars wavy Azure issuant from the base over all a demi sun in splendour Or a chief of the Royal Union Flag charged in the centre with an antique crown Or.

That blazon is taken from the website of the CHA, hence the British spellings of “centre” and “splendour”.*

Victoria is a lovely city in a beautiful setting, and it was nice to be able to spend some time again there, and to see the use of the provincial coat of arms in various places.

* I am reminded of the old saw:

   Q: What is the difference between grey and gray?

   A: Grey is a colour, while gray is a color.

Heraldry in the Wild

I've said it many times before, and it continues to prove true:

You can find heraldry everywhere!

The most recent occasion for me was on one of my regular visits to a local gym. (At my age, I've got to do what I can to keep my body from deteriorating further, so I try to get there four times a week: twice to work on building up the sometimes painful right shoulder (one of my docs thinks it's got arthritis) and a half hour of cardio; and twice for the aqua fitness program that helps me stay flexible.)

Anyway, as I said, there I was in the gym parking lot early one morning and right there out in the "wilds" of Cedar Hill, Texas, I saw this:

On a custom automobile license plate, the arms of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and just in case you didn't quite catch it, the plate was surrounded by a license plate holder proclaiming the driver to be a "proud member of S[outh]W[est] D[allas] C[ounty] A[lumnae]" Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta.

The Chapter's website notes that: "SWDCA is known for its diversity and leadership within the community. Our members are leaders in every facet of life within Delta Sigma Theta and their professional careers. With Service, Scholarship, Sisterhood, and Social Action at the forefront of our mission, SWDCA is a welcoming space for all members."

Delta Sigma Theta is a historically African American sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs that assist the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two women at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Membership is open to any woman, regardless of religion, race, or nationality.

And here's a clearer image of the sorority's coat of arms, taken from Wikipedia:

As heraldry, sure, there can be some quibbles about the design and choice of colors. (For example: The cream color used here has the same issue as Pope Leo XIV's recently announced coat of arms; is it supposed to be argent [white] or or [gold/yellow]? On the other hand, it is certainly no worse, and in many cases is distinctly better, than the "arms" of many other American collegiate fraternities and sororities.

Still and all, it was fun to run across a coat of arms unexpectedly, out in the "wild" of a local gym parking lot.

Heraldry In The News! Updated.

I know, I know! It's been a few weeks now, and I you probably think I should have gotten around to mentioning this heraldic news item sooner than this.

But frankly, there has been some controversy about this coat of arms since it first popped up in the news, and it's been my observation over the years that if you wait just a little while before commenting about something that may be a little controversial, things will settle down a bit and you can get more accurate information.

Well, that, and the fact that I'm no fan of the 24-hour news cycle generally, for pretty much the same reason.

Anyway, for the one or two of you who may not have heard yet, the Roman Catholic Church has a new Pope, elected just a few weeks after the passing of Pope Francis. The new American-born Pope has taken the name Leo XIV, and his coat of arms, with the Papal additaments, has hit the heraldic news world.

An early announcement, with an image and explanation of the new Pope's arms, was made by the Vatican News on their website at https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-05/pope-leo-xiv-official-explanation-coat-arms.html

And almost immediately, there were complaints about it both in news items generally as well as some of the heraldry blogs, newsgroups, and Facebook groups, with headlines like "Heraldry buffs demand answers on "confusing" background colour" (https://www.creativebloq.com/design/logos-icons/the-design-of-pope-leo-xivs-coat-of-arms-is-proving-to-be-surprisingly-controversial), based primarily on the fact that the tincture in the lower part of the shield was said to be of a "light background" that in appearance is neither Argent nor Or, but rather a kind of cream color. (See also https://mymodernmet.com/pope-leo-xiv-portrait-signature-coat-of-arms/)

Other stories with similar, though sometimes slightly different, explanations of the various elements of the arms can be found at https://www.msn.com/en-ie/lifestyle/lifestylegeneral/pope-leo-xiv-s-new-coat-of-arms-a-symbol-of-unity-and-faith/ar-AA1EMh8k , https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/pope-leo-xivs-new-coat-of-arms-a-blend-of-faith-and-tradition/ar-AA1EMGXL, and https://www.inkl.com/news/what-pope-leo-xiv-s-coat-of-arms-and-motto-reveal-about-his-dedication-to-the-ideals-of-st-augustine-an-art-historian-explains, all appeared within days.

Finally, though, the Vatican issued an "official" portrait of Pope Leo XIV along with his signature and depiction of his coat of arms with the Papal additaments. See if you can spot the difference in the official version from the earlier ones.

Yeah, I know it may be a little hard to see here. Let me help. Here's an enlarged version of the arms taken from the image above.

The lower half of the shield is no longer "light" or "cream" or whatever you want to call the "neither argent nor or" of the earlier depictions. Here, in the official version, it is clearly the same argent as appears in the fleur-de-lis, one of the two keys of St. Peter behind the shield, and the white portions of the Papal tiara.

So by waiting just a few days, the "controversy" over the new Pope's arms has been settled, all without any help, or complaint, from me.

Lesson learned? I hope so.

People? It's no longer a "'confusing' background colour"; it's argent.*

* Except if it isn't? Since writing this post, I have found other "official portraits" of the Pope where the coat of arms is still in that "cream" color, clearly different from argent. For example: https://www.nashvillecatholic.org/news/posts/vatican-releases-official-portrait-of-pope-leo-xiv; https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/1knyoga/official_portrait_of_pope_leo_xiv/; https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/pope-leo-xivs-portrait/; and https://www.instagram.com/p/DJt8FBFOisR/

So the confusion continues.

And just when I thought it had been locked down.

And then again ... just today (Tuesday, May 27) I ran across yet another entry in the "Is it white or is it cream?" debate, in the form of this photograph:

This is the official banner with the Pope's coat of arms that hangs outside the window of the Apostolic Palace. Note that it does have the color of the lower half of the shield as argent (white).

So I'm going to try to put a peg in this again, and rule definitively that the shield is Per bend sinister azure and argent!

Heraldry in the News!

It's taken a little time (but then, it always has!), but King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland now has his very own Great Seal.

One of the best stories I've seen about this was a May 10, 2025 article over on Royal Central, which you can see on-line at https://royalcentral.co.uk/royal-news/king-charles-iiis-great-seal-of-the-realm-unveiled-210198/

The article contains some images from the Royal Mint of the obverse and reverse of the new Great Seal.

The obverse (front side) of the seal has a very well done image of Charles III seated on a throne, and the reverse (back side) has a nice image of the Royal Arms, updated with the Tudor crown which Charles prefers.

I think all that is well and good, but I have a question about one part of the new seal.

It contains the expected Latin inscription around the outer edge, but ...

... if you take a close look at the inscription, which I have mirrored in the image immediately above so it is easier to read (and you can click on this image to go to a larger version which is even more clear), beginning at the 12 o'clock position and running clockwise around the seal. It is all in Latin except for one word: the King's name is given in its English form ("Charles") rather than its Latin equivalent ("Carolus").

Now, I will admit to finding the use of Charles rather than Carolus a little jarring in an otherwise entirely Latin inscription, but as a good friend of mine told me, "You're expecting consistency from the English. Ain't gonna happen. That ship sailed when Edward VII died."

So maybe I am, even as an historian, asking a little too much by expecting an otherwise entirely Latin inscription to use the Latin form of the King's name. And, truthfully, it's really a pretty minor quibble.

But don't you have to be impressed by the engraver's art here? I know I am.