Kingdom of England

Gules, a lion passant, guardant Or.

Escudo de gules, un leopardo de oro.

Arms interpreted by me with: the shape of the coat of arms rounded; the field illuminated in Gules; the leopard illuminated in Or, outlined in Sable, and shaded; and the whole composition finished with a marble texture.

A description of the leopard in heraldry can be found in [Medél, R.; 1846; page 38].

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, One, Leopard and Or.

Style keywords: Rounded, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Marmoreal.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal, Coat of arms, Duchy of Aquitaine, Kingdom of France and Kingdom of England.

Bearer: Leonor de Aquitania.

Henry II Plantagenet, King of England, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, and Count of Nantes.

Gules, a lion rampant Or.

Escudo de gules, un león rampante de oro.

Existing arms interpreted by me as follows: the shield's shape is pointed; the field has been enamelled in flat Gules; the lion in Or has been outlined in Sable; and the whole composition has a rough texture finish.

It is believed that Henry I was the first King of England to have a coat of arms, featuring a single lion rampant, but no documentary evidence has yet been found [Rabbow, A.; 1999; paragraph 8].

[Ailes, A.; 1982; page 62] argues that Henry II may have used three different versions of his arms featuring a) a single lion rampant, b) two leopards, and c) three leopards. However, it remains unclear whether these versions were used sequentially over time or concurrently. For this interpretation, I have chosen the version with the lion rampant.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, One, Lion, Or and Rampant.

Style keywords: Pointed, Plain tincture, Outlined in sable and Rough.

Classification: Interpreted, Coat of arms, Personal, House of Plantagenet and Kingdom of England.

Bearer: Henry II of England.

Gules, three lions, passant, guardant, in pale Or, armed and langued Azure.

Escudo de gules, tres leopardos en palo de oro, armados y lampasados de azur.

Existing armorial bearings interpreted as follows: the shape of the shield is pointed and rounded; the field has been enamelled in flat Gules; the three leopards are outlined in Sable and illuminated in metal Or with details in Azure; and the whole composition has a watercolor finish..

In [Humphery-Smith, C.; 1983; paragraph 2] the coat of arms of Eleanor Plantagenet, Queen Consort of Castile, is described, as part of an analysis on the origin of the three leopards in the coat of arms of England. However, in this description, an error is made by replacing the V with an X in the numeral of her husband and king, thus naming Alfonso VIII of Castile as if he were King Alfonso XIII: «Eleanor who married Alfonso XIII, King of Castile and Leon, has depicted on her tomb in the Huelgas monastery of the Cistercian nuns at Burgos, a thirteenth-century shield depicting three crowned leopards (lions passant guardant) gold on red».

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, Or, Azure, Three, Leopard, Armed, Langued and In pale.

Style keywords: Ogee, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Watercolor.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal, Coat of arms, House of Plantagenet, Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Castile.

Bearer: Leonor Plantagenet.

Banner quarterly of sixteen: 1, 6, 11, and 16 Azure, three fleurs de lis Or; 2, 5, 12, and 15 Gules, three lions, passant, guardant, in pale Or, armed and langued Azure; 3, 8, 9, and 14 Gules, a castle triple towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 4, 7, 10, and 13 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or.

Pendón cuartelado de dieciseis: 1^o, 6^o, 11^o y 16^o de azur, tres flores de lis de oro; 2^o, 5^o, 12^o y 15^o de gules, tres leopardos en palo de oro, armados y lampasados de azur; 3^o, 8^o, 9^o y 14^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 4^o, 7^o, 10^o y 13^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, armado y lampasado de gules, coronado de oro.

Banner interpreted by me as follows: its shape preserves the 5x6 proportions of a shield; the field is enamelled with flat tinctures Gules and Azure; the castles, fleurs-de-lis, and leopards are outlined in Sable; but the lions are outlined in their field; and the finish of the banner is watercoloured.

I have interpreted it from a simplification of the banner appearing in [Edward IV of England; 1461; row 27, 1^st column, final banner], which reflects Edward IV’s aspirations to the throne of Castile and León. In that armorial, this banner is held by a «White Lion of March», which was the personal badge of Edward IV.

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Blazon keywords: Quarterly, Azure, Or, Three, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Gules, Leopard, Armed, Langued, In pale, Sable, One, Castle, Port and windows, Masoned, Argent, Purpure, Lion, Rampant and Crowned.

Style keywords: Rectangular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Outlined in the field tincture and Watercolor.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal, Flag, Banner of arms, Kingdom of England and House of York.

Bearer: Edward IV of England.

Lionheart ~ Corazón de León ~ Cœur de Lion.

Escudo de gules, dos leones de oro, afrontados, armados y lampasados de azur.

Coat of arms interpreted as follows: the mouth drawn as a semicircular (round) base; the field enamelled in a flat tint of Gules; the two lions outlined in the colour of the field and illuminated in Or and Azure; and the whole finished with a watercolour effect.

He was born in 1157, being the third of eight children of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, elder brother of Eleanor Plantagenet. He was king of England between 1189 and 1199, although he spent much of his life far from it; in fact, during his ten-year reign, he was on English soil only twice, which together did not amount even to six months. He died in 1199 in Normandy.

In 1198, during the Battle of Gisors, he supposedly used, as watchword or as motto, the expression «Dieu et mon Droit ~ God and my right». This phrase refers to his refusal to bow before Emperor Henry VI, since by his rank Richard acknowledged only God as superior. Later, Henry V of England adopted it as his motto, and since then it has been used by the British monarchy.

According to [Humphery-Smith, C.; 1983], Richard the Lionheart was the first English king who can be proved to have borne arms, although some of his predecessors may also have had them. He bases his statement on the existence of two seals of Richard I: on one, Richard bears a shield with a rampant lion, and on the other there already appear the three lions that are the forerunners of the arms of England. The use of this second seal does not imply that he stopped using the first.

In contrast, there are also British authors who maintain that his shield actually bore two affronted lions; this hypothesis is based on the lion on his first seal facing to sinister. That latter hypothesis is the one interpreted in this shield, remaining a purely artistic interpretation and without my entering into a complex and open discussion about how, when, and why the three leopards, «leones pasantes ~ lions passant» for the English, appeared —a discussion in which there are various alternatives— ranging from the combination of his hereditary arms to the wish to have more lions than his younger brother, who would later be King John I of England, to possible influences from other European realms.

This version of Richard I’s shield is similar to the imaginary shield of Hector of Troy, Gules with two lions Or affronté, which is a term used when «two things are placed facing each other, like two Lions, two Dogs, or other animals that look at one another» [Avilés, J.; 1725a; page 32].

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, Lion, Or, Combatant, Armed, Langued and Azure.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Freehand.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal, Coat of arms, House of Plantagenet and Kingdom of England.

Bearer: Richard I of England.

John Lackland ~ Juan sin Tierra ~ Sans-Terre.

Gules, three lions, passant, guardant, in pale Or, armed and langued Azure.

Escudo de gules, tres leopardos en palo de oro, armados y lampasados de azur.

Existing arms interpreted as follows: the mouth of the coat of arms is semicircular (round); the field has been enamelled in a flat tint of Gules; the three leopards are outlined in Sable and illuminated in Or and Azure; and the whole is executed with a raised-stroke effect.

Regarding this version of the shield of John I, [Humphery-Smith, C.; 1983] writes that «Richard's younger brother John... bore two lions because he was a junior member of the Plantagenet line», thus showing his belonging to a second level of the ruling family, although, after his brother Richard I of England, he not only ended up being king but it was also his line of succession that continued to reign in England.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, Or, Azure, Three, Leopard, Armed, Langued and In pale.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Freehand.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal, Coat of arms, House of Plantagenet and Kingdom of England.

Bearer: John I of England.

King of England, Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine from the year 1216 to the year 1272

Gules, three lions, passant, guardant, in pale Or, armed and langued Azure.

Escudo de gules, tres leopardos en palo de oro, armados y lampasados de azur.

Coat of arms interpreted as follows: the mouth of the shield is semicircular (round); its field has been enamelled in a flat tint of Gules; its leopards are illuminated in Or and Azure and outlined in Sable; and the whole has a finish of aged parchment.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, Or, Azure, Three, Leopard, Armed, Langued and In pale.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Old parchment.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal, Coat of arms, House of Plantagenet and Kingdom of England.

Bearer: Henry III of England.

The one with the Cross on his back ~ Crouchback (1245–1296)

Arms of England; overall, a label Azure of three points, each charged with three fleurs-de-lis Or in pale.

Arms interpreted as follows: the mouth of the shield is semicircular (round); the field enamelled in a flat tint of Gules; the label and figures illuminated in Or and Azure and outlined in Sable; and the whole finished with a watercolour effect.

He was the second son of King Henry III of England, and took part in the Ninth Crusade, hence the epithet «Cross on the back».

In 1253 he was appointed Earl of Chester, holding dominion, among others, over the county of Cheshire, but the following year Pope Innocent IV granted him the crown of Sicily, so he ceded his earldom to his elder brother Edward I of England, however, he never came to occupy the throne of Sicily.

The label is an honourable ordinary and also «a kind of mark of cadency, and the most noble of all those used to differentiate the Arms of the younger sons of a House» [Avilés, J.; 1725a; page 248] and it can likewise be used by the eldest son while his father's arms are still in use, ceasing to bear the label when he inherits his father’s coat. When both the eldest and the second son bear a label, the latter’s label then has more points or is charged with figures to distinguish it.

The label is constructed with «a fillet, which is one-ninth of the width of the chief, with three pendants in the form of carpentry wedges or ill-shaped triangles, joined to it without any line of separation, falling twice as far as the fillet is wide, two placed at the ends and one in the middle, its usual position being in the centre of the chief’s length, without reaching the edges of the shield» [Avilés, J.; 1725a; page 248].

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, Or, Azure, Three, Leopard, Armed, Langued, In pale, Surmounted, Overall (deprecated), Label, Suspended, Charged and Fleur de lis.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Watercolor.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal, Coat of arms, House of Plantagenet and Kingdom of England.

Bearer: Edmund Plantagenet.

King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307.

Gules, three lions, passant, guardant, in pale Or, armed and langued Azure.

Escudo de gules, tres leopardos en palo de oro, armados y lampasados de azur.

Coat of arms interpreted with the following features: the mouth is semicircular (round); the field enamelled in a flat tint of Gules; the three leopards illuminated in the metal Or and the colour Azure, outlined in Sable, and the leopard closest to the base has a different shape and size; and the whole finished with a fabric-like texture.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, Or, Azure, Three, Leopard, Armed, Langued and In pale.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Fabric.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal, Coat of arms, House of Plantagenet and Kingdom of England.

Bearer: Edward I of England.

First Prince of Wales from 1301 to 1307, King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 to 1327.

Gules, three lions, passant, guardant, in pale Or, armed and langued Azure.

Escudo de gules, tres leopardos en palo de oro, armados y lampasados de azur.

Coat of arms interpreted as follows: the mouth rounded; the field illuminated Gules; the figures illuminated in Or and Azure, outlined in Sable, and the third leopard slightly smaller; and the whole finished with a plastered effect.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, Or, Azure, Three, Leopard, Armed, Langued and In pale.

Style keywords: Rounded, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Gesso.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal, Coat of arms, House of Plantagenet and Kingdom of England.

Bearer: Edward II of England.

Azure, a bend between six covered cups Or.

Escudo de azur, una banda acompañada de seis copas todo de oro.

Illuminated with lights and shadows and with a freehand finish.

Around 1155, Beatrix de Villers married Richard le Boteler Pincerna, who became the 4^th Baron of Warrington. The heir of Beatrix and Richard took the surname «le Boteler» and ruled the Warrington region, bearing arms Azure, a bend between six covered cups Or.

In Castilian, a «copa» has a lid and is referred to as a «covered cup» in English. When it doesn't have a lid, it's called a «cup» in English and a «cáliz» or «copón» in Castilian, the latter being a less preferred term for me. In English, the term «chalice» is also used, especially if it's adorned with gemstones, although that's more of an artistic license.

Naipes Heraclio Fournier is a renowned Spanish playing card manufacturer based in Villareal de Álava. The countless hours I have spent holding its cards in my hands are incalculable, whether playing with friends, opponents, or performing magic tricks. Its influence on my heraldic artwork is significant. For instance, in this covered cup.

The following image shows my covered cup and my two interpretations of his arms: 1) the most commonly viewed, and 2) my alternative layout.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Azure, One, Bend, Between, Six, Covered cup and Or.

Style keywords: Freehand, Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Semi-circular.

Classification: Interpreted and Kingdom of England.

Bearer: Boteler of Warrington.

Coat of arms of Thomas Grenville sculpted in St Mary's Church, Bideford, Devon, United Kingdom.

Gules, three Clarions Or.

On a field of gules, three clarions of gold can be seen in the dexter canton of the base of the main shield of [Tewkesbury; Century XVII; folio 24r] and on 8 other coats of arms in this armorial.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, Three, Clarion and Or.

Style keywords: Freehand, Plain tincture and Illuminated.

Classification: Interpreted, Kingdom of England and Photographic.

Bearer: Grenville, Thomas.

Blazon of the Talbot lineage of England.

Escudo de gules, un león rampante dentro de una bordura angrelada todo oro.

Gules, a lion rampant within a bordure engrailed Or.

Illuminated with lights and shadows and with a freehand finish.

[Rietstap, J. B.; 1861] writes it in French as «de gueules, au lion d'or, à la bordure engrelée du même». y [Burke, J.; 1836; volume 3, pages 359-360] writes it in English as «Gu. a lion rampant, within a bordure engr. or».

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, One, Lion, Rampant, Within, Bordure, Engrailed and Or.

Style keywords: Freehand, Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Semi-circular.

Classification: Interpreted, Lineage and Kingdom of England.

Blazon of the Aldam lineage of England.

Azure, a ray of the sun bendwise, issuant from the dexter chief Or.

Escudo de azur, un rayo de sol puesto en banda, naciente de la diestra del jefe de oro.

Illuminated with lights and shadows and with a freehand finish.

Described in [Burke, B.; 1989; page 9, column 1, entry 11].

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Azure, One, Ray of the sun, Bendwise, Nascent, Dexter, Chief and Or.

Style keywords: Freehand, Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Semi-circular.

Classification: Interpreted, Lineage and Kingdom of England.

Adrian Ailes, «The Origins of the Royal Arms of England: Their Development to 1199», foreword by Rodney Dennys, includes 27 black and white illustrations, Graduate Centre for Medieval Studies, Reading University, 126 pages, ISBN 07-049077-6-3, Reading, Berkshire, 1982.

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An article reviewing this book is: Brigitte Bedos Rezak, Archives nationales de Paris and Metropolitan Museum of Art, «The Origins of the Royal Arms of England, their Development to 1199 by Adrian Ailes», Speculum, volume 60, number 2, pages 373-376, Medieval Academy of America, Cambridge, Massachusetts, April of 1985.

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Bibliographical reference of century XX.

Author: Ailes, Adrian.

The following article cites this bibliographic reference:

• Henry II of England

External resource:

• Google Books.

«Charles's Roll», containing 486 painted coats of arms, it is an English roll of arms dating from c. 1285.

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Charles' Roll, housed in the Society of Antiquaries, London, and cataloged as MS517, is a 15^th-century English roll of arms, originally created around 1285, containing 486 painted coats of arms. The antiquary James Robinson Planché identified «Charles's Roll» as a copy of a mid-13th-century roll, British Library, Harley MS 6589, featuring nearly 700 coats of arms, drawn by Nicholas Charles, Lancaster Herald, in 1607. Charles mentioned that the original roll had been lent to him by the Norroy King of Arms.

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Bibliographical reference of century XIII.

Classification: Armorial roll, Manuscript and In color.

The author is anonymous.

Edward IV King of England and Lord of Ireland, «The Armorial of Edward IV», «The Edward IV Roll», armorial in the form of a roll about 6 meters long, created to celebrate the coronation of Edward IV as the first King of England from the House of York and illustrated, probably, by different artists, 1461.

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The image illustrating this reference corresponds to the banner, which is number 27 in the 2^nd column, the final one of this armorial. This banner is held by a white deer, which was a personal badge of King Richard II of England, and also, two white deer were the supporters of his shield. The reason for the inclusion of this white deer might be to contribute to the legitimization of Edward IV as king.

It is notable that in row 25 of the 2^nd column of this armorial there is a banner with the arms of the shield of Castilla y León, probably because Edward IV, like his predecessors, claimed their throne. In this version of the shield of Castilla y León:

• The two gold castles, in the 1^st and 4^th quarters of gules, have three towers with the central one taller like the Castilian, but the twin side towers seem to be connected by the wall as in the English castle, [Valero de Bernabé, L.; 2009a; page 2] and [Valero de Bernabé, L.; 2009b; page 33], the wall has a door that is enameled in azure as in the Castilian.
• The two lions, in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters of silver, seem to be gold, therefore, of «metal on metal» and, furthermore, very different from the purple lion of Castilla y León, it could well be an error by the artist or a degradation of an original purple enamel to ochre, as explained in the pendón de Castilla y León.

This shield of Castilla y León also appears:

• On the banner in row 27 of the 1^st column of this armorial. In this banner, they are combined with the arms of England represented in this article, in a new quartered, under an escutcheon with the imaginary arms of «Brutus of Troy», the also imaginary founder and king of Britain.
• On the caparison of the horse that Edward IV rides in the portrait at the beginning of his armorial. This caparison is a reproduction of the previous banner in row 27 of the 1^st column that combined the arms of England with those of Castilla y León. The presence of these arms in this initial portrait of the armorial of Edward IV denotes the importance he gave to his aspirations to the crown of Castilla y León.

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Bibliographical reference of century XV.

The author is Edward IV of England.

The following articles cite this bibliographic reference:

• Banner of Castile and León
• Charles V of France
• Edward IV of England
• Edward IV, armorial for His coronation
• Edward IV, quartered con Castile and León
• Heraldica Nova
• Leonor de Aquitania
• Pendón con inescutcheon de Edward IV

External links:

• Free Library: Edward.
• Free Library: Banners.
• The Edward IV Roll.
• Brutus of Troy.

«The Heralds' Roll», containing 697 painted coats of arms, it is an English roll of arms dating from c. 1280.

In The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, with code MS297, there is a copy of the 15^th century.

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Bibliographical reference of century XIII.

Classification: Armorial roll, Manuscript and In color.

The author is anonymous.

External links:

• The Heraldry Society Heralds' Roll, sample page 1.
• sample page 2.
• sample page 3.

Cecil Humphery-Smith, FHS - Fellow of The Heraldry Society, «Why three Leopards?», Coat of Arms, COA, An Heraldic Quarterly Magazine, issue 126, The Heraldry Society, Baldock, Hertfordshire, summer of 1983.

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The coat of arms illustrating this bibliographic reference is that of the Kingdom of England, which was also that of the queen of Castile Leonor Plantagenet.

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Bibliographical reference of century XX.

Author: Humphery-Smith, Cecil.

The following articles cite this bibliographic reference:

• Geoffrey Plantagenet
• John I of England
• Leonor Plantagenet
• Richard I of England

External link:

• The Heraldry Society.

Internal resources: HumpherySmithC1983.3Leopards.docx.

Robert John Parsons, heraldic painter at the College of Arms, «The Herald Painter», is an article derived from the lecture given by R. J. Parsons at The Heraldry Society on January 18, 1989, at the premises of «The Society of Antiquaries» at Burlington House, London, and later published in Coat of Arms, COA, An Heraldic Quarterly Magazine, issue 146, The Heraldry Society, Baldock, Hertfordshire, summer of 1989.

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This article presents a historical review of the heraldic painters at the «College of Arms» and analyzes the creation of coats of arms and other objects like badges, flags, stained glass, seals, etc. It is especially interesting for its view of the current stage of heraldic art and, even more, the description of the author's own working method.

I highly recommend reading this article and, here, I present some of the ideas that I highlighted while studying this text by R. J. Parsons, who is «herald painter to Her Majesty's College of Arms».

Tradition and innovation in heraldic art

Creativity, innovation, and achieving a unique style are fundamental characteristics of any self-respecting artist, but when artists enter the realm of heraldry and, especially when working for institutions like the College of Arms, the weight of the norms and rules of heraldry, its long historical tradition, the reverential respect towards it, the language of blazon, the need for a long initiation process, etc. can cause artists to curb their natural impulses, become intimidated, and adhere strictly to rules to avoid criticism, which hinders the introduction of new proposals, ideas, and styles, risking making heraldry a static and time-bound field.

R. J. Parsons' working method

Robert Parsons explains that the first phase of his method is to create the complete drawing of the coat of arms and its ornamentation on tracing paper, starting with the coat of arms and then outlining all the external ornamentation.

He does this considering that the main problem he must solve is reconciling the two-dimensionality of the coat of arms with the three-dimensionality of the external ornamental elements, such as the supporters, mantling, crest, etc. which must be designed as if enveloping the coat of arms. The extent to which this is achieved provides an idea of each artist's skill.

Silhouettes, expressiveness, and balance

R. J. Parsons believes that the silhouettes of the figures probably characterize each artist and their designs the most. For him, each silhouette must be bold and express emotions, and the silhouettes must maintain proportions that give balance to the whole, as there are no rules that guarantee a good aesthetic result.

To achieve boldness and expressiveness in the figures, especially in natural ones, the artist must emphasize certain features and stylize others, resulting in, for example, in beasts and birds, representations that diverge from natural reality.

Shape of the coat of arms and space

All delineation must be done within the chosen mouth shape for the coat of arms. These shapes have evolved over time, and the artist must consider that some shapes facilitate the internal composition of the coat of arms more than others. For example, he highlights the difficulty of fitting the pieces and figures within lozenge-shaped shields, traditionally carried by unmarried women.

Regardless of the chosen shape, pieces and figures must be arranged to use the entire internal space correctly, neither too small to leave space nor too large to make the whole crowded.

External ornamentation

Robert J. Parsons observes that nowadays the protocol rules that used to govern external ornamentation have been greatly relaxed, for example, regarding the shapes, positions, and orientations of the helmets depending on who would be the holder of the coat of arms, and this relaxation has favored art, aesthetics, and the balance of the whole coat of arms.

He states that of all the external ornamentation, and many heraldic artists will agree with him, the most complex to create are the supporters and tenants, and of the three, the tenants, i.e., human figures, are the most difficult.

Human figures do not have a proper heraldic characterization as lions, unicorns, boars, etc., do. The characterization of women and men in heraldry is done through their attire and the objects they carry or accompany them, with ancient attire and objects being the easiest to characterize, while the more modern and, even more so, the more naked they are, the more difficult and challenging it becomes to create heraldically attractive tenants.

As a general rule, Parsons advises that the visual weight of supporters, tenants, and tenants be similar to that of the coat of arms, so that they neither draw all the observer's attention due to their excessive size nor look ridiculous and incapable of performing their function, which is to support the visual weight of the coat of arms.

Tinctures, shadows, edges, and highlights

When he finishes the drawing phase, R. J. Parsons explains how he transfers it to a new paper support and, then:

• he starts by applying the tinctures for the metals,
• the first he applies is gold using gold powder, although it is known that other artists use gold leaf,
• then the metal silver is left as the white of the paper,
• then he proceeds with the colors, using gouache, an opaque watercolor, following the order from light to dark,
• so the first color he applies is gules, which he tends to make somewhat translucent,
• then the mid-tones, azure and vert.
• ending with sable, which he makes warmer with a touch of burnt sienna,
• after applying the tinctures, he adds shadows to suggest forms, noting that some schools say everything should be in flat inks, without shadows or highlights, and even without delineated edges as can be seen, for example, in Norsk Heraldisk Forening,
• then he delineates the silhouettes and
• finishes by adding highlights to bring the composition to life.

The motto or slogan is the last element with which Robert John Parsons completes the creation of a coat of arms.

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Bibliographical reference of century XX.

The author is Parsons, Robert John.

External resource:

• The Heraldry Society.

Internal resources: ParsonsRJ1989.TheHeraldPainter.docx.

Charles Wilfred Scott-Giles, OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), Fitzalan Pursuivant Extraordinary, «Some Arthurian Coats of Arms», Coat of Arms, COA, An Heraldic Quarterly Magazine, issue 64 of October 1965 (which is the date I use as reference) and issue 65 of January 1966, The Heraldry Society, Baldock, Hertfordshire, October 1965.

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The coat of arms illustrating this bibliographic reference is one of the variants described in this article attributed to King Arthur, which in Blason.es is cataloged as Arthur of Britain.

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Bibliographical reference of century XX.

The author is Scott-Giles, C. W..

External resource:

• The Heraldry Society.

Internal resources: ScottGilesCW1965.SomeArthurianCoA.docx.

St. George's Roll, in English usually written as «MS Vincent, 164 ff.1-21b», also called [Vincent, MS; 1285], it is in the College of Arms, London, containing 677 painted coats of arms, it is an English roll or arms dating from c. 1285.

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The bibliographical reference that I mainly use for this armorial is [Vincent, MS; 1285].

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Bibliographical reference of century XIII.

Classification: Armorial roll and Manuscript.

The author is unknown.

The following articles cite this bibliographic reference:

• Adam de Cretingges
• Bartholomew de Yattendon
• Edmund de Bassingburnn
• Howel ap Res
• James de Sottone, le Fitz
• Joan de Okinton
• John de Beauchamp
• John de Ladbrooke
• John le Sturmy
• Nicholas Malmains
• Norman Darcy
• Ricardo de Mandeville
• Robert de Malet
• Simon de Crombe
• Simon de Ver
• Simon le FizSimon
• Thomas Roscelyn
• Thomas de Werblintone
• Thomas le FizThomas
• Vincent, MS; 1285
• William Bardolf
• William de Ferrers, Earl of Derby
• William de Hondeshacre

Anonymous, «Founder's and benefactors' book of Tewkesbury abbey», Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, call number MS. Top. Glouc. d. 2, recorded in the Catalogue of Western Medieval Manuscripts in Oxford Libraries, manuscript, illustrated, 46 leaves, 245 x 175 millimeters, except fols. 12, 16, and 38, which are smaller, Tewkesbury, beginning of the 16^th century.

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Origin, historical context, and contents

It is is a medieval manuscript originating from Tewkesbury Abbey at the beginning of the 16^th century. This Latin manuscript provides records and depictions of the abbey's founders and benefactors, such as: William Fitzcount, 2^nd Earl of Gloucester, died 1183; Oddo and Doddo, Dukes of Mercia; Hugh, great Duke of Mercia, lord of the manor of Tewkesbury, buried at Tewkesbury in 812; Robert Fitzhamon, lord of Creully, Calvados in Normandy, died 1107, and his wife, Sybil, patrons of Tewkesbury Abbey’s reconstruction; Edward Despenser, died 1375; Thomas Despenser, Earl of Gloucester, died 1400; and Isabel Despenser, 1400-1439.

Illustrations and manuscript details

The manuscript is noted for its illustrations, which are believed to have been created by John of Evesham, a monk at Tewkesbury. The illustrations are thought to be copied from painted statues, approximately 70 cm high, which once decorated the abbey church. The manuscript comprises 46 leaves, with most pages measuring 245 x 175 millimeters, though folios 12, 16, and 38 are smaller in size.

In the image, folio 25v depicts Thomas Despenser, Earl of Gloucester, in armor, wearing a red bonnet with a badge, and a mantle with epaulettes over a heraldic surcoat. He holds a sheathed sword and is surrounded by six coats of arms and the badge of the Garter with the flag of Saint George; and folio 26r features a text page with ten coat of arms.

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Bibliographical reference of century XVII.

Classification: Manuscript, Armorial roll, Latin language and In color.

Author: anonymous.

Bibliographical reference mentioned in the following article:

• Thomas Grenville, stone coat of arms

External resource:

• Digital Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford.

Internal resources: 25 images in JPEG format.

Vincent Manuscript, in English, usually written as «MS Vincent, 164 ff.1-21b», also called [St. George's Roll; 1285], it is in the College of Arms, London, containing 677 painted coats of arms, it is an English roll of arms dating from c. 1285.

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Bibliographical reference of century XIII.

Classification: Armorial roll, Manuscript and In color.

Author: unknown.

Bibliographic reference mentioned in the following articles:

• Adam de Cretingges
• Bartholomew de Yattendon
• Edmund de Bassingburnn
• Howel ap Res
• James de Sottone, le Fitz
• Joan de Okinton
• John de Beauchamp
• John de Ladbrooke
• John le Sturmy
• Nicholas Malmains
• Norman Darcy
• Ricardo de Mandeville
• Robert de Malet
• Simon de Crombe
• Simon de Ver
• Simon le FizSimon
• St. George's Roll; 1285
• Thomas Roscelyn
• Thomas de Werblintone
• Thomas le FizThomas
• William Bardolf
• William de Ferrers, Earl of Derby
• William de Hondeshacre