Laurel
Cavalry Regiment Alcantara, Laureate of Saint Ferdinand
Grand Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand.
Argent, a cross of Alcantara. Crest: A closed royal crown Or, with eight arches, visible five. Behind the shield the Laureate Grand Cross of Saint Ferdinand. Motto: «Hoec nubila tollunt obstantia sicut sol».
Escudo de plata, una cruz de Alcántara. Timbrado de una corona real cerrada. Acolada detrás del escudo la gran cruz laureada de San Fernando. Lema: «Hoec nubila tollunt obstantia sicut sol».
Coat of arms interpreted in the following manner: the shape of the shield is of a semicircular arch; the field is illuminated in metal Argent; the cross of Alcantara, the 4 swords and the 2 laurel branches are outlined in Sable and illuminated in Vert and Gules; the royal crown is closed, outlined in Sable and illuminated with the metal Or, Argent for the pearls, Azure and Or for the orb, Gules and Vert for the gems, Gules for the inner cloth, and Sable for the visible hollow at its base; and the whole has a iridescent finish.
Rif War, July 23, 1921, banks of the Igan River, North Africa
The Alcantara Regiment executed nine successive cavalry charges to protect the infantry's retreat, nine charges until they broke the enemy lines, outnumbering them. The last charge was on foot because all their horses were dead or exhausted. These heroic riders of Alcantara had fulfilled their duty of protecting the wounded infantry in their retreat to El Batel, but the price was appalling: of 691 riders, only 67 survived, and three months were necessary to recover hundreds of corpses.
For this reason, in 2012, the Alcántara Regiment was collectively awarded the Grand Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand.
Two lances behind the shield
Since 1987, the coat of arms of the cavalry regiments of the Spanish Army must carry two crossed lances accolade behind the shield. And indeed, this coat of arms of the Alcántara Cavalry Regiment has two lances behind the shield, but in my artistic heraldic interpretation, I did not paint them to avoid detracting from the prominence of the Laureate Cross.
Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Argent, Cross of Alcantara, Cross couped, Cross, Crest, Closed royal crown, Crown, Behind the shield, Four, Sword, Crosswise, Gules, Two, Branch, Laurel, Vert and Motto.
Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Iridescent.
Classification: Interpreted, Military, Army and Navy and Coat of arms.
Bearer: Alcantara, Cavalry Regiment.
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Language
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Categories of heraldry
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Divisions of the field
- Without divisions
- Party per pale
- Party per fess
- Party per bend
- Party per bend sinister
- Tierce
- Tierce sinister
- Tierced per pale
- Tierced per fess
- Tierced per bend
- Tierced pallwise inverted
- Quarterly
- Quarterly per saltire
- Gyronny
- Party per fess, the chief per pale
- Party per pale, the sinister per fess
- Party per fess, the base per pale
- Party per pale, the dexter per fess
- Chapé
- Chaussé
- Embrassé
- Contre-embrassé
- Party per chevron
- Enté
- Enté en point
- Flanched
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Metals
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Colours
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Furs
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Other tinctures
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Ordinaries and sub-ordinaries
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Diminutives of the ordinaries
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Other charges
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Inanimate charges from Nature
Atom, Crescent, Diamond, Emerald, Estoile, Increscent, Lightning flash, Moon, Mount, Mullet, Mullet of four points, Orbital, Plough of Ursa Major, Rainbow, Ray of the sun, River, Sea, Snowflake, Sun, Sun in splendour, Sun of May, Trimount and Water.
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Vegetal charges from Nature
Acorn, Apple, Apple tree, Ash, Bluebonnet, Camellia, Chrysanthemum, Cinquefoil, Cornflower, Dogwood flower, Double rose, Elm, Fleur de lis, Flower, Holm oak, Hop cone, Kapok tree, Laurel, Lily, Linden, Lotus flower, Madonna lily, Oak, Olive tree, Palm tree, Pomegranate, Poplar leaf, Rose, Shamrock, Sunflower, Thistle, Tree, Tulip, Vine and Wheat.
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Animal charges from Nature
Badger, Bald eagle, Barbel, Barn owl, Bear, Beaver, Beetle, Bighorn sheep, Blackbird, Boar, Brach hound, Bull, Doe, Dog, Dolphin, Dove, Eagle, Elephant, Falcon, Fish, Flame, Fly, Fox, Frog, Goat, Goldfinch, Goose, Heron, Horse, Hummingbird, Jaguar, Lark, Leopard, Lion, Lion passant, Lion rampant guardant, Lioness, Lynx, Male figure, Martlet, Merino ram, Owl, Panther, Parrot, Peacock, Pelican, Pelican in her piety, Puffin, Quetzal, Raven, Roe deer, Rooster, Savage, Seagull, Serpent, She-wolf, Stag, Starling, Tyger, Vulture, Warren hound and Wolf.
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Parts of natural charges
Arm, Beak, Branch, Caboshed, Chest, Claw, Covert, Dorsal fin, Eagle claw, Ermine spot, Escallop, Feather, Foot (palmiped), Foreleg, Forepaw, Hand, Head, Heart, Hoof, Leaf, Neck, Ostrich feather, Palm frond, Paw, Roe deers' attires, Shoulder, Sprig, Stags' attires, Stem, Swallow-tail, Tail, Tail addorsed, Tail fin, Talon, Tooth, Trunk, Trunk (elephant), Two hands clasped, Two wings in vol, Udder, Wheat spike, Wing and Wrist.
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Artificial charges
Ace of spades, Anchor, Anvil, Arch, Arm vambraced, Armillary sphere, Arrow, Axe, Bell, Bell tower, Beret, Bonfire, Book, Bookmark, Bow, Bridge, Broken, Buckle, Cannon, Cannon dismounted, Cannon port, Canopy roof, Carbuncle, Castle, Celtic Trinity knot, Chain, Chess rooks, Church, Clarion, Clay pot, Closed book, Club, Comb, Compass rose, Conductor's baton, Cord, Covered cup, Crozier, Crucible, Cuffed, Cup, Cyclamor, Dagger, Double vajra, Drum, Ecclesiastical cap, Fanon, Federschwert, Fleam, Four crescents joined millsailwise, Galician granary, Garb, Gauntlet, Geometric solid, Grenade, Halberd, Hammer, Harp, Host, Hourglass, Key, Key ward, Knight, Knot, Lantern, Letter, Line, Loincloth, Menorah, Millrind, Millstone, Millwheel, Monstrance, Mortar, Mullet of six points pierced, Nail, Non-classic artifact, Norman ship, Number, Oar, Oil lamp, Open book, Page, Pair of scales, Parchment, Pestle, Piano, Plough share, Polish winged hussar, Port, Portcullis, Potent, Quill, Ribbon, Rosette of acanthus leaves, Sabre, Sackbut, Sail, Scroll, Scythe, Sheaf of tobacco, Ship, Skirt, Spear, Spear's head, Stairway, Star of David, Step, Sword, Symbol, Tetrahedron, Torch, Tower, Trident, Trumpet, Turret, Two-handed sword, Wagon-wheel, Water-bouget, Wheel, Winnowing fan and With a turret.
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Immaterial charges
Angel, Archangel, Basilisk, Dragon, Dragon's head, Garuda, Golden fleece, Griffin, Heart enflamed, Mermaid, Our Lady of Mercy, Ouroboros, Paschal lamb, Pegasus, Phoenix, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Saint George, Sea-griffin, Trinity, Triton, Unicorn, Winged hand and Wyvern.
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External elements
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Heraldic creations
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References
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Formats
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Keywords on this page
Behind the shield, Alcantara, Cavalry Regiment, Crest, Crown, Closed royal crown, Cross, Cross of Alcantara, Cross couped, Four, Outlined in sable, Two, Army and Navy, Coat of arms, Sword, Gules, Illuminated, Interpreted, Iridescent, Laurel, Motto, Semi-circular, Military, Argent, Without divisions, Crosswise, Branch and Vert.