Triple-towered

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 and 3 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules.

Coat of arms depicted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with an ogee external shape and with a freehand finishing.

Coat of arms of the King Alfonso X of Castile, 1221–1284, 1^st son of the King Ferdinand III of Castile, 1199-1252, and the Queen Beatrice of Swabia, 1205–1235. The order of the quarters is first the castle of his grandmother, Queen Berenguela of Castile, and second the lion of his grandfather, King Alfonso IX of León; however, the other day I discovered that on the map by [Martineau du Plessis, D.; 1700; volume II, illustration 30, page 126], in the shield framed between parallels 37 and 36 and meridians 21 and 22, the lion occupies the 1^st quarter and the castle the 2^nd quarter; that is, their order appears reversed.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, Argent, Purpure, One, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Armed and Langued.

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

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Alfonso X of Castile.

Vert, on a fess Argent, between in chief a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Gules, masoned Sable, between four mullets Argent, 2 and 2, and in base a Merino ram's head caboshed Or, between three mullets Argent, 2 and 1, two wolves passant Sable.

International Register of Arms, Volume 4, by The [Armorial Register, T.; 2025; pages 156 and 157], ISBN 978-1-8381483-0-0. The matrimonial and family arms of Darryn Carlo and Roberto Luchoro emblazoned by me appears in this volume.

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Blazon keywords: Vert, Argent, Or, Gules, Sable, One, Two, Seven, Fess, Between, In chief, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Mullet, In base, Merino ram, Head, Caboshed, Wolf and Passant.

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

Classification: Personal, Created, Boa, Collage and Photographic.

Bearer: Luchoro and Darryn Carlo, Roberto.

Escutcheon quarterly: 1 Azure, a god Garuda sejant Argent; 2 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, masoned Sable; 3 Argent, six pallets Gules; 4 Azure, five plates.

Heraldic device depicted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, and with a leather finishing.

Heraldic badge of Rui J. Vaz's family, US, designed by him and emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Azure, Gules, Argent, Or, One, Six, Five, Escutcheon, Quarterly, Garuda, Sejant, Castle, Triple-towered, Masoned, Pallet and Plate.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Leather.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Badge.

Bearer: Vaz, Rui J..

Key Characteristics in Castilian Heraldry

Some of the main characteristics of the heraldry of Castile are:

• the rounded shapes, with a semicircle at the base,
• the importance of bordures,
• the inclusion of words and also letters in the coat of arms,
• the 2^nd most common animal, after the lion, is the wolf [Valero de Bernabé, L.; 2010], and, of course,
• our castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [Valero de Bernabé, L.; 2009a].

The following image shows 4 examples of coats of arms, each of which has some of these characteristics, including one Castilian castle.

Comparing Castilian and English Heraldry

In the United Kingdom, there are several heraldic traditions, one of them being English heraldry.

In the Kingdom of Spain, there are several heraldic traditions, for example, the Castilian tradition.

In my humble opinion, we should compare at the same level, English heraldry with, for example, Castilian heraldry, but not with all Spanish heraldry. We shouldn't do it for the same reason we don't mix Scottish heraldic tradition with English, as they are so different.

In the case of Castilian heraldry, the 8 main differences with English heraldry are:

• The rounded shapes, with a semicircle at the base.
• The importance of bordures and the existence of the diminished bordure, called in Castilian «filiera».
• The inclusion of words and also letters in the coats of arms.
• The wolf is the 2^nd most common animal, after the lion.
• The castle, triple-towered, which is different from the English and French types of castles.
• We can inherit arms from our mother and/or father; for example, the castle in the 1^st quarter of the coat of arms of Castile and the coat of arms of Spain comes from a mother, Queen Berenguela of Castile, mother of King Fernando III, the Saint.
• There are 3 kinds of supporters with their owns heraldic names: «tenantes», human forms; «soportes», animals; and «sostenes», plants and things.
• Our quarterings do not necessarily mean that the arms are marshalled by inheritance. [Williams, N.; 2017; page 135, paragraph 26.02] describing the arms of Éamon de Valera, 1882-1975, President of Ireland, writes «Those arms are Spanish in appearance. The quartering without functions as a means of marshalling, is distinctively Iberian».

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Categories: Criterion, Semi-circular, Bordure, Letter, Lion, Wolf, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Or, Azure, Sable, Diminished bordure, Quarterly, Supporter (human form), Supporter, Supporter (animal) and Supporter (thing).

Party per pale: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 Argent.

Escudo partido: 1^o de Gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o de plata.

Coat of arms depicted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with an ogee outer contour and with a leather finishing.

The coat of arms of Castilla-La Mancha emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Argent, Or, Azure, Sable, One, Party per pale, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows and Masoned.

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

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Castilla-La Mancha.

Arms of Charles, Holy Roman Emperor, emblazoned by me, with the blazon written in English and Castilian in a structured way to observe the parallelism between both forms.

Party per fess: 1 party per pale: 1 quartely: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 and 3 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]. 2 quartely: 1 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 2 quarterly per saltire: 1 and 4 Or, four pallets Gules; 2 and 3 Argent, an eagle displayed Sable [for Aragon-Sicily]. 3 Argent, a cross potent cantoned of four crosslets Or [for Jerusalem]. 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]. Enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]. 2 quartely: 1 Gules, a fess Argent [for Austria]; 2 Azure semé of fleurs de lis Or within a bordure compony Argent and Gules [for Burgundy modern]; 3 bendy Or and Azure within a bordure Gules [for Burgundy ancient]; 4 Sable, a lion rampant Or, armed and langued Gules [for Brabant]; overall an inescutcheon party per pale: 1 Or, a lion rampant Sable, armed and langued Gules [for Flanders]; 2 Argent, an eagle displayed Gules, crowned, armed, beaked, langued and membered Or, charged on the wings with two trefoiled stems Or [for Tyrol].

Escudo cortado: 1o partido: 1o cuartelado: 1o y 4o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable [de Castilla]; 2o y 3o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, armado y lampasado de gules, coronado de oro [de León]. 2o cuartelado: 1o de oro, cuatro palos de gules [de Aragón]; 2o cuartelado en aspa: 1o y 4o de oro, cuatro palos de gules; 2o y 3o de plata, un águila de sable [de Aragón-Sicilia]. 3o de plata, una cruz potenzada cantonada de cuatro crucetas de oro [de Jerusalén]. 4o de gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople [de Navarra]. Entado en punta de plata, una granada al natural, tajada de gules, tallada y hojada de sinople [de Granada]. 2o cuartelado: 1o de gules, una faja de plata [de Austria]; 2o de azur sembrado de flores de lis de oro, una bordura componada de plata y gules [de Borgoña moderna]; 3o bandado de oro y azur, una bordura de gules [de Borgoña antigua]; 4o de sable, un león rampante de oro, armado y lampasado de gules [de Brabante]; sobre el todo un escusón partido: 1o de oro, un león rampante de sable, armado y lampasado de gules [de Flandes]; 2o de plata, un águila de gules, coronada, armada, picada, lampasada y membrada de oro, cargada en las alas con dos tallos trebolados todo de oro [del Tirol].

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Sable, Argent, Purpure, Or, Vert, One, Four, Party per fess, Party per pale, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Crowned, Pale, Quarterly per saltire, Eagle, Displayed, Cross potent, Cross couped, Cantoned, Crosslet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Seeded, Slipped, Leaved, Fess, Semé, Fleur de lis, Bordure, Compony, Bendy, Overall, Inescutcheon, Beaked, Membered, Wing, Trefoiled and Stem.

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

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Structured and parallel blazons, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.

Argent, a cross Gules [for Genoa]; a bordure compony of fifteen sections: 1, 6, and 11 Argent, a pomegranate seeded, slipped and leaved proper [for Granada]; 2, 7, and 12 Or, an eagle displayed Sable [for Navarre]; 3, 8, and 13 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Gules, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 4, 9, and 14 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 5, 10, and 15 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon].

Coat of arms of the city of Almeria, Andalusia, emblazoned by me. These arms combines 1+5=6 coats of arms: Genoa, Granada, Castile (with port and windows Gules instead of Azure), Leon (with the lion Gules instead of Purpure), Navarre (for its old arms, its «Arrano Beltza» ~ «Black Eagle»), and Aragon, as shown in this composition.

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Blazon keywords: Argent, Gules, Or, Sable, Vert, One, Four, Fifteen, Cross, Bordure, Compony, Pomegranate, Slipped, Leaved, Proper, Eagle, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned and Pallet.

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

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Schema, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Almeria, city of.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 3 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules [for Bourbon]. Crest: A closed royal crown. Supporters: two columns Argent, capital and base Or, between in base waves Azure, in chief an imperial crown the dexter and a closed royal crown the sinister. Motto environing the columns and behind the shield: «Plus Ultra» Or over a scroll Gules.

Arms painted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular external shape and with a iridescent finish.

Arms of the Kingdom of Spain emblazoned by me. On the arrangement of the crowns: a) Royal Decree 1511/1977, of 21 January, enacted during the so-called Transition and approving the Regulations on Flags and Standards, Guidons, Insignia and Distinctive Signs, states: «Rule No. 2. Coat of Arms of Spain… Accompanied by two columns Argent, with base and capital Or, set upon waves Azure or blue and Argent», «superado» «by an imperial crown on the dexter one and by a royal crown on the sinister one…». b) The subsequent Law 33/1981, of 5 October, regulating the current coat of arms of Spain, likewise states: «…Accompanied by two columns Argent, with base and capital Or, set upon waves Azure or blue and Argent», «superado» «by an imperial crown on the dexter one and by a royal crown on the sinister one». c) The term «superado» in the heraldic dictionaries in which it appears refers, as a synonym, to «surmontado». d) The definitions of «surmontado» include: «a charge which, at its upper part, has another above it but without touching it», «also said of superado», and «a figure that bears another above it, but without touching it». In light of a), b), c) and d), the two crowns should therefore be painted not touching the columns. However, in the illustrative drawing contained in Royal Decree 1511/1977 the crowns do touch the columns, contradicting its own wording, although in heraldry, when in doubt, the written blazon always prevails; and in most official representations the crowns do indeed touch the columns. Nevertheless, this personal interpretation of both the coat of arms of Spain and of the proper way to write its blazon, where the lateral crowns do not touch the columns, and then I decide that, following the same criterion, the central crown should not touch the shield either, so the result differs from the official version. The expression «waves Azure or blue and Argent», which appears both in the 1977 official definition and in the 1981 one, presents a double peculiarity: it combines the heraldic term «Azure» with the everyday term «blue», and it is also offered as an optional blazon, giving two alternatives, that the waves be only Azure, as I have painted them, or Azure and Argent; optional blazons are extremely rare and, in my view, perhaps not very advisable.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Two, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Closed royal crown, Crown, Supporter (thing), Supporter, Column, Shafted, Between, In base, Wave, In chief, Imperial crown, Dexter, Sinister, Motto, Environed, Behind the shield and Scroll.

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

Classification: Civic, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Spain, Kingdom of.

Gules, two castles triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable, in chief, seven mullets Argent, 4 and 3.

Coat of arms interpreted by me, in plain tinctures, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular external shape and with a texturized finishing.

Coat of arms of the Comunidad de Madrid emblazoned by me. In English heraldry, the default number of points for the mullet is five unless otherwise specified. Therefore, if a blazon mentions a mullet without further detail, the artist must depict it with five points. Conversely, in Castilian heraldry, stars are conventionally represented with six points by default. When a five-pointed mullet appears in an English blazon, it is mandatory to specify the number of points in the Castilian version of the blazon, as in this case.

Design rationale

The castles derive from Castile, and the 7 mullets come from the bordure of the city of Madrid; they represent the stars of the Plough, the 7 brightest stars of Ursa Major. This coat of arms was adopted by the Comunidad de Madrid on December 23, 1983. Regarding the symbolism of this coat of arms, José Manuel Huidobro told me: «Each star has five points representing the five provinces surrounding Madrid: Ávila, Segovia, Guadalajara, Cuenca, and Toledo. The castles embody the most characteristic symbol of Castile. Both neighboring communities, Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León, display them in their coats of arms. The fact that they are paired symbolizes the Community of Madrid’s claim to serve as a link between the two Castiles». He includes the coat of arms of the Comunidad de Madrid in his book [Huidobro Moya, J. M.; 2024; page 214].

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Azure, Argent, Two, Seven, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, In chief and Mullet.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Plain tincture and Semi-circular.

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Madrid, Comunidad de.

Party per pale: 1 Gules, in base a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 Argent, in base a lion rampant Gules, crowned Or; overall a psi letter sable; a diminished bordure Or.

Arms emblazoned by me, in plain tinctures, contoured in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a texturized finishing.

Coat of arms of Crepsi, «Centro Regional de Psicología». These arms were designed by my lieutenant colonel and friend Miguel Angel Nuñez Amador, and in this image, they have been emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Argent, Or, Azure, Sable, Party per pale, In base, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Overall, Letter and Diminished bordure.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Plain tincture and Semi-circular.

Classification: Military, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Crepsi.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 3 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules [for Bourbon]; and the whole debruised by a label of three points Azure. Crest: A Crown of Prince. The shield is surrounded by the Golden Fleece.

Arms depicted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular external shape and with a iridescent finish.

This is my interpretation of the coat of arms of Her Royal Highness Doña Leonor Princess of Asturias (as heiress to the Crown of Castile), Princess of Girona (as heiress to the Crown of Aragon), and Princess of Viana (as heiress to the Kingdom of Navarre), with the Collar of the Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece. Her coat of arms is that of her father, the King, charged with a label Azure and surmounted by the crown of a princess with four pearl diadems, three visible.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Cadency, Label of three points, Crown of Prince, Crown, Surrounded and Collar.

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

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Leonor Princess of Asturias.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 and 3 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules; a bordure compony of sixteen sections: eight Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable, eight Or, an eagle displayed Sable. Crest: An open royal crown.

Arms emblazoned by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with an ogee external shape and with a metal beaten finish.

Coat of arms of the Infanta Berenguela of Castile, 1228–1279, 5^th daughter of the King Ferdinand III of Castile, 1199-1252, and the Queen Beatrice of Swabia, 1205–1235. The coat of arms of Infanta Berenguela of Castile, besides being beautiful, has always seemed to me the epitome of the Castilian arms: quartered, bearing Leon and Castile, and surrounded by a bordure compony with castles. This coat of arms has been emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, Argent, Purpure, One, Sixteen, Eight, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Bordure, Compony, Eagle, Crest, Open royal crown and Crown.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Ogee and Metal beaten.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Berenguela of Castile, Infanta.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a pale Or upon six waves Azure and Argent, a bordure Or charged with eight lions' heads erased Gules [for Durán]; 2 Azure, a crescent reversed Argent, in dexter chief a fleur de lis Or, a bordure Gules [for Alpoim]; 3 Argent, two goats in pale Purpure, horned Sable [for Cabral]; 4 Gules, a double cross throughout Or cantoned by six plates, a bordure Or [for Melo]; an inescutcheon quarterly: 1 and 4 Argent, five escutcheons in cross Azure, each charged with five plates in saltire; a bordure Gules, charged with seven castles triple-towered Or, 3, 2, and 2 [for Portugal]; the whole debruised by a baston Sable; 2 and 3 party per chevron Argent and Gules, in chief two lions combatant Purpure, armed and langued Gules [for Leon], in base a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; a bordure compony of eighteen sections Or and vair [for Álvarez de las Asturias].

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o de gules, un palo de oro sostenido de seis ondas de azur y plata, una bordura de oro cargada de ocho cabezas de león arrancadas de gules [de Durán]; 2^o de azur, un creciente ranversado de plata, en la diestra del jefe una flor de lis de oro, una bordura de gules [de Alpoim]; 3^o de plata, dos cabras en palo de púrpura, acornadas de sable [de Cabral]; 4^o de gules, una cruz doble y plena de oro cantonada de seis bezantes de plata, una bordura de oro [de Melo]; un escusón cuartelado: 1^o y 4^o de plata, cinco escudetes en cruz de azur, cada uno cargado de cinco bezantes en sotuer de plata; una bordura de gules, cargada de siete castillos de oro, 3, 1 y 3; [de Portugal] brisado de un bastón de sable; 2^o y 3^o de plata, mantelado en punta de gules, en jefe, dos leones afrontados de púrpura, armados y lampasados de gules [de León], en punta un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable [de Castilla]; una bordura componada de dieciocho compones de oro y veros [de Álvarez de las Asturias].

Coat of arms interpreted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with an ogee outer contour and with a freehand finishing.

Arms of Fernando Durán Cabral de Melo e Alpoim y Ayala-Schiaffino, certified by Dr. Alfonso Ceballos-Escalera Gila, Chronicler of Arms of Castile and León. This certification also establishes that his daughters are entitled to bear these same arms in the same form. I have had the honour of illustrating coats of arms for this certification.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Azure, Argent, One, Two, Six, Seven, Eight, Eighteen, Quarterly, Pale, Upon, Wave, Bordure, Charged, Lion, Head, Erased, Crescent, Reversed, In the dexter chief, Fleur de lis, Goat, In pale, Horned, Double cross throughout, Cantoned, Plate, Inescutcheon, Escutcheon, In cross, In saltire, Castle, Triple-towered, Cadency, Baston, Party per chevron, In chief, Combatant, Armed, Langued, In base, Port and windows, Masoned, Compony and Vair.

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

Classification: Personal, Lineage, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Durán Cabral de Melo e Alpoim, Fernando.

Azure, a chevron engrailed Or between three lozenges Argent, each charged with a fleur de lis Gules; a bordure compony of eight sections, four Vert each charged with a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable, and four Argent each charged with a bull's head caboshed Sable.

Escudo de azur, un cabrio angrelado de oro acompañado de tres losanges de plata, cada uno cargado de una flor de lis de gules; una bordura componada de ocho compones, cuatro de sinople, cargados cada uno de un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable, y cuatro de plata, cargados cada uno de un rencuentro de toro de sable.

Arms devised by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a rough finish.

This is the coat of arms of Jose Manuel Gutierrez Benitez designed by him and me and emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Azure, Or, Argent, Gules, Vert, Sable, One, Three, Four, Eight, Chevron, Engrailed, Lozenge, Fleur de lis, Bordure, Compony, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Bull, Head and Caboshed.

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

Classification: Personal, Created, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Gutiérrez Benítez, Jose Manuel.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 and 3 Argent, a cross flory Purpure.

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o y 4^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o y 3^o de plata, una cruz flordelisada de púrpura.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with an ogee external shape and with a freehand finish.

Coat of arms of the Infante Henry of Castile, 1230–1303, 6^th offspring of the King Ferdinand III of Castile, 1199-1252, and the Queen Beatrice of Swabia, 1205–1235. He bore his father's arms, replacing the lion Purpure of the Kingdom of León with a cross flory Purpure, likely due to his close association with the Order of Calatrava, whose emblem is a cross flory Gules. However, he retained the metal Argent field in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters and the lion's purpure color, suggesting this was more of a conceptual change than a quartering by alliance with the Order of Calatrava.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, Argent, Purpure, One, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Cross flory and Cross couped.

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

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Henry of Castile, Infante.

In Castile, a coat of arms quarterly does not necessarily signify inheritance. This schema illustrates two practices: a) Quarterings can represent the mother in the 1^st and 4^th quarters and the father in the 2^nd and 3^rd, highlighting the prominence given to the maternal line by placing it in the most visible quarters. b) Quarterings can also include personal symbols and concepts, like canting arms, for example, «Manuel» =«mano» + «ala» = «hand» + «wing», combined with ancestral arms. This flexibility reflects Castilian heraldic traditions, where arms are not strictly marshalled by inheritance. The inclusion of maternal arms in the 1^st and 4^th quarters highlights how Castilian heraldry often elevates maternal heritage, differing from some other heraldic traditions. The previous commentary emphasizes the creative freedom in Castile, where quartering could incorporate personal symbols or canting arms without the constraints of inheritance or dominium. This flexibility aligns with Castilian culture, allowing heraldry to reflect personal identity, not just dynastic ties. Notably, the arms of Infante Enrique's use of a cross flory demonstrates this creative freedom, showcasing the ability to innovate within heraldry even in royal contexts. While this might seem unconventional compared to other heraldic systems, it is deeply rooted in Castilian tradition. All coats of arms in this schema have been emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Argent, Purpure, Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, One, Quarterly, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Bordure, Compony, Eagle, Cross flory, Cross couped, Party per pale, Hand, Arm, Vambraced, Embowed, Winged, Sword, Point upwards and Hilted.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Ogee.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Interpreted, Design rationale, Schema, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Manuel of Castile, Infante.

Azure, a castle triple-towered per pale Argent and Or, masoned Sable, port and windows Azure, between in chief two bars wavy Argent, in base two bars wavy Argent.

Escudo de azur, un castillo partido de plata y oro, mazonado de sable, aclarado de azur, acompañado en jefe de dos fajas ondadas de plata, y en en punta de dos fajas ondadas de plata.

Coat of arms devised by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a watercolor finishing.

The arms of Kevin Larkin from Ireland and Spain, designed and emblazoned by me. Blazon in French: «D'azur à la tour partie d'argent et d'or, donjonnée de trois tourelles, maçonnée de sable, ouverte et ajourée du champ, accompagnée en chef et en pointe de deux jumelles ondées d'argent».

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Blazon keywords: Azure, Argent, Or, One, Two, Castle, Triple-towered, Party per pale, Masoned, Port and windows, Between, In chief, Bar, Wavy and In base.

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

Classification: Personal, Created, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Larkin, Kevin.

Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, masoned Sable, issuant from its port a dragon passant Vert, in chief a pelican in her piety Argent, vulned Gules.

Escudo de gules, un castillo de oro, mazonado de sable y saliendo por su puerta un dragón pasante de sinople, en jefe un pelícano desplegado de plata, la piedad de gules.

Coat of arms interpreted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a freehand finishing.

Ancient arms of the lineage Lazaro of Aragon emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Vert, Argent, One, Castle, Triple-towered, Masoned, Issuant (port), Dragon, Passant, In chief, Pelican in her piety and Pelican.

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

Classification: Personal, Lineage, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Lazaro of Aragon, lineage.

Chequey of fifteen Or and Azure; a bordure compony of sixteen sections, eight gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable, eight Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, crowned Or, armed and langued Gules.

Escudo ajedrezado de quince piezas de oro y azur; una bordura componada de dieciséis compones, ocho de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable, ocho de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, coronado de oro, armado y lampasado de gules.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a watercolor finish.

Coat of arm of the municipality of Moguer, Andalusia, emblazoned by me.

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Blazon keywords: Or, Azure, Gules, Argent, One, Fifteen, Sixteen, Eight, Chequey, Bordure, Compony, Section, Charged, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Armed and Langued.

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

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Moguer, municipality of.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 and 3 vair ancient.

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o y 4^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o y 3^o de veros antiguos.

Arms depicted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with an ogee outer contour and with a freehand finish.

Coat of arms of the municipality of Monroy, Caceres, emblazoned by me with vair ancient. I have painted it using vair ancient, as I wish to illustrate with this coat of arms a reflection on the Virgin of the Sagrario of Plasencia, Caceres, dating from the mid-13th century, and on the forty-four coats of arms made of gilded silver sheet that adorn it, featuring lions, castles, and rounded vair ~ vair ancient, these may be associated with the lords of Monroy, a lineage of considerable importance in the town of Plasencia during the Late Middle Ages, can be seen in The Virgin of the Sagrario of Plasencia and the Monroy vair.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, One, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned and Vair ancient.

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

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Monroy, municipality of.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Argent, five escutcheons in cross Azure, each charged with five plates in saltire; a bordure Gules, charged with seven castles triple-towered Or, 3, 2, and 2 [for Portugal]; the whole debruised by a baston Sable; 2 and 3 party per chevron Argent and Gules, in chief two lions combatant Purpure, armed and langued Gules [for Leon], in base a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; a bordure compony of eighteen sections Or and vair [for Álvarez de las Asturias].

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o y 4^o de plata, cinco escudetes en cruz de azur, cada uno cargado de cinco bezantes en sotuer de plata; una bordura de gules, cargada de siete castillos de oro, 3, 1 y 3; [de Portugal] brisado de un bastón de sable; 2^o y 3^o de plata, mantelado en punta de gules, en jefe, dos leones afrontados de púrpura, armados y lampasados de gules [de León], en punta un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable [de Castilla]; una bordura componada de dieciocho compones de oro y veros [de Álvarez de las Asturias].

Arms depicted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with an ogee external shape and with a metal beaten finish.

Coat of arms of the House of Noronha in Portugal, a lineage of dual royal origin. The House of Noronha originated with Alfonso Enríquez of Castile, Count of Noreña and Gijón, the natural son of King Henry II of Castile, founder of the Trastámara dynasty, and of Elvira Íñiguez. The lineage became linked to the Portuguese Royal House through the marriage of Alfonso Enríquez to Isabel of Portugal, the natural daughter of King Ferdinand I of Portugal, an alliance arranged in the context of the Treaty of Santarém of 1373, which brought an end to the Fernandine Wars, during which Ferdinand I of Portugal confronted the kings of the House of Trastámara over the throne of Castile following the murder of Peter I at the hands of his half-brother Henry. The House of Noronha became established in Portugal, and its arms quarter those of the Kingdom of Portugal, differenced by a brisure consisting of a baston Sable, and those of the House of Trastámara. This coat of arms has been emblazoned for Fernando Durán Cabral de Mello d’Alpoim by me as a preparatory work for his armorial bearings, his coat of arms has a inescutcheon with the arms of the House of Noronha.

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Blazon keywords: Argent, Azure, Gules, Or, Sable, Purpure, One, Two, Five, Seven, Eighteen, Quarterly, Escutcheon, In cross, Charged, Plate, In saltire, Bordure, Castle, Triple-towered, Cadency, Baston, Party per chevron, In chief, Lion, Combatant, Armed, Langued, In base, Port and windows, Masoned, Compony and Vair.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Ogee and Metal beaten.

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Noronha, House of.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 and 3 Or, an eagle displayed Sable.

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o y 4^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o y 3^o de oro, un águila de sable.

Arms painted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with an ogee external shape and with a freehand finish.

Coat of arms of the Infante Philip of Castile, 1231–1274, 7^th offspring of the King Ferdinand III of Castile, 1199-1252, and the Queen Beatrice of Swabia, 1205–1235. This coat of arms has been emblazoned by me and can be consulted in [Messía de la Cerda y Pita, L.; 1990; page 146] with the field Or in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters. He bears a quarterly shield combining the first quarter of his father’s arms, Castile, with his mother’s arms. Among all his siblings, he is the one who most closely combines the arms of both parents.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, One, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned and Eagle.

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

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Philip of Castile, Infante.

Argent, five escutcheons in cross Azure, each charged with five plates in saltire; a bordure Gules, charged with seven castles triple-towered Or, 3, 2, and 2 [for Portugal]; the whole debruised by a baston Sable.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with an ogee external shape and with a freehand finishing.

Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Portugal differenced by a baston Sable, as it appears in the arms of the House of Noronha. In the Arquivo Heráldico Genealógico of the Viscount Sanches de Baena this brisure is blazoned as «é por diferença um filete de negro sobreposto em banda», while in the Armaría Portuguesa it is described as «um filete negro em contrabanda». This latter term may be confusing, as «contrabanda» corresponds to the bend sinister, that is, the opposite diagonal. For the purpose of blazoning this coat of arms I use the heraldic term «baston» in English ~ «bastón» in Spanish ~ «bande batonnée» in French ~ «bastone» in Italian, denoting a bend reduced to 1/4 of its normal width. It should be recalled that the diminished bend properly speaking is the «bendlet», whose width ranges between 1/2 and 1/3 of that of the bend; the baston, being thinner, is therefore more suitable and proportionate for this shield. This coat of arms has been emblazoned for Fernando Durán Cabral de Mello d’Alpoim by me as a preparatory work for his armorial bearings. In that coat of arms, the inescutcheon of the House of Noronha bears this differenced Portugal arms in the 1^st and 4^th quarters.

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Blazon keywords: Argent, Azure, Gules, Or, Sable, One, Five, Seven, Escutcheon, In cross, Charged, Plate, In saltire, Bordure, Castle, Triple-towered, Cadency and Baston.

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

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Portugal.

Party per pale: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules.

Escudo partido: 1^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, armado y lampasado de gules.

Arms emblazoned by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with an ogee outer contour and with a freehand finish.

Coat of arms of the Infante Sancho of Castile, 1233–1261, 8^th offspring of the King Ferdinand III of Castile, 1199-1252, and the Queen Beatrice of Swabia, 1205–1235. Unlike his siblings, he does not use a quarterly shield but rather impaled arms of Castile and Leon.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Azure, Sable, Argent, Purpure, One, Party per pale, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Armed and Langued.

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

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Sancho of Castile, Infante.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or; 3 Or, four pallets Gules; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules.

The British heraldic artist Baz Manning, responsible for painting the coats of arms of the Order of the Garter in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, produced in polychromed wood the armorial bearings of His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain following his admission into the Order. During this process, I had the honour of assisting him by providing official documentation, explaining the heraldic differences between the arms of Juan Carlos I and Felipe VI, clarifying various points, and reviewing the final details of the work prior to its installation in Windsor. The illustration accompanying this post is a collage made from a photograph of the completed shield, crafted by him in painted wood, sent to me by Baz Manning while it was drying, with explicit instructions not to publish it until its formal placement in the chapel. I used that image together with my own artistic interpretation of the King’s arms to carry out a detailed, side-by-side verification of every element. Although my contribution was modest, I am deeply proud to have taken part in a work destined to occupy a permanent place within one of the United Kingdom’s most emblematic heraldic settings.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered and Bordure.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Painted wood, Boa, Collage and Photographic.

Bearer: Felipe VI of Spain.

Party per chevron Argent and Gules, in chief two lions combatant Purpure, armed and langued Gules [for Leon], in base a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; a bordure compony of eighteen sections Or and vair [for Álvarez de las Asturias].

Escudo de plata, mantelado en punta de gules, en jefe, dos leones afrontados de púrpura, armados y lampasados de gules [de León], en punta un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable [de Castilla]; una bordura componada de dieciocho compones de oro y veros [de Álvarez de las Asturias].

Coat of arms emblazoned by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with an ogee outer contour and with a metal beaten finish.

Coat of arms of the House of Trastámara, founded by Enrique of Trastámara, later King Henry II of Castile, son of Alfonso XI and his mistress Leonor de Guzmán. Adopted at birth by Rodrigo Álvarez de las Asturias, he inherited the lordship of the County of Noreña the following year upon his adoptive father’s death. Later, his father the king granted him the County of Trastámara, among other lordships, giving rise to the House and the Trastámara dynasty, which began when Henry II ascended the throne after killing his half-brother Peter I in 1369. The Trastámara dynasty ruled in Castile, Aragon, Navarre, and Naples, and came to an end with our Queen Joanna of Castile, daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, both members of the House of Trastámara. This coat of arms has been created for Fernando Durán Cabral de Mello d’Alpoim as a preparatory work for his armorial bearings. In that coat of arms, the House of Noronha inescutcheon bears the arms of Trastámara in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters.

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Blazon keywords: Argent, Gules, Purpure, Or, Azure, Sable, One, Two, Eighteen, Party per chevron, In chief, Lion, Combatant, Armed, Langued, In base, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Bordure and Compony.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Ogee and Metal beaten.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Trastámara, House of.