# Belgian heraldry

Belgian heraldry is the form of coats of arms and other heraldic bearings and insignia used in the Kingdom of Belgium and the Belgian colonial empire but also in the historical territories that make up modern-day Belgium. Today, coats of arms in Belgium are regulated and granted by different bodies depending on the nature, status, and location of the armiger.

## Characteristics

The characteristic of Belgian heraldry are similar to varying degrees to those of its neighbouring countries' (France, Netherlands, Germany).

### Helms

In Belgium, barred helms are most commonly used, and are not reserved for the nobility like in some jurisdictions. They most often have gold bars, as well as a gold collar and trim. They are often lined and attached to the escutcheon with a shield strap.
* Barred helm with gold bars, collar, and trim.
* All silver barred helm.
* Jousting or tourney helms are sometimes also used, but are rarer. They are the only alternative accepted by the Council of Heraldry and Vexillology to the barred helmet.

### Mottos

A distinct characteristic that is not found in anglo-saxon heraldry is that the motto, motto scroll and letters thereon are blazoned.

## Terminology

Like English and some other countries' heraldry, achievements of arms are usually blazoned in a specialized jargon.
| Tinctures | | | | | | | | | |
| English | Or | Argent | Azure | Gules | Vert | Purpure | Sable | Ermine | Vair |
| French | Or | Argent | Azur | Gueules | Sinople | Pourpre | Sable | Hermine | Vair |
| Dutch | Goud/Or | Zilver/Argent | Azuur/Lazuur (Blauw) | Keel (Rood) | Sinopel (Groen) | Purper | Sabel (Zwart) | Hermelijn | Vair |
| Ordinaries | | | | | | | | |
| English | Pale | Fess | Bend | Bend sinister | Cross | Saltire | Chevron | Bordure |
| French | Pal | Fasce | Bande | Barre | Croix | Sautoir | Chevron | Bordure |
| Dutch | Paal | Dwarsbalk | Schuinbalk | Linker schuinbalk or baar | Kruis | Schuinkruis or andrieskruis | Keper | Schildzoom |
| Division of the field | | | | | | |
| English | Party per fess | Party per pale | Party per bend | Party per bend sinister | Quarterly | Party per saltire |
| French | Coupé | Parti | Tranché | Taillé | Écartelé | En sautoir |
| Dutch | Doorsneden | Gedeeld | Geschuind | Linksgeschuind | Gevierendeeld (in vier kwartieren) | Schuin gevierendeeld |

## Civic heraldry
### National arms

Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Belgium :
* Adopted17 March 1837
* CoronetRoyal Crown of Belgium
* CrestA helmet with raised visor or
* EscutcheonSable, a lion rampant or, armed and langued Gules
* SupportersTwo lions guardant proper each supporting a lance Gules point or with two National Flags of Belgium (Tierced per pale Sable, or and Gules).
* CompartmentUnderneath the compartment is placed the ribbon Gules with two stripes Sable charged with the motto
* MottoL'union fait la force
* OrdersThe grand collar of the Order of Leopold
* Other elementsTwo crossed sceptres (a hand of justice and a lion) or behind a shield. The whole is placed on a mantle Gules with ermine lining, fringes and tassels Or and ensigned with the Royal Crown of Belgium. Above the mantle rise banners with the arms of the nine provinces that constituted Belgium in 1837. They are (from dexter to sinister) Antwerp, West Flanders, East Flanders, Liège, Brabant, Hainaut, Limburg, Luxembourg and Namur

### Other versions

* Middle version
* Lesser or State coat of arms
* Escutcheon and crown

## Belgian Lions (heraldry)

* Lion used on the official coat of arms of the Kingdom of Belgium
* Belgian lion with the coat of arms of the Royal house of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
* Lion used by King Leopold I of Belgium on his personal coat of arms
* Lion used by the Belgian (federal) government
* Lion on the coat of arms of the United Belgian States
* Lion used by the pro-Belgian action "Belgicism"
* Lion of the Duchy of Brabant

### Communities, regions, and language areas

* Coat of arms of Flanders
* Coat of arms of Wallonia.
* Coat of arms of the Brussels-Capital Region.
* Coat of arms of the German-speaking Community.

### Provinces

* West-Flanders
* East-Flanders
* Antwerp
* Flemish Brabant
* Limburg
* Walloon Brabant
* Hainaut
* Namur
* Liège
* Luxembourg

### Municipal heraldry

Municipal heraldry is regulated through the competent council of the community in question, which are the Council of Heraldry and Vexillology for the French Community and the Flemish Heraldic Council for the Flemish Community.
* City of Brussels
* Antwerp
* Ghent
* Namur
* Liege
* Eupen

### Colonial heraldry

* Coat of arms of the Congo Free State.
* Coat of arms of the Belgian Congo.
* Coat of arms of Ruanda-Urundi.
* Coat of arms of the Lado Enclave
* Seal of the Belgian concession of Tianjin (Chinese city)

## Royal heraldry

The coats of arms of the Belgian royal family is currently regulated by a Royal Decree published on 19 July 2019 and signed on the same day, by King Philippe. This decree also reinstated the Saxonian escutcheon in all the royal versions of the family's coat of arms. The reinstatement of the shield of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha into the royal arms occurred shortly after the visit of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde to the ancestral Friedenstein Castle. The king also added translations of the motto into the three official languages of Belgium, to reflect his wish "to be the King of the whole Kingdom and of all Belgians". The latest royal decree therefore reverses previous changes made to the Royal versions of the coat arms which removed the armorial bearings of Saxony during the First World War.

### Coats of arms of the King

* Coat of arms of King Leopold I, 1831–1865
* Coat of arms of Leopold II and Albert I, 1865–1921
* Coat of arms of Albert I, Leopold III, Baudouin, Albert II, and Philippe, 1921–2019
* Coat of arms of the reigning monarch since 2019, used by Philippe

### Coats of arms of the Royal family

* Coat of arms of a former king, used by Albert II
* Coat of arms of a former queen regnant
* Coat of arms of the Duke of Brabant
* Coat of arms of the Duchess of Brabant, used by Princess Elisabeth
* Coat of arms of a prince of Belgium
* Coat of arms of a princess of Belgium
* Coat of arms of a prince of the royal house
* Coat of arms of a princess of the royal house
* Coat of arms of the Royal House of Belgium
* Lesser arms of the Royal House of Belgium

## Individuals and families

Like civic arms, arms of non-noble individuals and families (in the form of family associations) are regulated by the competent council of the community in question. These are the Council of Heraldry and Vexillology for the French Community and the Flemish Heraldic Council for the Flemish Community. Today, both councils grant a helm with torse and mantling as well as a motto as additaments of the shield. The additaments reserved for the nobility, such as crowned helmets (i.e. crest coronets) and rank crowns (coronets), supporters, banners and battle cries, mantles and pavilions, are prohibited.
Before that, the Genealogical and Heraldic Office of Belgium recorded the arms of persons and families.
* Example of bourgeois (or burgher) arms: the coat of arms of the de Muyser Lantwyck family.
* Coat of arms of the de Brabant family [fr]
* Coat of arms of the Vander Borcht family [fr]
* Arms of the Dewandre family [fr]

## Nobility

Arms of the Belgian nobility are regulated by the Council of Nobility.
* Coat of arms of the de Lannoy family with a princely mantle.
* Coat of arms of the Empain Barons.
* Coat of arms of the Counts d'Udekem d'Acoz
* Example of banners on the arms of the de Norman et d'Audenhove family.

### Coronets rankings

| King | Crown prince | Prince | Duke | Marquess | Count | Viscount | Baron | Knight | Squire |