page_title: Portuguese heraldry
section_title: GNR's heraldry
hierarchical_section_title: Portuguese heraldry / Military heraldry / GNR's heraldry
context_page_description: Portuguese heraldry encompasses the modern and historic traditions of heraldry in Portugal and the Portuguese Empire. Portuguese heraldry is part of the larger Iberian tradition of heraldry, one of the major schools of heraldic tradition, and grants coats of arms to individuals, cities, Portuguese colonies, and other institutions. Heraldry has been practiced in Portugal at least since the 11th century, however it only became standardized and popularized in the 16th century, during the reign of King Manuel I of Portugal, who created the first heraldic ordinances in the country. Like in other Iberian heraldic traditions, the use of quartering and augmentations of honor is highly representative of Portuguese heraldry, but unlike in any other Iberian traditions, the use of heraldic crests is highly popular.
context_section_description: The Republican National Guard (GNR) is a gendarmerie type security force, whose members have military status. The GNR started to implement a system of heraldry in the 1970s, following closely the model of the Army's heraldry. The standards used until 1987 were based in the Army's heraldic regulations of 1969. When the Army changed its regulations in 1987, the GNR kept the heraldry of the already existing bodies, but the heraldry of the newly created bodies started to follow the Army's new regulations. Finally, in 2009, the GNR implemented a new heraldic regulation for general application, which is based in the Army's 1987 regulation.
  The coat of arms of the GNR is field vert, an ancient sword or sustained by two fronted dragons or, military helmet argent, torse and mantling vert and or, a dragon of the shield wielding an ancient sword or as crest, the collar of the Order of the Tower and Sword and a scroll with the motto Pela Lei e pela Grei (For the Law and for the People). This coat of arms was granted in 1973 and replaced a non-heraldic design used since the 1950s.
  Besides the GNR itself, the following bodies have the right to bear a coat of arms: the Command General, the Guard Inspection, the Operational Command, the Human Resources Administration Command, the Training and Doctrine Command, the School of the Guard and the units. Units and sub-units deployed outside of the national territory of Portugal have also the right to bear a coat of arms.
  The coats of arms of the above bodies follow exactly the model of the coat of arms of the GNR, being always represented with a heater style shield.
  The heraldic flag types used in the GNR are the flag to be flown (bandeira de arvorar), the standard (estandarte), the guidon (guião), the pennant (flâmula) for sub-units, the pennant for vessels and the distinctive flag (galhardete). The flags, the standards, the guidons and the pennants for sub-units follow the model of the Army's respective flags, standards for independent bodies, standards for battalions and pennants. The GNR's own standard is larger, 1 m × 1 m. The pennants for vessels are triangular flags and include near the staff the heraldic symbol of the Coastal Control Unit, and near the fly the symbol of the vessel. The distinctive flags to be borne by general officers are the quadrature of the field of the coat of arms of the bodies they command, with a chief vert charged with a number of stars corresponding to the rank of the general. The flags are to be borne by the bodies entitled to bear a coat of arms, the guidons by battalion-size units, and the pennants by company-size units and by vessels under the command of officers.
  The former Fiscal Guard (GF) also made use of heraldry before its integration into the GNR in 1993. The coat of arms of the GF was established in 1980 as azur with a star of 16 points or (this star was the traditional badge of this body since the 19th century), a helm argent, torse and mantling azur and or, the crest being an issuing griffon or holding a bugle or, a scroll with the motto Pela Pátria e pela Lei (For the Motherland and for the Law). In 1989, particular coats of arms were also granted to the several units and commands of this body, following the same general standard. With the integration of the GF in the GNR as its Fiscal Brigade, the coat of arms of the previous body became the coat of arms of its successor.
caption: Arms of the Republican National Guard (GNR).