Crown (heraldry)

A crown is often an emblem of a sovereign state, usually a monarchy (see The Crown), but also used by some republics.
A specific type of crown is employed in heraldry under strict rules. Indeed, some monarchies never had a physical crown, just a heraldic representation, as in the constitutional kingdom of Belgium.
Crowns are also often used as symbols of religious status or veneration, by divinities (or their representation such as a statue) or by their representatives, e.g. the Black Crown of the Karmapa Lama, sometimes used a model for wider use by devotees.
A crown can be a charge in a coat of arms, or set atop the shield to signify the status of its owner, as with the coat of arms of Norway.
==Physical and heraldic crowns==
Sometimes, the crown commonly depicted and used in heraldry differs significantly from any specific physical crown that may be used by a monarchy.
Photograph of the physical crown of Norway	Representation of the physical crown of Norway	The heraldic crown for the King of Norway (1905 pattern)
==As a display of rank==
If the bearer of a coat of arms has the title of baron or higher (or hereditary knight in some countries), he or she may display a coronet of rank above the shield, usually below the helm in British heraldry, and often above the crest (if any) in Continental heraldry.
In this case, the appearance of the crown or coronet follows a strict set of rules. A royal coat of arms may display a royal crown, such as that of Norway. A princely coat of arms may display a princely crown, and so on.
==Naval, civic, mural and similar crowns==
A mural crown is commonly displayed on coats of arms of towns and some republics. Other republics may use a so-called people's crown or omit the use of a crown altogether. The heraldic forms of crowns are often inspired by the physical appearance of the respective country's actual royal or princely crowns.
Ships and other units of some navies have a naval crown, composed of the sails and sterns of ships, above the shield of their coats of arms. Squadrons of some air forces have an astral crown, composed of wings and stars. There is also the Eastern crown, made up of spikes, and when each spike is topped with a star, it becomes a celestial crown.
Whereas most county councils in England use mural crowns, there is a special type of crown that was used by Scottish county councils. It was composed of spikes, was normally shown vert (green) and had golden wheat sheaves between the spikes. Today, most of the Scottish unitary authorities still use this "wheat sheaf crown", but it is now the usual gold.
Astral crown 	Camp crown 	Celestial crown
Eastern crown	Mural crown	Naval crown
==Commonwealth usage==
In formal English, the word crown is reserved for the crown of a monarch and the Queen consort, whereas the word coronet is used for all other crowns used by members of the British royal family and peers of the realm.
In the British peerage, the design of a coronet shows the rank of its owner, as in German, French and various other heraldic traditions. The coronet of a duke has eight strawberry leaves, that of a marquess has four strawberry leaves and four silver balls (known as "pearls", but not actually pearls), that of an earl has eight strawberry leaves and eight "pearls" raised on stalks, that of a viscount has sixteen "pearls", and that of a peerage baron or (in Scotland) lord of parliament has six "pearls". Between the 1930s and 2004, feudal barons in the baronage of Scotland were granted a chapeau or cap of maintenance as a rank insignia. This is placed between the shield and helmet in the same manner as a peer's coronet. Since a person entitled to heraldic headgear customarily displays it above the shield and below the helm and crest, this can provide a useful clue as to the owner of a given coat of arms.
Members of the British royal family have coronets on their coats of arms, and they may wear physical versions at coronations. They are according to regulations made by King Charles II in 1661, shortly after his return from exile in France (getting a taste for its lavish court style; Louis XIV started monumental work at Versailles that year) and Restoration, and they vary depending upon the holder's relationship to the monarch. Occasionally, additional royal warrants vary the designs for individuals.
In Canadian heraldry, special coronets are used to designate descent from United Empire Loyalists. A military coronet signifies ancestors who served in Loyalist regiments during the American Revolution, while a civil coronet is used by all others. The loyalist coronets are used only in heraldry, never worn. A new royal crown, derived from the shape of the Tudor crown but with distinctly Canadian elements, was unveiled at a ceremony in Ottawa to mark the Coronation of Charles III.
Monarch: 2024 Tudor Crown 	Monarch: 1901 Tudor Crown	Monarch: Crown of Scotland 	Monarch: Canadian Royal Crown 	Monarch: St Edward's Crown
Monarch: Imperial Crown (medieval) 	Heir Apparent 	Child of a Sovereign (except the Heir Apparent)	Child of Heir Apparent 	Grandchild of a Sovereign
Child of daughter of a Sovereign, if styled HighnessCox, Noel The Coronets of Members of the Royal Family and of the Peerage. Originally published in (1999) 22 The Double Tressure, the Journal of The Heraldry Society of Scotland 8-13. Acceded 8 April 2017	Duke 	Marquess 	
Earl 	Viscount
Peerage Baron/Lord of Parliament (Scotland) 	Feudal Baron (Scotland) 	Loyalist military coronet (Canada) 	Loyalis civil coronet (Canada)	King of Arms (College of Arms)
==Continental usages==
Precisely because there are many traditions and more variation within some of these, there is a plethora of continental coronet types. Indeed, there are also some coronets for positions that do not exist, or do not entitle use of a coronet, in the Commonwealth tradition.
Such a case in French heraldry of the Ancien Régime, where coronets of rank did not come into use before the 16th century, is the vidame, whose coronet (illustrated) is a metal circle mounted with three visible crosses. (No physical headgear of this type is known.)
Helmets are often substitutes for coronets, and some coronets are worn only on a helmet.
===Finland===
During the Swedish reign, Swedish coronets were used. Crowns were used in the coats of arms of the historical provinces of Finland. For Finland Proper, Satakunta, Tavastia and Karelia, it was a ducal coronet; for others, a comital coronet. In 1917 with independence, the coat of arms of Finland was introduced with a grand ducal crown, but it was soon removed, in 1920. Today, some cities use coronets, e.g. Pori has a mural crown and Vaasa a Crown of Nobility.
==As a charge==
In heraldry, a charge is an image occupying the field of a coat of arms. Many coats of arms incorporate crowns as charges. One notable example of this lies in the Three Crowns of the arms of Sweden.
Additionally, many animal charges (frequently lions and eagles) and sometimes human heads also appear crowned. Animal charges gorged (collared) of an open coronet also occur, though more often as supporters than as charges.
==Gallery==
===Albania===
King
===Andorra===
Co-Princes
===Bulgaria===
Tsar 	Tsaritsa 	Prince
Older Princesses	Younger Princesses	
===Croatia===
Crown of Zvonimir
===France===
Capital	Department	Commune
====Ancien Régime====
King 	Heir to the throne (Dauphin)	Children and grandchildren of the sovereign (Fils de France)	Prince of the Blood
Duke and Peer of France 	Duke 	Marquis and peer of France 	Marquis
Count and Peer of France	Count 	Count (older) 	Viscount
Vidame 	Baron 	Knight's crown 	Knight's tortillon
====Napoleonic Empire====
Emperor(1st Empire)	Emperor(2nd Empire)	SovereignPrince
Prince 	Duke 	Count
Baron 	Knight 	Bonnet d`honneur
====July Monarchy====
King of the French
===Georgia===
Georgian Royal Crown, also known as the "Iberian Crown"
===German-speaking countries===
====Holy Roman Empire====
Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire	Older Imperial Crown 	Newer Imperial Crown 	Oldest Crown of the King of the Romans
Older Crown of the King of the Romans 	Newer Crown of the King of the Romans	Crown of the King of Bohemia	Generic Crown of a King or Grand Duke
Archducal hat 	Ducal hat of Styria 	Oldest Electoral hat 	Older Electoral hat
New Electoral hat & new Ducal hat 	Ducal crown 	Crown of an heir to a duchy 	Princely hat (also used by Mediatized Counts
Princely crown 	Crown of a Landgrave 	Older crown of a Count 	Newer crown of a Count
Older crown of a Baron/ 	Newer Crown of a Baron/Freiherr 	Older Crown of Nobility 	Newer Crown of Nobility
====Liechtenstein====
Prince of Liechtenstein
====Austria====
Mural crown of the coat of arms of Austria	Mural crown of the State of Lower Austria
=====Austrian Empire=====
Crown of the Emperor of Austria	Crown of the King of Bohemia	Archducal hat 	Archducal crown
Ducal hat of Styria 	Ducal hat 	Ducal crown 	Princely hat
Princely crown 	Crown of a Count 	Crown of a Baron/Freiherr	Crown of Nobility
====Germany====
Volkskrone (People's Crown)	Mural crown of the arms of the Berlin boroughs
=====German Empire=====
Crown of the German Emperor 	Crown of the German Empress 	Crown of the German Crown Prince
Crown of the King of Prussia	Crown of the King of Bavaria	Crown of the King of Württemberg
====Hanover====
Crown of the King of Hanover
===Greece===
Crown of the King of the Hellenes	The Crown as it appears on the Royal Coat of Arms of Greece
===Hungary===
Holy Crown of Hungary
===Italy===
Province	City	Municipality
====Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946)====
King (crown of Savoy)	Heir to the throne (Prince of Piedmont)	Royal prince 	Prince of the blood
Duke 	Marquess 	Count 	Viscount
Baron 	Noble 	Hereditary Knight	Patrician
====Kingdom of Naples, Kingdom of Sicily, Two Sicilies====
King of Naples	Heir to the throne (Duke of Calabria)	Prince and princess
====Grand Duchy of Tuscany====
Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany	Habsburg-Lorraine Grand Dukes of Tuscany
====Other Italian states before 1861====
Iron Crown of Lombardy	Crown of San Marino	Crown of Napoleonic Italy
Doge of Venice 	Doge of Genoa 	Duke of Parma
===Low Countries===
====Netherlands====
Holy Roman Emperor 	King 	Prince(Members of the Royal House,children of the Monarch)	Prince(Members of the Royal House,grandchildren of the Monarch)
Prince(nobility, for titles granted after 1815)	Duke 	Marquess 	Count
Viscount 	Baron	Hereditary Knight 	Jonkheer
====Belgium====
The older crowns are often still seen in the heraldry of older families.
King 	Prince of the Royal house	Prince (nobility, for titles granted after 1815)	Prince (nobility, for titles granted during the Ancien Régime)
Duke 	Marquess 	Count 	Count (older)
Count (oldest) 	Viscount 	Baron 	Baron (older)
Hereditary Knight(Chevalier/Erfridder)	 	 	
====Luxembourg====
Grand Duke
===Monaco===
Prince
===Montenegro===
Monarchy 1860-1918	Republic 2006-Present
===Poland and Lithuania===
Heraldic Crown of the King	Crown of Bolesław I the Brave of Poland	Grand Duke	Prince
Count 	Baron 	Nobleman 	
===Portugal===
Capital city (Lisbon)	City 	Town
Civil Parish 	Overseas province(1930-1999)	
====Kingdom of Portugal (until 1910)====
King 	Heir to the throne (Prince Royal)	Prince of Beira	Infante	Duke
Marquess	Count 	Viscount 	Baron 	Knight / Fidalgo
===Romania===
Capital	City
Town 	village
====Kingdom of Romania====
King (The Steel Crown of Romania)
===Russia===
Emperor 	Empress 	Crown of Congress Poland 	Crown of the Grand Duchy of Finland
Altabas cap	Monomakh's Cap	Kazan cap 	Prince
Count 	Baron 	Baron (alternative style)	Crown of Nobility
===Nordic countries===
====Denmark====
King 	Crown Prince	Prince (royal family)	Duke
Marquess	Count 	Baron 	Crown of Nobility
====Iceland====
King
====Finland====
Physical crown design of the King	Generic Grand ducal crown used in late 19th to early 20th c.	Grand ducal crown used in the state coat of arms in 1917–1920.
Ducal coronet 	Comital coronet 	Mural crown
====Norway====
Heraldic crown of the King	Physical crown of the King	Physical crown of the Queen	Crown Prince	Prince or Princess
Duke 	Marquess 	Count 	Baron 	Crown of Nobility
====Sweden====
King/Queen 	Crown Prince/Crown Princess	Prince/Princess (aka Duke/Duchess)
Count/Countess	Baron/Baroness 	Untitled Nobility
===Serbia===
Emperor (medieval) 	King (after 1903)
Coat of arms design (1882-1918; 2004-2010)	Coat of arms design (after 2010)
===Spain===
king (National arms design) 	king (Monarch's arms design)	king (Aragon, Catalonia, Balearics, Valencia) 	Heir to the throne (Prince of Asturias)
Heir to the throne (Prince of Girona) (Aragon, Catalonia, Balearics, Valencia)	Infante 	Infante (Aragon, Catalonia, Balearics, Valencia)	Grandee of Spain
Duke 	Marquess 	Count 	Viscount
Baron 	Señor/Don (Lord) 	Hidalgo (Nobleman) 	Knight's burelete
===Ukraine===
Crown of Ruthenia
===Non-European usages===
====Bahrain====
King
====Bhutan====
'Raven Crown' of the Kingdom of Bhutan
====Brazil====
Capital of State of the Federation	city	Town	Village
=====Empire of Brazil=====
Emperor	Heir to the throne (Prince Imperial)	Prince of Grão-Pará
Prince 	Duke 	Marquess
Count 	Viscount 	Baron
====Brunei====
Crown of Brunei Darussalam
====Cambodia====
Crown of the Kingdom of Cambodia
====Central African Empire====
Emperor
====Chile====
Municipal Mural Crown	Royal Crown of Easter Island
====China====
Emperor
====Egypt====
Wali (1854 - 1867) and Khedive (1867–1914)	Sultan (1914–22) 	King (1922–53)
pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt 	Hemhem 	Atef
King of Lower Egypt 	King of Upper Egypt	Queen
Shuti 	Blue Crown 	Cap Crown
====Ethiopia====
Emperor
====Fiji====
Crown of Fiji
====Haiti====
Emperor (2nd Empire)
====Hawaii====
Crown of Hawaii
====Iran====
Crown of the Shah of Persia	Crown of the Shah of Iran
====Iraq====
Crown of Iraq
====Jordan====
Crown of Jordan
====Libya====
Crown of Libya
====Kyrgyzstan====
Crown of Kara-Kygyz Khanate
====Malaysia====
sultan of Johor	sultan of Kelantan	sultan of Terengganu
====Mexico====
Emperor (1st Empire)	Emperor (2nd Empire)	Prince (1st Empire and 2nd Empire)
====Morocco====
Heraldic Crown of Morocco
====Nepal====
100x100px Crown of Nepal
====Oman====
Crown of Oman
====Rwanda====
Crown of the Kingdom of Rwanda
====Saudi Arabia====
Crown of Saudi Arabia
====Siam and Thailand====
Great Crown of Victory of the King of Siam and Thailand	Phra Kiao (princely coronet, also the emblem of king Chulalongkorn)	coronet of the Crown prince of Siam/Thailand
====Tahiti====
Crown of Tahiti
====Tonga====
Crown of Tonga
===Other examples===
Twig crown of the Republic of the Congo	College of Arms Foundation of the United States
===Ecclesiastical Hats===
====Anglican Communion====
Archbishop or Bishop 	Archdeacon	Dean 	Members of His Majesty's Ecclesiastical Household
Canons, Honorary Canons, Canons Emeritus and Prebendaries	Priest 	Deacon	
====Catholic Church====
Pope 	Patriarch 	Cardinal 	Metropolitan Archbishop
Archbishop 	Eastern Catholic prelate, combining elements of both Eastern and Western ecclesiastical heraldry	Apostolic protonotary (Monsignor)	Honorary Prelate (Monsignor)
Chaplain of His Holiness (Monsignor)	Bishop 	Abbot 	Canon
Dean 	Priest 	 	
==See also==
*Crown jewels
*Imperial crown
*List of monarchies
*Coronet
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Crowns in heraldry
Category:Heraldic charges