Coat o airms o Swaden

The **greater naitional coat o airms** (*stora riksvapnet*) an the **lesser naitional coat o airms** (*lilla riksvapnet*) are the offeecial coats o airms o Swaden.

## Description
### Escutcheon
The escutcheon uised in the greater blazon haes in tot five elements: 4 quarterins on the main escutcheon (twa coats o airms duplicatit), an three coat o airms incorporatit intae a escutcheon o pretense. Housomeivver, Bernadotte niver uised ony starns in the airms o Pontecorvo (neither as Prince o Pontecorvo, nor as King o Swaden an Norawa) contrary tae the illustration belaw. The starns wur introduced as an element in the ryal coat o airms in mid 19t century an then abuin the eagle.

### Supporters
The airms are supportit bi twa lions wi forked tails (*queue fourchée*), facin away frae the shield an crouned wi Ryal Crouns. For centuries, the lion haes been an important element in Swadish heraldry an especially for the State Coat o Airms.

### Collars o the Ryal Orders
The shield mey be surmuntit bi the Collar o the Order o Seraphim, the foremaist order in Swaden, an the heichest honour the Swadish state can bestou on an individual.

### General description
Besides bein the offeecial naitional coat o airms, the greater coat o airms is an aa the personal coat o airms o the king, an as such he can decree its uise as a personal coat o airms bi ither members o the Ryal Hoose, wi the alterations an additions decidit bi him.

Blazon: "The greater state airms consist o a heid shield azure, quartered bi a cross or wi ootbent airms, an an inescutcheon containin the dynastic airms o the Ryal Hoose.

In the first an fowert fields three coronets or, placed twa abuin ane. In the seicont an third fields three sinisterbendwise streams argent, a lion crouned wi an open croun or wi armaments gules. The inescutcheon is pairty per pale the airms for the Hoose o Vasa an the Hoose o Bernadotte. The main shield is crouned bi a ryal croun an surroondit bi the insignia of the Order of the Seraphim. Supported bi twa lions regardant or crouned, wi pairtit tails an armaments gules, staundin on a postament. Aw surroondit bi hermine mantlin crouned wi a ryal croun an tee'd up wi tasseled strings or."

#### Personal Command Sign o H.M. the Keeng

The Personal Command Sign o H.M. the King o Swaden wis introduced bi a Ryal regulation in 1943. The Command sign includes the central pairt o the greater coat o airms. The banner, offeecially termed His Majesty's Personal Command Banner, is ane o a kynd. The anerlie copy wis creatit bi Einar Kedja, a renouned Swadish heraldic airtist. The cloth is permanently attacht tae a pole wi a croun servin as finial.

## The lesser coat o airms
The lesser coat o airms is mainly uised bi the Govrenment o Swaden an its agencies. As such it mey be joined bi insignies seembolisin thair activity, follaein approval bi the State Buird o Heraldry. It is, for instance, embroidered on aw Swadish police uniforms.

Blazon: "Azure, wi three coronets Or, ordered twa abuin ane." Crouned wi a ryal croun. The shield mey an aa be surroondit bi the insignias o the Order o the Seraphim."

## Regulatit uisage
The uisage o the coats o airms is regulatit bi Swadish Law, Act 1970:498, which states (in translation) that *"in commercial activities, the coats o airms, the banner or ither offeecial insignie o Swaden mey no be uised in a trademark or ither insignias for products or services athoot proper authorisation. This includes ony mark or text referrin tae the Swadish govrenment which thus can give the commercial mark a sign o offeecial endorsement. This includes municipal coats o airms which are registered."* http://www.notisum.se/rnp/sls/lag/19700498.HTM 

Ony representation consistin o three crouns ordered twa abuin ane are considered tae be the lesser coat o airms, an its uisage is therefore restrictit bi law 1970:498.

## See an aa

*Swedish heraldry
*Three Crowns
*Flag of Sweden
*List of flags of Sweden

## References