Cadency labels of the British royal family

Heraldic **labels** are used to differentiate the personal coats of arms of members of the royal family of the United Kingdom from that of the monarch and from each other. In the Gallo-British heraldic tradition, cadency marks have been available to "difference" the arms of a son from those of his father, and the arms of brothers from each other, and traditionally this was often done when it was considered important for each man to have a distinctive individual coat of arms and/or to differentiate the arms of the head of a house from junior members of the family. This was especially important in the case of arms of sovereignty: to use the undifferenced arms of a kingdom is to assert a claim to the throne. Therefore, in the English royal family, cadency marks were used from the time of Henry III, typically a label or bordure alluding to the arms of the bearer's mother or wife. After about 1340, when Edward III made a claim to the throne of France, a blue label did not contrast sufficiently with the blue field of the French quarter of the royal arms; accordingly most royal cadets used labels argent: that of the heir apparent was plain, and all others were charged. Bordures of various tinctures continued to be used into the 15th century.

## The label

*Main article: Label (heraldry)*

In the ordinary system of differences a label of three points (which has also been termed a label with three files) is the distinction of the eldest son during the lifetime of his father. In the oldest rolls of arms the labels are all of five points; but labels of three points were at an early period used interchangeably. Besides being used as mere temporary marks of cadency, labels are also employed as permanent distinctions, borne (like any other charge) by every member of some particular branches of certain families. Labels are the principal cadency marks used in certain royal families. In the British royal family, all labels are *argent* (white). The sons and daughters of the sovereign all bear labels of three points argent; that of the arms of the Prince of Wales is plain, but all others are charged. Further descendants of princes bear labels of five points charged. All such differences should be borne on the arms, crest, and supporters.

## Charges

The system of a special mark for difference for each member of the family goes back to the time of Henry III, whose successor, as a prince, placed such a mark on the shield of England. Since 1340 this label has almost always been white, and overlaid with small figures, or charges, such as red crosses of St George. This red cross represents England and its patron saint, and was first borne by Richard of Bordeaux (future king Richard II) before the death of his father Edward, the Black Prince in 1376. Other charges used:

* A **blue anchor**, a symbol of hope, or of naval service, as borne by several Dukes of York.
* The **Crown** of England (sometimes called the Imperial or St Edward's Crown) borne by the abdicated king the Duke of Windsor, which is as unusual as the occurrence itself.
* **Roses**: the Tudor Rose (combined red and white) has been used as an English royal badge since 1485.
* Red **hearts** may allude to the arms of Lüneburg (part of the Hanoverian arms) or – for the descendants of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark – to the coat of arms of Denmark.
* The blue **fleur-de-lis** appears amongst the Royal Badges in England of the Stuarts.
* The **thistle** is an ancient badge of Scotland.
* The **escallop shell** was traditionally a token of pilgrimage on the Way of St James. The shell in the labels of The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry alludes to their mother's Spencer arms.
* The **bee** is a canting charge in the label of Princess Beatrice of York.
* The **trefoil** is a badge of Ireland, associated with St Patrick, who used it to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity.

## Labels used since the Hanoverian succession

UK Arms since accession of Victoria, 1837Albert, Prince ConsortPrince Alfred (as Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha)Prince Alfred (as Duke of Edinburgh)Arms of Beatrice, Princess Henry of Battenberg.svgPrincess BeatriceArms of Edward, Duke of Windsor.svgThe Duke of WindsorArms of Mary, the Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood.svgMary, Princess Royal and Countess of HarewoodArms of Henry, Duke of Gloucester.svgPrince Henry, Duke of GloucesterArms of George, Duke of Kent.svgPrince George, Duke of KentArms of Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.svgPrincess MargaretArms of Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy.svgPrincess AlexandraThe Duke of KentPrince Michael of KentThe Prince of WalesArms of Anne, the Princess Royal.svgThe Princess RoyalThe Duke of YorkThe Earl of WessexThe Duke of CambridgeThe Duke of SussexArms of Beatrice of York.svgPrincess Beatrice of YorkArms of Eugenie of York.svgPrincess Eugenie of York

## See also

* Royal Supporters of England
* Royal Standards of England

## References

1. ↑ *A Complete Guide to Heraldry* by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies (1909), p. 494. (Online texts at https://archive.org/details/completeguidetoh00foxduoft or http://www7b.biglobe.ne.jp/~bprince/hr/foxdavies/index.htm .)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ottfried Neubecker & John Brooke-Little: *Heraldry: Sources, Symbols and Meaning* (1997). ISBN: 0-316-64141-3
. "Signs of Differencing" (pp. 96–97).
3. ↑ François Velde: Marks of Cadency in the British Royal Family. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
4. ↑ Boutell (page 219).