A heraldic crown is often an emblem of a sovereign state, usually a monarchy , 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 a coat of arms, or set 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: 2022 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 (Prince of Wales) 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) Loyalist 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 Lord of Albania (The Skanderbeg Helmet)
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) Sovereign Prince 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)Queen consort Heir to the throne(Prince of Piedmont) Royal prince Prince of the blood Prince Duke Marquess CountViscount 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 Overseas province(1930–1999) Administrative region(not implemented) Capital city City Town Civil Parish
Kingdom of Portugal (until 1910) King Heir apparent to the throne(Prince Royal) Second in the line of succession(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 crownused in late 19th to early 20th c. Grand ducal crownused in the state coat of arms 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