Coat of arms of the Netherlands: photo, meaning, description
Coat of arms of the Netherlands
The kingdom, located in the very center of Europe, can afford the great coat of arms of the Netherlands, both medium and small. The first is the personal coat of arms of the monarch, now it is owned by a representative of the Orange dynasty, King Willem-Alexander. Medium and small variants are used by the Dutch government.
The main elements of the main state symbol of the country were determined by a decree of Queen Wilhemina back in 1907, and then confirmed, this time by Queen Juliana in April 1980..
Great coat of arms of the great kingdom
The main symbol of the country looks very magnificent and solemn. First, the color scheme makes it clear that we are talking about a kingdom. Azure shield field, gold, silver, scarlet details - a masterpiece of heraldic art.
The central place on the shield is occupied by a standing silver lion in a golden crown. With his right paw, he grips a sword made of silver, with a golden hilt, in his left paw, seven arrows, also of silver. Scarlet claws and tongue give a special piquancy to the predatory animal. Also, golden rectangles, the so-called billets, located on an azure field, look very harmonious..
There are also supporters, similar to the predator depicted in the field. They are also gold colored and have scarlet claws and tongues. Above this splendor is crowned with the Dutch royal crown. The lions are leaning on an azure ribbon with an inscription in medieval French, which literally means "I support".
The great coat of arms also has a royal mantle, beautifully draped around the shield and lions supporting it, as well as another crown crowning the composition.
Excursion into the history of the coat of arms of the Netherlands
The image of the main symbol of the country has remained practically unchanged since 1815; in the original version, the lions were also crowned. The first to approve it was King William I, who managed to combine elements of the family coat of arms of the Orange dynasty and the Republic of the United Provinces, which existed until 1795, in the coat of arms..
“A gift from the family” - azure color, a golden lion and tickets, a lion armed with a sword and arrows migrated from the coat of arms of the abolished republic to a new symbol. The crown was at first a count's crown, later it was replaced by a royal headdress by Willem I. Wilhelmina, who ascended the throne in 1890, by a decree of 1907 returned the count's crown to the coat of arms of the Netherlands.