Meghan Markle Receives Coat of Arms, Typically Given to Father of the Bride Before Wedding
The palace just announced that Meghan Markle has received her coat of arms. This longstanding design is a highly valued tradition in England.
“Heraldry is Europe’s oldest, most visual and strictly regulated form of identity and it surrounds us in Britain, giving clues to our history and surroundings,” Thomas Woodcock, Garter King of Arms at the College of Arms, said.
Typically, the coat of arms is presented to the bride’s father prior to the royal wedding, but due to the drama surrounding Markle’s family, the coat of arms was presented directly to her.
The newly named Duchess of Sussex worked closely with the College of Arms to ensure that it would accurately represent her.
Markle’s shield is shown next to her new husband’s shield, which means they are impaled or placed side by side in the same shield.
Her shield’s background is blue, representing the Pacific Ocean on California’s coast. There are also two golden rays, which further represent Markle’s hometown in “The Golden State.”
The California references don’t stop there. The shield is sitting on a grassy field featuring golden poppies, California’s state flower. Wintersweet flowers, which grow at Kensington Palace, are also featured.
Both of these flowers were also highlighted in Meghan Markle’s wedding veil, as were flowers from each of the 53 countries in the commonwealth.
Three quills sit in between the two golden rays, which represent communication and the power of words. This likely points toward the Duchess’s activism and former career.
For wives of members of the Royal family, one of the supporters of the shield is traditionally their husband’s while the other is more personalized.
On the left of Markle’s shield stands Prince Harry’s supporter, and on the right stands a songbird with its mouth open and wings ready to fly: a further representation of Markle’s commitment to communication.
While the coat of arms being presented directly to Markle herself is a shocking break in tradition, it is not the only one: Her family name is not represented.
The coat of arms presented to Kate Middleton’s father featured images that pointed to Kate’s mother and two sisters.
Markle receiving her coats of arms means that she and Harry can receive their own “conjugal coat of arms,” but that will probably not happen for a couple of years.
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