In
heraldryHeraldry is the profession, study, or art of devising, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound *harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
,
cadency is any systematic way of distinguishing similar
coats of armsA coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, in European tradition, is a design belonging to a particular person and used by them in a wide variety of ways. Historically, they were used by knights to identify them apart from enemy...
belonging to members of the same
familyFamily denotes a group of people or animals affiliated by a consanguinity, affinity or co-residence...
. Cadency is necessary in heraldic systems in which a given design may be owned by only one person (or, in some cases, one man) at once. Because heraldic designs may be inherited, the arms of members of a family will usually be similar to the arms used by its oldest surviving member (called the "plain coat"). They are formed by adding marks called
brisures, similar to
chargeIn heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
s but smaller. Brisures are generally exempt from the
rule of tinctureThe first rule of heraldic design is the rule of tincture: metal should not be put on metal, nor colour on colour . This means that Or and argent may not be placed against each other; neither may any of the colours or paints be...
.
Systems of cadency
In heraldry's early period, uniqueness of arms was obtained by a wide variety of devices, including change of
tinctureIn heraldry, tinctures are the colours used to emblazon a coat of arms. These can be divided into several categories including light tinctures called metals, dark tinctures called colours, nonstandard colours called stains, furs, and "proper". A charge tinctured proper is coloured as it would be...
and addition of an
ordinaryIn heraldry, an ordinary is a simple geometrical figure, bounded by straight lines and running from side to side or top to bottom of the shield. There are also some geometric charges known as subordinaries, which have been given lesser status by some heraldic writers, though most have been in use...
. See Armorial des Capétiens and
Armorial of Plantagenet- Family chief :- Heirs :- cadets :- House of Lancaster :- House of York :...
for an illustration of the variety.
Systematic cadency schemes were later developed in England and Scotland, but while in England they are voluntary (and not always observed), in Scotland they are enforced through the process of matriculation.
England
The English system of cadency involves the addition of these brisures to the plain coat:
- for the first son, a label
In heraldry, a label is a charge closely resembling the strap with pendants which, from the saddle, crossed the horse's chest.It is the oldest mark of difference, but sometimes borne as a charge. As a difference , it was used to mark the elder son, generally by the princes of the royal house...
of three points (a horizontal strip with three tags hanging down)—this label is removed on the death of the father, and the son inherits the plain coat;
- for the second son, a crescent
In art and symbolism, a crescent is generally the shape produced when a circular disk has a segment of another circle removed from its edge, so that what remains is a shape enclosed by two circular arcs of different diameters which intersect at two points .In astronomy, a crescent is...
(the points upward, as is conventional in heraldry);
- for the third son, a mullet
The term star in heraldry may refer to any star-shaped heraldic bearing of any number of rays, which may appear straight or wavy, and may or may not be pierced. While there has been much confusion between the two due to their similar shape, a star with straight-sided rays is called a mullet while...
(a five-pointed star);
- for the fourth son, a martlet
rightA martlet is a heraldic charge depicting a stylized bird with short tufts of feathers in the place of legs. Swifts, formerly also called martlets, have such small legs that they were believed to have none at all.-Appearance in Civic Heraldry:...
(a kind of bird);
- for the fifth son, an annulet
An annulet , in heraldry, is a difference or mark of distinction, which the fifth brother of any family ought to bear in his coat of arms....
(a ring);
- for the sixth son, a fleur-de-lys;
- for the seventh son, a rose
The rose is a common device in heraldry. It is often used both as a charge on a coat of arms and by itself as a heraldic badge. The heraldic rose has a stylized form consisting of five symmetrical lobes, five barbs, and a circular seed. The rose is one of the most common plant symbols in...
;
- for the eighth son, a cross moline
The cross moline is a design element used as a mark of cadency in heraldry, particularly English heraldry. It is so called because its shape resembles a millrind , the iron clamp of the upper millstone. It is borne both inverted and rebated, and sometimes saltirewise or in saltire...
;
- for the ninth son, a double quatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
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Daughters have no special brisures, and use their father's arms on a
lozengeThe lozenge in heraldry is a diamond-shaped charge , usually somewhat narrower than it is tall. It is to be distinguished in modern heraldry from the fusil, which is like the lozenge but narrower, though the distinction has not always been as fine and is not always observed even today...
. This is because English heraldry has no requirement that women's arms be unique.
In England, arms are generally the property of their owner from birth - subject to the use of the appropriate mark of cadency. In other words, it is not necessary to wait for the death of the previous generation before arms are inherited.
The eldest son of an eldest son uses a
labelIn heraldry, a label is a charge closely resembling the strap with pendants which, from the saddle, crossed the horse's chest.It is the oldest mark of difference, but sometimes borne as a charge. As a difference , it was used to mark the elder son, generally by the princes of the royal house...
of five points. Other grandchildren combine the brisure of their father with the relevant brisure of their own, which would in a short number of generations lead to confusion (because it allows an uncle and nephew to have the same cadency mark) and complexity (because of an accumulation of cadency marks to show, for example, the fifth son of a third son of a second son). However, in practice cadency marks are not much used in England and, even when they are, it is rare to see more than one or, at most, two of them on a coat of arms.
Although textbooks on heraldry (and articles like this one) always agree on the English system of cadency set out above, most heraldic examples (whether on old bookplates, church monuments, silver and the like) ignore cadency marks altogether. Oswald Barron, in an influential article on Heraldry in the 1911 edition of the
Encyclopaedia Britannica, noted:
- "Now and again we see a second son obeying the book-rules and putting a crescent in his shield or a third son displaying a molet, but long before our own times the practice was disregarded, and the most remote kinsman of a gentle house displayed the "whole coat" of the head of his family."
Nor have cadency marks usually been insisted upon by the College of Arms (the heraldic authority for England, Wales and formerly Ireland). For example, the College of Arms website (as of June 2006), far from insisting on any doctrine of "One man one coat" suggested by some academic writers, says:
- … The arms of a man pass equally to all his legitimate children, irrespective of their order of birth.
- Cadency marks may be used to identify the arms of brothers, in a system said to have been invented by John Writhe
John Writhe was a long-serving English officer of arms. He was probably the son of William Writhe, who represented the borough of Cricklade in the Parliament of 1450–51, and is most remembered for being the first Garter King of Arms to preside over the College of Arms...
, Garter, in about 1500. Small symbols are painted on the shield, usually in a contrasting tincture at the top. …
It does not say that such marks
must be used.
In correspondence published in the
Heraldry SocietyThere are several heraldry societies around the world. Some of the more notable ones include:*The Heraldry Society*The Heraldry Society of Scotland*The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada*The American Heraldry Society*The American College of Heraldry...
’s newsletter, Garter King of Arms
Peter Gwynn-JonesPeter Llewellyn Gwynn-Jones, CVO is a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He is the current Garter Principal King of Arms, the senior English officer of arms.-Life and career:...
firmly rejected a suggestion that cadency marks should be strictly enforced. He said:
- “I have never favoured the system of cadency unless there is a need to mark out distinct branches of a particular family. To use cadency marks for each and every generation is something of a nonsense as it results in a pile of indecipherable marks set one above the other. I therefore adhere to the view that they should be used sparingly”.
In a second letter published at the same time, he wrote:
- “Unfortunately, compulsion is not the way ahead for twenty-first century heraldry. However, official recognition and certification of any Armorial Bearings can only be effected when the person in whose favour the Arms are being recognized or certified appears in the appropriate book of record at the College of Arms. I believe it right in England and Wales for a branch to use cadency marks sparingly and only if they wish to do so.”
Scotland
The system is very different in Scotland, where every male user of a coat of arms
must have a personal variation, appropriate to that person's position in their family, approved (or "matriculated") by the Lord Lyon (the heraldic authority for Scotland). This means that in Scotland no two men can ever simultaneously bear the same arms, even by accident, if they have submitted their position to the Scottish heraldic authorities (which, in practice, in Scotland as in England, not all do). To this extent, the
law of armsThe Law of Arms or laws of heraldry, governs the "bearing of arms", that is, the possession, use or display of arms, also called coats of arms, coat armour or armorial bearings. Although it is believed that the original function of coats of arms was to enable knights to identify each other on the...
is stricter in Scotland than in England.
Scotland, like England, uses the
labelIn heraldry, a label is a charge closely resembling the strap with pendants which, from the saddle, crossed the horse's chest.It is the oldest mark of difference, but sometimes borne as a charge. As a difference , it was used to mark the elder son, generally by the princes of the royal house...
of three points for the eldest son and a label of five points for the eldest son of the eldest son, and allows the label to be removed as the bearer of the plain coat dies and the eldest son succeeds. In Scotland (unlike England) the label may be borne by the next male heir to the plain coat even if this is not the son of the bearer of the plain coat (for example, if it is his nephew).
For cadets other than immediate heirs, Scottish cadency uses a complex and versatile system, applying different kinds of changes in each generation. First, a
bordureIn heraldry, a bordure is a band of contrasting tincture forming a border around the edge of a shield, traditionally one-sixth as wide as the shield itself...
is added in a different
tinctureIn heraldry, tinctures are the colours used to emblazon a coat of arms. These can be divided into several categories including light tinctures called metals, dark tinctures called colours, nonstandard colours called stains, furs, and "proper". A charge tinctured proper is coloured as it would be...
for each brother. In subsequent generations the bordure may be divided in two tinctures; the edge of the bordure, or of an
ordinaryIn heraldry, an ordinary is a simple geometrical figure, bounded by straight lines and running from side to side or top to bottom of the shield. There are also some geometric charges known as subordinaries, which have been given lesser status by some heraldic writers, though most have been in use...
in the base coat, may be changed from straight to indented, engrailed or invected; small
chargeIn heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
s may be added. These variations allow the family tree to be expressed clearly and unambiguously.
Because of the
Scottish clanScottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs officially registered with the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which controls the heraldry and Coat of Arms...
system, only one bearer of any given surname may bear plain arms. Other armigerous persons with the same surname have arms derived from the same plain coat, though (if actual kinship cannot be established) they must be differenced in a way other than the cadency system mentioned above. This is quite unlike the English system, in which the surname of an
armigerIn heraldry, an armiger is a person entitled to use a coat of arms. Such a person is said to be armigerous.-Origin of the term:The Latin word armiger literally means "armour-bearer". In high and late medieval England, the word referred to an esquire attendant upon a knight, but bearing his own...
is generally irrelevant.
Canada
Canadian cadency generally follows the English system. However, since in Canadian heraldry a coat of arms must be unique regardless of the bearer's gender, Canada has developed a series of brisures for daughters unique to Canada:
- for the first daughter, a heart
The heart has long been used as a symbol to refer to the spiritual, emotional, moral, and in the past also intellectual core of a human being. As the heart was once widely believed to be the seat of the human mind, the word heart continues to be used poetically to refer to the soul, and stylized...
;
- for the second daughter, an ermine
Ermine is a heraldic fur representing the winter coat of the stoat . Many skins would be sewn together to make a luxurious garment, producing a pattern of small black spots on a white field...
spot;
- for the third daughter, a snowflake
Snowflakes begin as snow crystals which develop when tiny supercooled cloud droplets freeze. Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Colder environments lead to column-like development of the flakes, while warmer temperatures lead to thin and flat crystal development...
;
- for the fourth daughter, a fir twig;
- for the fifth daughter, a chess rook
- for the sixth daughter, an escallop (scallop shell);
- for the seventh daughter, a harp
A harp is a stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. As many other non-percussion instruments, it can also be used as a percussion instrument. All harps have a neck, resonator and strings. Some, known as frame harps, also have a forepillar;...
;
- for the eighth daughter, a buckle
A buckle is a clasp used for fastening two things together, such as the ends of a belt, or for retaining the end of a strap...
;
- for the ninth daughter, a clarichord
The clarichord or clarion is a rare charge in heraldry with an uncertain origin. In Canadian heraldry, it is the cadency mark of a ninth daughter....
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The Royal Family
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Arms of the QueenElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
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Arms of the Prince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland...
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Arms of Prince WilliamPrince William of Wales , KG, is the elder son of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
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Arms of Prince HarryPrince Henry of Wales , known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II...
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Arms of the Duke of YorkThe Prince Andrew, Duke of York , is the second son and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
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Arms of Princess Beatrice Princess Beatrice of York is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York. As such she is fifth, and the first female, in the line of succession to the thrones of sixteen independent states...
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Arms of Princess EugeniePrincess Eugenie of York is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. As such she is sixth, and the second female, in the line of succession to the thrones of sixteen independent Commonwealth realm states.Her first royal engagement was opening a cancer ward...
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Arms of the Earl of WessexThe Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex is the third son and fourth child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
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Arms of the Princess RoyalAnne, Princess Royal is the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
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Arms of the Duke of GloucesterPrince Richard, 2nd Duke of Gloucester is a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his father's death in 1974...
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Arms of the Duke of KentPrince Edward, Duke of Kent is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandchild of George V. He has held the title of Duke of Kent since 1942....
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Arms of Prince Michael Prince Michael of Kent is a member of the British Royal Family and a grandson of King George V and Queen Mary....
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Arms of Princess AlexandraPrincess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy , is a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest granddaughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy. Prior to her marriage she was known as Princess Alexandra of Kent...
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There are no actual "rules" for members of the
Royal FamilyA royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term "imperial family" more appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress regnant, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate in reference to the...
, because they are theoretically decided
ad hoc by the sovereign. In practice, however, a number of traditions are practically invariably followed. At birth, members of the Royal Family have no arms. At some point during their lives, generally at the age of eighteen, they may be granted arms of their own. These will always be the arms of dominion of the Sovereign with a
labelIn heraldry, a label is a charge closely resembling the strap with pendants which, from the saddle, crossed the horse's chest.It is the oldest mark of difference, but sometimes borne as a charge. As a difference , it was used to mark the elder son, generally by the princes of the royal house...
argentIn heraldry, argent is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures, called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it...
for difference; the label may have three or five points. Since this is in theory a new grant, the label is applied not only to the shield but also to the
crestA crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
and the supporters to ensure uniqueness. Though
de facto in English heraldry the crest is uncharged (although it is supposed to be in theory), as it would accumulate more and more cadency marks with each generation, the marks eventually becoming indistinguishable, the crests of the Royal Family are always shown as charged.
The
Prince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland...
uses a plain white label. Traditionally, the other members of the family have used a stock series of symbols (cross of
Saint GeorgeSaint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, and the...
,
heartThe heart has long been used as a symbol to refer to the spiritual, emotional, moral, and in the past also intellectual core of a human being. As the heart was once widely believed to be the seat of the human mind, the word heart continues to be used poetically to refer to the soul, and stylized...
,
anchorAn anchor is an object, often made out of metal, that is used to attach a ship to the bottom of a body of water at a specific point. There are two primary classes of anchors—temporary and permanent. A permanent anchor is often called a mooring, and is rarely moved; it is quite possible the vessel...
, fleur-de-lys, etc.) on the points of the label to ensure that their arms differ. The labels of Princes
WilliamPrince William of Wales , KG, is the elder son of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
and
HarryPrince Henry of Wales , known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II...
have one or more
scallopA scallop is a marine bivalve mollusc of the family Pectinidae. Scallops are a cosmopolitan family, found in all of the world's oceans. Many scallops are highly prized as a food source...
shells taken from the arms of their mother,
Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. Their sons, Princes William and Harry, are second and third in line to the thrones of the United Kingdom and fifteen other Commonwealth Realms.A public figure from the announcement of her engagement to Prince Charles, Diana...
; this is sometimes called an innovation but in fact the use of maternal
chargesIn heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
for difference is a very old practice, illustrated in the "border of France" (
azure semé-de-lys or) borne by
John of Eltham, Earl of CornwallJohn of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall was the son of Edward II of England and Isabella of France.He was born in 1316 at Eltham Palace, Kent and was created Earl of Cornwall on 6 October 1328. He was due to marry Maria, daughter of Ferdinand IV of Castile, but he died, aged 20, at Perth, before the...
(1316-36), younger son of
Edward II of EnglandEdward II, called Edward of Carnarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. He was the seventh Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
and
Isabella of FranceIsabella of France , sometimes described as the She-wolf of France, was the Queen consort of Edward II of England and mother of Edward III...
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It is often said that labels argent are a peculiarly royal symbol, and that eldest sons outside the royal family should use labels of a different colour, usually
gulesIn heraldry, gules is the tincture with the colour red, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of vertical lines or else marked with gu. as an abbreviation....
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The Former Royal House
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Arms of theDauphin of France |
Arms of the Duke of Orléans |
Arms of the Duke of Anjou |
Arms of the Duke of Berry The title of Duke of Berry in the French nobility was frequently created for junior members of the French royal family. The Berry region now consists of the départements of Cher, Indre and parts of Vienne. The capital of Berry is Bourges. The first creation was for John, third son of John II, King...
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Arms of the Prince of CondéThe The Most Serene House of Condé is a historical French house which was named after the title Prince of Condé. Originally assumed circa 1557 by the French Protestant leader, Louis de Bourbon , uncle of King Henry IV of France, and borne by his male line descendants...
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Arms of the Count of Vendôme |
Germany
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| Label In heraldry, a label is a charge closely resembling the strap with pendants which, from the saddle, crossed the horse's chest.It is the oldest mark of difference, but sometimes borne as a charge. As a difference , it was used to mark the elder son, generally by the princes of the royal house...
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CrescentIn art and symbolism, a crescent is generally the shape produced when a circular disk has a segment of another circle removed from its edge, so that what remains is a shape enclosed by two circular arcs of different diameters which intersect at two points .In astronomy, a crescent is...
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Mullet The term star in heraldry may refer to any star-shaped heraldic bearing of any number of rays, which may appear straight or wavy, and may or may not be pierced. While there has been much confusion between the two due to their similar shape, a star with straight-sided rays is called a mullet while...
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MartletrightA martlet is a heraldic charge depicting a stylized bird with short tufts of feathers in the place of legs. Swifts, formerly also called martlets, have such small legs that they were believed to have none at all.-Appearance in Civic Heraldry:...
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Annulet An annulet , in heraldry, is a difference or mark of distinction, which the fifth brother of any family ought to bear in his coat of arms....
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Fleur-de-lys |
Rose The rose is a common device in heraldry. It is often used both as a charge on a coat of arms and by itself as a heraldic badge. The heraldic rose has a stylized form consisting of five symmetrical lobes, five barbs, and a circular seed. The rose is one of the most common plant symbols in...
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Cross moline The cross moline is a design element used as a mark of cadency in heraldry, particularly English heraldry. It is so called because its shape resembles a millrind , the iron clamp of the upper millstone. It is borne both inverted and rebated, and sometimes saltirewise or in saltire...
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The House of Savoy
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Arms of thePrince of Piedmont The lordship, later principality of Piedmont was originally an appanage of the Savoyard county and as such its lords were members of the Savoy-Achaea branch of that illustrious house. The title was inherited by the elder branch of the dynasty in 1418, at about which time Savoy was elevated to...
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Arms of the Duke of Genoa The Royal Dukedom of Genoa was awarded in 1831 to Prince Ferdinand of Savoy the second son of King Charles Albert of Sardinia. The title became extinct on the death of the fifth duke in 1996.-Dukes of Genoa 1831-1996:...
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Arms of the Duke of AostaIn the mid-13th century the Hohenstaufen Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II made the County of Aosta a duchy; its arms were carried in the Savoia coat-of-arms until the reunification of Italy, 1870...
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Arms of the Prince of Carignan |
The Former Royal House
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Arms of the Crown Prince A Crown Prince or Crown Princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
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Arms of the Prince of Beira Prince of Beira is a title in Portugal, normally given to the second heirs to the throne and/or to the eldest daughter of the monarch. It was thus attributed to persons of the royal family especially esteemed by the sovereign...
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Arms of the First InfanteInfante or infanta , also anglicised as infant, was the title and rank given in the European kingdoms of Spain and Portugal to a son or daughter of the king, or to a grandson or granddaughter in the male line of a reigning monarch Infante (masculine) or infanta (feminine), also anglicised as...
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Arms of the Third Infante |
Spain
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The Royal Family
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ArmsThe blazoning of the Coat of arms of the King appears in Title II, Rule 1, of Spanish Royal Decree 1511 of 21 January, 1977, whereby the Rules for Flags, Standards, Guidons, Banners and Badges are adopted...
of theKing |
ArmsThe Blazon of Coat of arms of the Prince of Asturias appears in Royal Decree 284 of 16 March, 2001, whereby His Guidon and His Standard are created.QUARTERED SHIELD:...
of thePrince of AsturiasThe title Prince of Asturias is given to the heir apparent to the Spanish throne, and the earlier kingdom of Castille. The current Prince of Asturias is Felipe, son of King Juan Carlos of Spain and Queen Sofia...
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Arms of the Duchess of LugoThe Infanta Elena, 1st Duchess of Lugo, Grandee of Spain , MA , is the elder daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain, and fourth in the line of succession to the Spanish throne, after Infanta Sofía...
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Arms of the Duchess of PalmaThe Infanta Cristina, 1st Duchess of Palma de Mallorca, Grandee of Spain , is the younger daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain...
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Arms of the Duchess of Badajoz The Infanta Pilar of Spain, 1st Duchess of Badajoz, Grandee of Spain is the elder daughter of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and Princess Maria Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and older sister of current reigning King Juan Carlos of Spain...
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Arms of the Duchess of Soria |