Coat of arms of France
Encyclopedia
The current emblem of France has been a symbol of France
since 1953, although it does not have any legal status as an official coat of arms. It appears on the cover of French passport
s and was adopted originally by the French Foreign Ministry as a symbol for use by diplomatic and consular missions in 1912 using a design by the sculptor Jules-Clément Chaplain.
In 1953, France received a request from the United Nations
for a copy of the national coat of arms to be displayed alongside the coats of arms of other member states in its assembly chamber. An interministerial commission requested Robert Louis (1902–1965), heraldic artist, to produce a version of the Chaplain design. This did not, however, constitute an adoption of an official coat of arms by the Republic.
Technically, it is an emblem rather than a coat of arms, since it does not respect heraldic
rules—heraldry being considered an aristocratic art by the French government, and therefore associated with the Ancien Régime. The emblem consists of:
In September 1999, the French government adopted a unique official identifier for its communication, incorporating the Republic's motto
, the colours of the flag
, and Marianne
, the Republic's personification.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
since 1953, although it does not have any legal status as an official coat of arms. It appears on the cover of French passport
French passport
French passports are issued to French citizens for the purpose of international travel. Besides serving as indication of French citizenship , they facilitate the process of securing assistance from French consular officials...
s and was adopted originally by the French Foreign Ministry as a symbol for use by diplomatic and consular missions in 1912 using a design by the sculptor Jules-Clément Chaplain.
In 1953, France received a request from the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
for a copy of the national coat of arms to be displayed alongside the coats of arms of other member states in its assembly chamber. An interministerial commission requested Robert Louis (1902–1965), heraldic artist, to produce a version of the Chaplain design. This did not, however, constitute an adoption of an official coat of arms by the Republic.
Technically, it is an emblem rather than a coat of arms, since it does not respect heraldic
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, 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"...
rules—heraldry being considered an aristocratic art by the French government, and therefore associated with the Ancien Régime. The emblem consists of:
- A wide shield with, on the one end a lion-head and on the other an eagle-head, bearing a monogramMonogramA monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series of uncombined initials is properly referred to as a...
"RF" standing for République Française (French RepublicFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
). - A laurelBay LaurelThe bay laurel , also known as sweet bay, bay tree, true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree, or simply laurel, is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is the source of the bay leaf used in cooking...
branchBranchA branch or tree branch is a woody structural member connected to but not part of the central trunk of a tree...
symbolises victory of the Republic. - An oakOakAn oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
branch symbolises perennity or wisdom. - The fascesFascesFasces are a bundle of wooden sticks with an axe blade emerging from the center, which is an image that traditionally symbolizes summary power and jurisdiction, and/or "strength through unity"...
, a symbol associated with justice (the bundle of rods and an axe, carried by RomanAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
lictorLictorThe lictor was a member of a special class of Roman civil servant, with special tasks of attending and guarding magistrates of the Roman Republic and Empire who held imperium, the right and power to command; essentially, a bodyguard...
s). This use of the fasces predates the adoption of this symbol by Benito MussoliniBenito MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
as the emblem of Italian FascismItalian FascismItalian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
.
In September 1999, the French government adopted a unique official identifier for its communication, incorporating the Republic's motto
Liberté, égalité, fraternité
Liberté, égalité, fraternité, French for "Liberty, equality, fraternity ", is the national motto of France, and is a typical example of a tripartite motto. Although it finds its origins in the French Revolution, it was then only one motto among others and was not institutionalized until the Third...
, the colours of the flag
Flag of France
The national flag of France is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured royal blue , white, and red...
, and Marianne
Marianne
Marianne is a national emblem of France and an allegory of Liberty and Reason. She represents the state and values of France, differently from another French cultural symbol, the "Coq Gaulois" which represents France as a nation and its history, land, culture, and variety of sport disciplines in...
, the Republic's personification.
History
| Coat-of-Arms | Description | Dates Used |
|---|---|---|
| The France Ancien. | Before 1305 | |
| The France Ancien dimidiated Dimidiation In heraldry, dimidiation is a method of joining two coats of arms.For a time, dimidiation preceded the method known as impalement. Whereas impalement involves placing the whole of both coats of arms side by side in the same shield, dimidiation involves placing the dexter half of one coat of arms... with the arms of Navarre Navarre Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France... , used by Kings Louis X Louis X of France Louis X of France, , called the Quarreler, the Headstrong, or the Stubborn was the King of Navarre from 1305 and King of France from 1314 until his death... and Charles IV Charles IV of France Charles IV, known as the Fair , was the King of France and of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1322 to his death: he was the last French king of the senior Capetian lineage.... . |
1305–1328 | |
| The France Ancien. | 1328–1376 | |
| The France Moderne, a simplified version of the France Ancien reduced the number of fleur-de-lys to three. | 1376–1515 | |
| The France Moderne, now showing a closed royal crown. | 1515–1589 | |
| The royal arms of the Kingdom of France Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a... after the conclusion of the French Wars of Religion French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise... . Again the arms of the Kingdom of Navarre Kingdom of Navarre The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean.... impaled with the France Moderne, indicating the personal union Personal union A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state... of the two realms as a result of Henry IV Henry IV of France Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France.... becoming king. |
1589-1792 | |
| Unofficial Emblem of the Napoleonic Consulate used by Napoleon Bonaparte as First Consul during the French First Republic French First Republic The French First Republic was founded on 22 September 1792, by the newly established National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon I... featuring an imperial eagle holding a lighting bolt with laurel leaves and the letter N in the centre. |
1799–1804 | |
| The arms of the First French Empire First French Empire The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France... of Napoleon I Napoleon I of France Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815... , featuring an eagle and inset with "golden bees" as in the tomb of King Childeric I Childeric I Childeric I was a Merovingian king of the Salian Franks and the father of Clovis.He succeeded his father Merovech as king, traditionally in 457 or 458... . |
1804–1814 | |
 |
After the restoration Bourbon Restoration The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the... the royal house of Bourbon once more assumed the French crown. These arms are still used by the royal house of France. |
1814–1830 |
| During the July Monarchy July Monarchy The July Monarchy , officially the Kingdom of France , was a period of liberal constitutional monarchy in France under King Louis-Philippe starting with the July Revolution of 1830 and ending with the Revolution of 1848... the arms of the House of Orléans House of Orleans Orléans is the name used by several branches of the Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimate male line from the dynasty's founder, Hugh Capet. It became a tradition during France's ancien régime for the duchy of Orléans to be granted as an appanage to a younger son of the king... were used. |
1830–1831 | |
| During the July Monarchy July Monarchy The July Monarchy , officially the Kingdom of France , was a period of liberal constitutional monarchy in France under King Louis-Philippe starting with the July Revolution of 1830 and ending with the Revolution of 1848... the arms of Louis-Philippe were used, depicting the Charter of 1830 Charter of 1830 The Charter of 1830 instigated the July Monarchy in France. It was considered a compromise between constitutionalists and republicans.-History:... . |
1831–1848 | |
| The arms of the Second French Empire Second French Empire The Second French Empire or French Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:... of Napoleon III Napoleon III of France Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte... , again featuring an eagle |
1852–1870 | |
 |
Unofficial Informal arms were created for the French Third Republic French Third Republic The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France... featuring fasces on a laurel branch and an oak branch in saltire. |
1898–1953 |
 |
Unofficial Emblem of Philippe Pétain, chief of state of the French State (Vichy France Vichy France Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic... ), featuring the motto Travail, Famille, Patrie (Work, Family, Fatherland). The Francisque Francisca The francisca is a throwing axe used as a weapon during the Early Middle Ages by the Franks, among whom it was a characteristic national weapon at the time of the Merovingians from about 500 to 750 AD and is known to have been used during the reign of Charlemagne .Although generally associated... was only Pétain's personal emblem but was also gradually used as the regime's informal emblem on official documents |
1940–1944 |
 |
Unofficial Informal arms dating from 1912, reintroduced during the presidency of Jacques Chirac Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the... (1995–2002) and still used. |
1995–present |